· Avocados should be planted on high ground.

· They need adequate water but need good drainage. Tropical broadleaf but will not tolerate wet soggy soil.

• They need adequate water but need good drainage. Tropical broadleaf but will not tolerate wet soggy soil.
• Trees need to be in a raised bed or mounded. Over time mound the ground around the trees so it covers the graft so that if a bad freeze occurs the plant can come back from "Varietal Wood" instead of from the rootstock.

· The trees “will” need to be protected from the cold for two to three years. As the tree matures, the green bark on the trunk will begin to turn brown.

· Start fertilizing young trees after one year of growth, using a balanced fertilizer such as 8-8-8 twice yearly.

· It is also recommended to protect young avocado trees from direct sun for the first year.

· One option is to paint the green trunk and main branches with a whitewash.

· You can also drape them with a shade cloth or light burlap sack over a wooden or PVC frame a foot or two above the tree.

· The trees should begin to bear fruit within 2 – 3 years. 3-5 Gal trees bear some fruit now in the pot

· Joey, Lila, Lula, Fantastic, and Arizona are just some of the cold hardy examples now 14-18 degrees

· All avocados are self-fertile but produce larger and more fruit if cross-pollinated, can grow to 30 feet at maturity in several years or 10-15 feet in a large pot, but can be cut back. Remember fruit comes on new growth.

· Zone 8b