The Gardener Magazine

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	We know South Africans love their gardens! This magazine inspires the home enthusiast with practical ideas for maintaining and enhancing their gardens, patios and backyards. New plants and products are mentioned first in The Gardener and there is also a special focus on indigenous gardening in South Africa.

March / April 2010
Fruit File - Avocados

Lovers of avocado will find an investment in a tree or two well worth their while.

Common name: Avocado
Botanical name: PERSEA americana
Origin: Tropical America

Propagation
Growing an avocado tree from a pip suspended over a container of water is fun, but trees grown this way can take from seven to 15 years to produce fruit, as opposed to grafted trees which take about two years. Trees grown in this way do, however, make lovely indoor container plants if placed in good light. For trees for fruit it is best to buy grafted trees from nurseries. If you are determined to grow at least one tree from seed try to obtain a seed from an old avocado tree that was itself grown from seed.