Avocado - Hayes

Hayes is similar to Hass, but is larger, the skin is glossier, pebbled, rough, thick and becomes brown/purple when ripe. The flesh is a nice rich yellow with a fantastic buttery flavour. The tree is hardy, and can grow large if left unpruned, but responds well to an annual prune to keep it a manageable size. Hayes is very productive, having a consistent high yield of tasty avocados each year. Harvest season is October to December.

• Type: Hybrid (Guatemalan X West Indies) 
• Flower Type: A
• Colour when ripe: Black
• Shape: Pear (pyriform)
• Fruit size: Medium (larger than Hass)
• Seed Size: Medium
• Fruit quality/taste: Good, buttery
• Harvest season: October - December

Hayes is an A flowering type. Avocado trees in our climate are self fertile, but produce more fruit if 2 are planted near each other with opposing flower types. In this case, best planted near a Fuerte, Bacon, Hashimoto, Ettinger, or Zutano tree. 

Avocado trees are generally easy to care for, but here are a few tips to help ensure your tree thrives:

1. Plant your tree in well-draining soil in a sunny location. Protect from wind and frost when young.

2. Water your tree regularly, but be careful not to over-water. Avocado trees prefer to be kept evenly moist, but not waterlogged. If planting in a clay soil, it is important to either create a mound, or build a raised planter box to plant your tree into. This helps keep the sensitive feeder roots out of the wet zone.

3. Fertilise your tree with a balanced fertiliser twice a year, once in the spring and once in the summer.

4. Prune your tree regularly to remove any dead or damaged branches, and to shape the tree to promote good fruit production.

5. Avocado trees love mulch! Mulching around your tree helps regulate moisture, keep weeds away, breaks down into food for the tree, and creates a very healthy balance of good bacteria and fungi, closer to their natural habitat.