When to Pick Your Avocados

When is an avocado ready to pick? Unlike other fruit avocado does not ripen on the tree. Avocados pick according to a schedule based on their variety. Some varieties start as early as May and others need to stay on the tree until November. This video teaches you how to identify your variety so you know exactly when to pick.
If you want to buy a box of avocados go to: www.guacfarm.com

[@SchoolLCB]

Great video Tom, I was wondering about this for a while.

[@SleepyLizard]

Hope it was helpful.

[@SchoolLCB]

@@SleepyLizard very much!! Thanks Tom 👍👍

[@omarvazquez5613]

Hey Tom. I hope all is well with you and your family. I love watching all your videos on avocados. However, I was wondering if you could do a video of the history of sleepy lizard farm. Such as when/how you got the farm. The size of the farm etc. What inspired you to make an avocado farm, why are avocados so special to you, and the meaning behind sleepy lizard, etc. Btw I can’t wait to buy more avocados this year!

[@SleepyLizard]

Omar, I'm working on that very video right now. I've got a few pages out outlines. It's probably still a few months away but I want to do a series on alternative career options and kick it off with how I got into avocado farming.

[@muhamadamin2474]

@@SleepyLizard sweet, i've always wanted to know how to start my own farm.

[@luckymanzini2043]

Well explained thank you for information

[@SleepyLizard]

thanks!

[@gardening_today]

Awesome lesson... Thank you! You're a great teacher! Teresa

[@SleepyLizard]

Teresa, I really appreciate the compliment.

[@GlazzedDonut]

I follow this channel before I tried an avocado I have tried some now they are not bad

[@SleepyLizard]

wow, that's great! Was it a Hass?

[@InternetReviewerGuy]

I don't even like avocados and I'm subscribed to this channel

[@SleepyLizard]

With a name like InternetReviewerGuy I gotta believe you know your stuff so I appreciate the subscription. Thank you!

[@gumpygumpy]

I tried a green avocado for the first time today. Tastes much more earthy than the hass, I like it

[@SleepyLizard]

yes more like a vegetable. I wonder what variety you had

[@gumpygumpy]

@@SleepyLizard It had an oblong shape with a long neck

[@SleepyLizard]

@@gumpygumpy could be a Russel or a pollock

[@miguelschoedel7691]

Love these videos

[@SleepyLizard]

thank you Miguel.

[@KerriEverlasting]

I think its going to be another 10 years before I actually need this video 😂🤦‍♀️

[@SleepyLizard]

it's gonna be a great first harvest

[@KerriEverlasting]

@@SleepyLizard that's the spirit - I intend to find the first frost hardy genetic oddity - it will be a great first harvest 😂😍

[@margaritarusa487]

I always get so excited when a new video of yours gets uploaded. 😀

[@SleepyLizard]

Margarita, I need to do them more often. Especially since nice people like you make me feel so good with their comments. Thank you.

[@spencerbass7142]

Good video.

[@SleepyLizard]

thanks Spencer

[@ElexGamingLifeSafetyGuy]

Nice, interesting video

[@SleepyLizard]

Thanks Elex

[@rosieposie8038]

Great video.Rosie ws florida.

[@SleepyLizard]

Hey Rosie !

[@PlantObsessed]

Just ate my first guacfarm avacado today. It was amazing. Simmons maybe? Smooth green egg shape?

[@SleepyLizard]

so glad! And yes, that was probably the Simmonds. Compared to the pollocks and arue they are more egg shaped and smooth.

[@thomassiddons2117]

Guest appearance by Tomas, I can’t wait for the fall avacados, great guacamole !!

[@SleepyLizard]

he's my camera man

[@Agustin-jo8mv]

Awesome. :) I need to try some one those in the future. Haha

[@SleepyLizard]

you won't regret it

[@richierich1038]

Hey Tom, nice vid! I think you should name the no name variety you have TNT and graft a bunch. Who knows maybe you can start a new avocado trend!

[@SleepyLizard]

that's a good idea. You guys on the power tour yet?

[@jirizak111]

I enjoyed your vid as always. Do you ship avocados to Europe.

[@SleepyLizard]

Thank you Jiri, unfortunately we cannot ship outside the US.

[@Magisktification]

Are there different types of Hass avocado? I get two shapes here in Sweden the pear shaped and an egg shaped, the eggshaped ones usually has reddish brown spots and taste like grass. The pear shaped ones is always the better. Their both always labelled as Hass, but listening to you explaining fruits and their shapes it seems like it could not both be the Hass variery 🥑!?

[@SleepyLizard]

It could be another variety that's complimentary to Hass. Farmers usually plant a different variety every 6th or 7th tree to aid pollination. Sometimes a Fuerte or Zutano variety.

[@Magisktification]

@@SleepyLizard Interesting! Thats good to know. Thanks for responding!

[@brettuleja4461]

Guackstar!

[@SleepyLizard]

yeah!

[@bfb9141]

Could we have a tour with all the trees?

[@SleepyLizard]

great idea

[@bfb9141]

@@SleepyLizard Awesome! I will be looking forward to it!

[@Eugenia_Farms]

whats up Mr lizard, can you do a short video on early mid and late season avacados? you may have done a video im going to research

[@SleepyLizard]

I have not done that yet. I have a plan but I’m waiting for the lockdown to end so I can get access to some resources at an agricultural center. It’s gonna be awesome.

[@Eugenia_Farms]

@@SleepyLizard thats aweosme man!

[@JEZeke]

Not gonna lie, I’m just commenting to say how you look a tad similar to Jurgen Koop in the thumbnail 😂 Interesting video nonetheless!

[@SleepyLizard]

funny. I googled him and yeah, I see the resemblance in this pic.

[@DeepSouthBamaGRITS]

Great vid, Tom! Since we have to rely on grocery stores to buy avocados, how do you know which ones to buy that are ripe? We normally only see HASS (small, round to pear shape with bumps) and there will be fruit of all colors on display, from green to almost black/dark brown. Which ones do you choose to be able to make guacamole when you get home? Also, are there two different sizes of HASS avocados? Last week was in a store that had the regular small HASS but they also featured a LARGE HASS that was HUGE, shiny green (no bumps) & elongated in shape. Have never seen a LARGE HASS in our area (Coastal AL) & wondering if there is a LARGE HASS? How would you know which is ripe? I hate playing the guessing game (no one ever knows what to tell you when you ask) only to get home with an underripe or overripe avocado when your cut into it. With the price we have to pay for avocados, I want to know I am getting the best & USABLE ones for my money. Thank you.

[@SleepyLizard]

It’s so hard to tell. It’s really a matter of when they were picked. If picked at the right time they’re good. If picked too early you’re hosed Glad to see your post came through!

[@WellnessandTruthMinistry]

Are you in Redland? Love that place!

[@SleepyLizard]

yes I am. a paradise especially this time of year

[@WellnessandTruthMinistry]

@@SleepyLizard love it! Visited fruit and spice park the other week! True paradise

[@SleepyLizard]

@@WellnessandTruthMinistry Beautiful place isn't it? Our farm is very close to Fruit and Spice

[@Glorious_Gojo]

Off topic but if you know anything about peaches,would now be a good time to start my peach pits?

[@SleepyLizard]

I do not. Sorry bout that

[@brotharuss]

Is there a Florida avacado that tastes closer to a hoss? Which Florida avacado is your favorite flavor?

[@SleepyLizard]

I find the Monroe to have a similar taste. My favorite is Lula. Even better than Hass

[@friscoHub415]

Is Monroe or Walden..... Hey Brother I am from California I am originally from San Francisco but now I'm in the East Bay area..... I've been watching your videos for a good while now and I own a house now With almost a full acre hill... I've been planting Fruit trees... Really really want a Monroe or a Walden avocado Would you Consider selling me a young Walden or a young Monroe tree please... I would love to own one of your trees

[@SleepyLizard]

Hi friscoHub, I used to sell trees online but I had to shut my nursery business down due to a house fire. We're back in the house now but I gotta rebuild inventory and redo all my certifications and inspections and stuff. I'm probably year away from back to business. You might find a Monroe at a local nursery.

[@vitoralves_4645]

olá, Tom, a uns dias atrás eu germinei um abacate na água, mas parece que as raízes estão começando a apodrecer e tem uma folha que está ficando seca. o que eu posso fazer? i´m from Brasil (•◡•) /

[@SleepyLizard]

Hi Vitor, Thank you for your comment. I don't speak Portuguese but I get a sense that you had some nice things to say.

[@charlesdiamonte3886]

I'm in that boat. Bought a house and we have an Avocado tree. Some of the Avocados are real big and a lot of them are still really small? Any idea on why some are big and a lot are small?

[@SleepyLizard]

Charles. Not sure. It could be that you've got a late season variety and they haven't all sized up yet. My Choquettes for example have some that are around 2lbs and some still well under a pound but in about a month they'll all but over 2 and some close to 3lbs. Have you picked any yet to see if they softened?

[@charlesdiamonte3886]

@@SleepyLizard I haven't picked any yet. The big ones are about 6" top to bottom measuring vertically and about 14" in circumference around the widest part of the fruit measuring horizontally. I am not sure how much they weigh I have not tried to pick one yet. We also have a lot of small ones that are about 3" vertically and 5" in circumference measuring horizontally around the fruit.

[@SleepyLizard]

@@charlesdiamonte3886 pick a big one and let it soften for a week and see how it tastes.

[@WellnessandTruthMinistry]

Looking for moringa seeds/plant to plant and curry plant…any suggestions?

[@SleepyLizard]

sorry, I have no leads for you there.

[@WellnessandTruthMinistry]

Thank you 😊 By the way.. Jesus loves you ❤️

[@VietNamAvocado79]

hi man ^^, what avocado are you harvesting?

[@SleepyLizard]

in that vid we picked Pollock, Simmonds, Arue, and a seedling variety. What do you guys have in Vietnam?

[@johnq8792]

I grew an avocado tree from seed and it bear after 2 and a half years, fruits are pear shaped and about 4" long so far and green smooth skin but did not pick yet, about 20 feet high so far.

[@espoirespoir3710]

Do you have Instagram we want see your amazing avocado plant ?

[@SleepyLizard]

You have a 2.5 year old tree that's 20 feet high and giving fruit? What are you feeding that thing? 😎

[@SleepyLizard]

@@espoirespoir3710 me too

[@johnq8792]

@@SleepyLizard ... I will post a short video on my channel asap, Instagram is qosmio1 but nothing posted yet. I was surprised too, since I got another tree from seed doing nothing after more than 10 years at my other location, except one single bad fruit. When I read that only every 10,000 seed will make a fruitful avocado tree I was very happy. Everything growing very fast here at my back yard with black soil mixed with some stones about 5" size and also old rusty iron I found here when digging. Location is a small island in the Caribbean with temp always around 28 to 30 degrees Celsius. I also had a very fast growing almond tree same back yard with very nice tasting almonds but it grew too big in short time so I cut it down.

[@espoirespoir3710]

@@johnq8792 fruits and time of giving the flowers are related with DNA and weather ( temperature humidity.. and location from sea and montagnes..) 1 of 10000 is not true. Avocado like alot of plants they give good fruits . Nothing will make it give bad fruits maybe 50% good tast like bacon or zutano maybe 100% good tast like hass . Don't forget hadd avocado camed from fuerte seed..

[@TXJH556]

Are you going to be selling the cuttings to graft with the trees we are trying to grow this year

[@SleepyLizard]

I’m not sure yet. Stay tuned.

[@TXJH556]

@@SleepyLizard ok thank you. 🙏

[@SleepyLizard]

@@TXJH556 most likely yes but I've got some work to do first.

[@TXJH556]

@@SleepyLizard ok sounds good. Hope you can get all your work done. We’ve looked at some online but we know your trust worthy and we are hesitant to get from somewhere we don’t know about.

[@SleepyLizard]

@@TXJH556 you should be fine wherever you get them. We are recovering from a house fire so I have a list of things to get to...getting the nursery back up and running is gonna take about a year.

[@frozenauna8733]

Sadly, there have been 2 cougar sightings on our avo farm and now I’m afraid to go again. Do you have advice for me? 😫

[@SleepyLizard]

Bring a friend who runs slower than you.

[@frozenauna8733]

@@SleepyLizard thank you, good advice!

[@SleepyLizard]

@@frozenauna8733 😎

[@michaelmartinez5217]

What are the little black one commonly called sold in the southwest primarily

[@michaelmartinez5217]

Oh you named them hass

[@SleepyLizard]

Yep. 95 percent of the avocados consumed in America are Hass

[@espoirespoir3710]

What's the variety that you concentrate on it to produce much from it?

[@SleepyLizard]

We focus on Monroe and Choquette. It's best to focus on two varieties with complimentary flowering schedules to maximize pollination. You don't get as much fruit with just one variety in the grove.

[@espoirespoir3710]

@@SleepyLizard as i heard the people concentrate on planting hass . But you have other varieties why? It's related with what people want buy or with the weather there?

[@SleepyLizard]

@@espoirespoir3710 Hass doesn't do as well down here in south Florida as it does in Mexico and southern CA. The varieties I grow are late season (October through January). Generally they get a higher price that time of year but I run the risk of having my whole crop blown down in a tropical storm or hurricane.

[@espoirespoir3710]

@@SleepyLizard that's interesting . Because here in nord africa in Morocco we focus on hass +(fuerte zutano bacon as pollinators). I hope the god help you and save your business . Thanks for the content 💗

[@manolocalvo5822]

Is there a green avocado that tastes similar to the Hass avocado?

[@manolocalvo5822]

A green avocado that is creamy and not sweet?

[@SleepyLizard]

yes there are plenty. The Monroe, Hall, Apmay, and Taylor are few off the top of my head.

[@manolocalvo5822]

@@SleepyLizard so far I have not found one. They are too sweet, or watery, or not as creamy as the Hass avocado 🥑😋😋😋

[@Mariadiaz77444]

Hi can you please tell me How or where can I buy an avocado or mango 🥭 graft ?

[@SleepyLizard]

Maria, what part of the world are you in?

[@Mariadiaz77444]

Virginia

[@SleepyLizard]

@@Mariadiaz77444 ok so your only options will be online. I was thinking if you were somewhere where tropical fruit grows native you might find a nursery but you'll have to google an online supplier. I used to sell online but we don't have any inventory now.

[@bombsquad3950]

Do you sale any avocado tree?or mango tree ?

[@SleepyLizard]

sorry, no I don't have any trees for sale

[@ryan-reecekershaw3902]

My avocado trees leaves are deformed how can I fix it HELP

[@ryan-reecekershaw3902]

He looked well at first but now all the leaves are gone

[@ryan-reecekershaw3902]

I have about 50 trees

[@SleepyLizard]

it's been a month, how are they looking now?

[@greatergood3706]

That is a small sized Pollock

[@SleepyLizard]

Yep.

[@greatergood3706]

@@SleepyLizard I gotten them so big I they don't fit in the picker. I got the same picker as you. Wifey has to catch the biggins. Shy producer so we rarely share our Pollocks. The Lula we share. Mail Lula to my son in Oregon for guacamole

[@greatergood3706]

@@SleepyLizard Lula is half Caribbean/ half Guatemalan cultivar. Sometimes not a pretty avocado, is susceptible to a scaly skin. But high oil content for an easy grower in Florida makes them a good door yard fruit

[@SleepyLizard]

I love Lula. My favorite variety. And yes prone to scarring.

[@greatergood3706]

@@SleepyLizard we eat them with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sea salt, fresh ground pepper. Such an amazing salad substitute ❤ or quick lunch

[@megachonker5664]

It's not Pollock, it's Polish

[@SleepyLizard]

oops 🤣