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serge94501

Nursery Avocado from seed?

serge94501
10 years ago

I just bought a Lamb Haas Avocado and when getting ready to re-pot it in 5-1-1 I noticed that it looked like it was growing out of a seed. Could this be the seed of the rootstock, or did they grow a Lamb Haas from a seed?

If the seed belongs to the rootstock and the LH is grafted, it should fruit earlier, correct? If the whole plant is from a Lamb Haas seed then it will take longer (and might be a mutant/dud)?

Can you check out the pic and help me figure out what is going on? Thanks!!

Comments (7)

  • Fascist_Nation
    10 years ago

    Avocados breed true from seed and are usually propagated as such.

    Though anything can be grafted and if soil conditions are right the rootstock seed coat may not have broken down in a nursery pot.

    I'd ask the nursery since that knuckle might be a graft point and it would be interesting to know what they are using for rootstock if grafted and why (what their thinking is for doing it that way; quicker fruiting, better disease resistance, salt or drought tolerance?), but would enjoy your tree either way as it will be true to cultivar. Hopefully you have a suitable pollinator nearby.

  • jean001a
    10 years ago

    Don't necessarily "breed true." End up with different size &/or shape fruits than started with.

  • fireduck
    10 years ago

    S...here is the deal. Any reputable nursery would only sell a grafted tree. Ungrafted trees (planted from seed) are never the same as the mother tree. They are almost always inferior in quality...and rarely produce quality fruit. However, this is exactly how new varieties are discovered. You may be able to see a graft scar up from the soil line about 6-12 inches. The nursery should be able to tell you who grew this (wholesale grower). LH is an excellent variety!

  • serge94501
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    The tree was grown at La Verne Nursery in Piru, CA. I dropped them an email asking about the graft / rootstock.

    I already have 1 Lamb Haas and 1 Sir Prize - both in ground and doing OK. I got 1 more of each to put in containers to possibly help with pollination.

    The Pinkerton is on her own!

  • canadianplant
    10 years ago

    If I recall, Haas grew his first avacados from seed.

    There are some types of fruits that can come true. Key limes and some other citrus. Peaches have a good good chance, same with apricots. im not personally sure about avacado.

    Grafted or not, the rootstock would be grown from seed, or if it was grown from seed you will see the seed for quite a while.

  • avocado101
    10 years ago

    From what I gather, Avocados do not come true. It will produce something little different. That's where Hass Avocados came, but not from a parent of "Hass", for there was none called "Hass" at the time of planting. Hass Avocado tree did come from a seed, but from another type of Avocado. The product from this "other avocado" became Hass.

  • yukkuri_kame
    10 years ago

    A lot of the old california avo orchards were based on seedlings from Fuerte with Haas grafted on top.

    I think now seedlings from Mexicola may be one of the common rootstocks among nursery trees.

    There are clonal rootstocks, which would be preferred for commercial groves, but for backyard growing seedling rootstock is not something to worry about.