The Joey Avocado was first discovered and propagated by Joey Ricers in Uvalde, Texas. This Mexican Avocado Tree grows egg-shaped small to medium sized fruits that have purple-black, slightly bumpy skin. The flesh is bright yellow to yellow-green when ripe, and has a pleasing, nutty flavor.
Joey Avocado Trees are cold hardy down to 15 degrees F. They can be grown in the ground in USDA Zones 8 to 11. The Joey Avocado Tree has an upright growth habit, deep green foliage, and is considered a heavy producer.
Joey Avocado Trees prefer to be planted on raised mounds with water-retaining berms in well-drained, organically-rich soil. They do best with full sun in locations that have good airflow and, ideally, dry air. They will not tolerate standing water at their base or roots, but the Joey Avocado tree will benefit from deep, rich mulch. Shredded tree bark, grass clippings, and raked leaves are all suitable mulching materials.
Once your Joey Avocado Tree is established and has begun to grow new flushes of foliage, you can fertilize with fruit tree fertilizer formulated for Avocado Trees. Many appropriate fertilizers are designated to feed citrus, mangoes, and avocados. Follow the fertilizer directions for amounts and frequencies based on tree size. Always water new fertilizer in fully.
Joey Avocados bloom and set fruit in spring, and the fruit will begin to mature and be ready to harvest from August through October. The fruit is ready when it has turned dark purple to black, and will soften to an eating consistency once picked. Some individual fruit will soften, even if the skin has some remaining streaks of green when picked. The key factor is time on the tree, rather than a strict color requirement.
The fruit of the Joey Avocado Tree has a high ratio of edible pulp-to-seed matter. The seeds release easily when cutting, and the flesh has a nutty flavor with a smooth, buttery texture.
Avocado Trees, such as the Joey Avocado do not, strictly speaking, bloom male and female flowers in the traditional sense. Instead, Avocado Trees bloom flowers known as Type-A and Type-B, and are designated as such according to when they release and receive pollen. If you live in an area where many other Avocado Trees are growing, then a solo Avocado Tree is likely to produce a healthy crop of fruit. If you are unsure, planting more than one Avocado Tree can help increase yields.
Growing an Avocado Tree from its large seed is indeed possible. However, the quality of the fruit could be drastically different from the parent fruit. A seed-grown Avocado tree could produce fruit that is bland, watery, or riddled with coarse, twig-like fibers. Since the time for a seed-grown Avocado Tree to produce fruit of an unknown quality can be as long as 7 to 15 years, it is highly recommended that you purchase a grafted Avocado Tree that will produce quality fruit in far shorter time.
Is the Joey Avocado Tree cold hardy?
Yes. The Joey Avocado Tree can grow in the ground in USDA Zones 8 to 11. The tree or leaves may sustain damage at temperatures below 26 degrees F. But individual trees have been known to survive short duration temperatures as low as 15 degrees.
What is the best way to harvest an Avocado Tree?
Avocados within arm’s reach can be easily picked by hand with a twisting motion. Fruit that is higher and out of reach can be picked using a ladder, or with a picking device. One such device is a metal basket with hooks on the end of a pole used to pick and catch high Avocados. A similar Avocado picking device uses a pole that holds a canvas or fabric bag positioned under a sharp “V” shaped blade used to cut the stem just above the fruit.
How big will my Joey Avocado Tree get?
A mature Joey Avocado Tree can reach a height of 25 feet, and a width of 20 feet. The trees grow upright, and produce more vertical than horizontal branches. You can prune an Avocado Tree to keep it at a manageable size, but they do grow quickly compared to other fruit trees.
