Position – Find a sunny spot in your garden for your Pinkerton avo tree, preferably one that is sheltered from the wind. Plant it about 3 metres from buildings and walls and around 7 to 10 metres from other avo trees. This is a type A avo tree. This means that it first flowers female flowers, which close and reopen as males. For the best chance of pollinating your tree, plant it near a type B tree (like a Fuerte avo), which flowers in the opposite order. This means that opposite sex flowers will be open at the same time, giving bees the ideal conditions to cross-pollinate from one to another.
Size – The Pinkerton tree grows to a mature height of between 7.5 and 10.5 metres with a canopy spread of 6 to 9 metres.
Soil Type – Pinkerton avo trees are water-hungry, but the roots rot when they become waterlogged. So, these trees do best in a sandy, loamy soil that drains well. A slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil pH is suitable (between 5.0 and 7.0).
Mulch – Organic mulch like grass cuttings, hay, wood chips and compost helps to retain the moisture in the soil. It also works well to keep weeds away. Apply liberal amounts of mulch on the soil below the tree’s canopy, being careful to keep it about 20 centimetres away from the actual trunk so that water doesn’t accumulate there.
Watering – Like all avocado trees, Pinkertons demand a lot of water. If you live in an area with regular rainfall, you may only have to water your tree two to three times a week. In drier areas, this may increase to a daily watering. Soak the soil completely when watering your tree. Then, water it again when the soil is somewhat dry.
Fertilising – Sprinkle a tablespoon of nitrogen around your tree three times a year – once in spring, once in summer, and once in autumn. Then, water the area liberally so that the nitrogen can be absorbed deep into the soil.
Pruning – Keep any low horizontal branches that are close to the ground pruned away so that they don’t take up too much of the tree’s resources. It’s also beneficial to keep the canopy fairly light and open so that light can get in and to make it easier for you to access the fruits.
Harvesting – Pick the largest avocados first, usually midway through autumn. They should mature on the tree for as long as possible, but try to pluck them off before they start to drop off. They will continue to ripen once picked.
