Question
QUESTION: I was in Zambia a few years ago and brought home a seed from a tree there.  The fruit was as large as a canalope...I never seen them this size.  Why?
Also, I planted the seed in a pot where it lived for a couple of years and did pretty well in the greenhouse.  I transplanted it to the garden and now it is starting to suffer.  The large leaves are turning brown and the branches seem to be wasting away from the tips.  Before I lose the whole thing, what can I do?  I have taken a cutting to try to root but to no avail yet.  I tried "air rooting" but that didn't work either.

Thanks for your help.

Dick

ANSWER: Hi Dick,
Thanx for your question.  Your tree doesn't sound like an avocado to me.  Does the fruit have a shiny skin as opposed to the rough skin of the alligator pear or Haas avocado which has almost black skin?  Haas avocadoes are small like pears.  The bigger avocadoes like the smooth-skinned, bright gree avocadoes we used to call Florida avocadoes are lower in quality, sometimes a bit stringy and not as rich in oil.  But the fruit can get quite large.  You didn't say where you lived or what kind of weather conditions or soil conditions you have.  Please provide this information so I can give you a good answer.  Have you recently transplanted the plant?  Are you watering it frequently?  Have you fertilized it?  Please let me know.
thx,
Tom

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks, Tom.

It is an avocado for sure.  I ate two of them...well, at different times: it took two of us to eat a whole one.  These things are huge.  There were two varieties: light green smooth skin and dark skin with the rough texture.  Both were quite good...smooth and buttery just like the Hass.

I live in Houston where it is quite warm most of the year and rarely gets below freezing.  I transplanted the tree about two months ago.  I water it every day or two.  Soil is not heavy but not sandy--loamy. I have heard that avocado trees are hard to transplant.  I am just interested in saving the tree or getting a new cutting started.  It still has a lot of green in the trunk and small limbs but the ends are starting to go bad.

Answer
Hi Dick,
Thanx for the additional information.  It reminded me of the huge avocadoes I used to get from neighbors when I lived in Hawaii.  They were the biggest avocadoes I had ever seen.  They varied in quality though and I prefer the Hass (sorry I called the Haas before.).  Ok, the avocado tree has been shocked from the transplant.  If the tree is still alive after two months I don't think it is going to die.  It may drop all or most of its leaves but it most likely will recover.  Continue to water it several times a week if you're not having consistent rainfall.  Side dress the tree with some well-composted cow or horse manure.  I've had this happen before with potbound avocadoes and they will come out of it with proper attention.  Cuttings are difficult as most avocado trees grown in this country are grafted onto hardier rootstock and I have no experience in grafting.  Did you take softwood (green) cuttings about 6 inches long?  Dip in rooting hormone and then stick inch deep in warm, wet sand?  Keep the bottom warm and keep the container sealed inside a clear plastic bag to maintain humidity?

I hope this helps.
Tom