Growing California Avocados

Planting California avocado trees generally takes place beginning in February, therefore Dr. Ben Faber recently shared planting advice based on common mistakes he sees in groves. Following is a summary of his observations concerning planting depth and soil amendments.

A recent article in the Topics in Subtropics newsletter notes red imported fire ants were found to be girdling and killing young avocado trees in the summer of 2022. Learn more about the pest and best mitigation practices. 

Members of the California avocado industry in need of satisfying the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule requirement are encouraged to attend the Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Course that will be held on February 22.

A new seminar, entitled “Get Down – Fertilizers,” will discuss fertilization best practices and how to read water and soil reports for California avocado groves. The event will be held February 15 from 10:00 a.m. – noon with in-person and virtual attendance options available.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops program provides specialty crop producers with financial assistance for certain on-farm food safety program expenses. The 2023 application will become available on February 1, 2023.

California avocado growers are encouraged to complete the San Diego County’s Agriculture, Weights and Measures’ 2022 Crop Report Questionnaire. The data gathered from the survey is published in the Crop Statistics and Annual Report for the County.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service is distributing the 2022 Agricultural Resource Management Survey to producers across the nation between January and April 2023. California avocado growers are encouraged to complete the survey, which is part of NASS’ efforts to gather information about farm economics and production practices.

On January 11, from 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m., the Avocado Café is hosting a free webinar concerning biostimulants and the testing process for new products. Learn more about the webinar.

The California Avocado Commission will host a grower field day at Pine Tree Ranch in Santa Paula on January 25, 2023 from 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Learn more about the event.