I've got 3 avocado trees. Over the years, I've had a few others but they didn't work out. I've got a large Haas, a large and tall Fuerte, and a small stunted Haas. I cut down a Reed years ago -- I didn't like the watery nature of the
fruit on that tree. I had a really nice Fuerte die a few years ago, and that bummed me out.
A couple of things I've learned about avocados.
First, if you're paying for "organic" avocados, you're being ripped off. There is absolutely no reason to every
spray them or treat them with anything other than a nice deep drink of
water. They are pest free, don't need to be pruned, and are so easy to grow.
Second, the avocados don't ripen on the tree, but must be picked in order for the fruit to ripen. While hanging on the tree, the tree provides an enzyme that keeps the fruit from ripening. Once you pick them, they'll start to ripen --- it takes about 2 weeks before they are ready to eat.
Third, in many Mexican stews and soups, they use the leaves to provide a herbaceous undertone. You'll see the dried leaves for sale in the market. It's a subtile flavor.
Fourth, they don't
bear evenly every year. They tend to bear on a two or a three year cycle, either heavy one year and light the next year, or on a three year rotation where you'll get a light harvest, a heavy harvest, and then absolutely none in the third year. In a larger orchard, the trees will bear at different times so it all evens out.
We get 150 to 200 nice big avocados per tree when we get a heavy crop on the Haas. On the Fuerte, we'll get almost 100 and they are really big, nice avocados.