Stewart Avocado...and other early ones
The following thread was started by Ed of Somis on November 06, 2009 at 5:37 pm PST
I bought one a few years ago after being touted by the CRFG as an outstanding variety. My tree is tall, slender ugly and leaves burn easily from salts. That's not to mentioned I may have gotten around 15-25 fruit over the last 5 years. It acts as a screen now so that's the only reason I haven't removed it.
I have a Lamb-Hass planted 20 feet away and it kicks butt. Highly recommended.
The above followup was added by Tom on November 06, 2009 at 7:50 pm PST.
At the Santa Clara Valley CRFG meeting several months ago, several people who had Stewart reported a few or no fruits even after 5-6 years. I have a 1-year old Stewart, I may need to graft something else on it. One person reported that Stewart flowers early in the Spring, so perhaps it can not get pollinated due to the low temperature. (http://www.plantsthatproduce.com/guides/PlantingAvocadoOrTwo.htm)
The above followup was added by atc (sunnyvale) on November 06, 2009 at 11:13 pm PST.
That is what I have lately about Stewart.
I heard it again the other day, when I visited a couple people I have not seen in a almost two years, in Selma CA. And I have encountered some online comments about it too.
I think it has to do with too low of temps at bloom time, especially at night I think. I have a couple other Mexican types which seem to react the same, but I know of others which seem quite productive. I think it is worse where get more delta ocean influence.
There was a discussion a ways down from this thread, which I just posted too a day or two ago.
I seems to matter here some, if you live in rural areas or in cities like Modesto, Turlock and etc; which have more heat sink, which stay warmer at night, taking longer to cool down.
My Avocados seem to only set the last blooms, at the beginning of the early Summer/spring warm up.
Some of the ones which don't seem to have a problem where locally, are many of the local Mexican seedlings with fair to good fruit.
David
The above followup was added by David Johnson, Waterford CA, zone 14 on November 07, 2009 at 1:30 am PST.
Stewart is a Type B flower? Sound typical if it is :0
The above followup was added by Jason on November 07, 2009 at 6:48 am PST.
I cannot vouch for the fruit quality of Stuart.
I can say that it is extremly salt sensitive (more so than other mexican varieties I have tried).
I gave up trying to grow it on my poor quality water.
Jeff
The above followup was added by Jeff (woodland) on November 07, 2009 at 7:07 am PST.
...I just put my Stewart in last year, in the Santa Cruz mountains just north of Watsonville.
If everything being experienced here applies to my situation, it'll be a long wait for nothing.
But half the fun of being a gentleman farmer is that you get to complain about the crops one year, and celebrate them the next, but your life doesn't depend on it!
The above followup was added by Tony Wessling on November 07, 2009 at 7:26 am PST.
A different story about Stewart, which I had forgot about. Talking to the friend in Livingston, on my way back from Fresno and Selma. He has a low growing Stewart, pruned low to cover more easily in winter.
It was planted on the south side of a metal shed, and the plant was getting too hot. So he let some low growing shrubby herbal plant grow around and even a little ways into the lower part of the tree. He said it helped with summer burn and help with fruit set, he was apparently actually getting too hot with the southern exposure nearly against the metal shed and hot bare sandy soil.
He did say fruit set is often light, but became better after the herbs too over around it.
I have even encountered Mexicola not setting fruit in some cooler spring rural areas around here.
David
The above followup was added by David Johnson, Waterford CA, zone 14 on November 07, 2009 at 8:16 am PST.
I was trying to figure what type of avocado tree my parents have. The best match so far has been the Stewart.
It is the BEST avocado's anyone I know has ever tasted.
It ripens black, maybe dark purpulish, VERY easy to peel, buttery, pear shaped, and lasts for days after cutting. If it is, in fact, the Stewart, I HIGHLY recommend it. My parents live in San Pedro, Ca and I believe there soil is mostly clay. The tree was there when they bought their home in 1970 and was already 20-25 feet tall, mature and producing avocados. This tree does seem to give more some years than others. It is in the process of giving at the moment. It has already produced way over a hundred (my BIL and sis just pulled down approx 87... and we had pulled down at least 40 before then.
The above followup was added by jacqueline on January 24, 2010 at 0:03 am PST.
I am intrigued by knowledge in these posts! I live in Stockton (northern CA, Cantral Valley), in town on a 1/2 acre lot, I've bought a hass and a stewart at home depot, but could get a bacon instead. Will plant them together, but not sure if Stewart's seasons even match the Hass (the whole A/B pairing issue seems a moot point if they bloom at different times). Yet Stewart gets better reports of quality eating.
Specific issues: on well water which is very hard (lots of calcium)
Can plant on east side of fence with a small building to south, so thus north/east exposure, under a canopy of a big valley oak, OR...
Could plant on east side of house, between mine and neighbors, which would not have the nice high canopy but would get a little more sun, a little more cold (thus getting a cold tolerant one to shield the Hass), and would let the trees serve as much needed screen between our house and the bright pink one next door!
Down the street is a large mature avocado (50 years old) that's some unknown mexican variety, that bears well. The first setting described is more like that tree's setting. Eventually I might get some material for grafting from that tree, but I'm a novice so don't want to count on that at this point.
So my questions:
will the Stewart cross-polinate the Hass, or is Bacon better?
if neither the Stewart or Bacon are likely to produce much fruit in Stockton, should I get the Stewart for its cold protection values?
Or does my well water make the Stewart (Stuart) too risky?
Any other issues I'm missing here?
Thanks, Ruth
The above followup was added by Ruth in Stockton on February 25, 2010 at 7:08 am PST.