FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
85 
not settle below the surface and leave a 
pocket in which water would stand dur¬ 
ing the rainy season. I am a great be¬ 
liever in drainage for the crown roots of 
all trees, which necessitates the setting of 
your tree, from three to four inches above 
the level of the ground. 
Fertilizing the Avocado is a problem 
to which many growers have given but 
little thought, and the results obtained 
have been very unsatisfactory. The Avo¬ 
cado is a gross feeder, and to do well 
must be kept in good condition at all 
times. I know of no tree that responds 
to good care as does the Avocado; on the 
other hand, you will find a neglected tree 
is very much a burden. 
The source of plant food best suited to 
the Avocado is still a question in the 
minds of some growers. Personally, I 
prefer the organic mixtures, and have 
used these with very good results. I have 
seen Avocado trees upon which plant food 
from chemical sources was used, de¬ 
stroyed during the rainy season in this 
section. Avocados in the same district 
and at practically the same elevation upon 
which the organic mixtures had been used 
for several years, came through without 
the loss of a single tree. I am not pre¬ 
pared to say as to what caused the dam¬ 
age in the grove where chemical sources 
of plant food were applied, but I will say, 
that it looks somewhat suspicious. 
In fertilizing the Avocado, I have 
found that three applications a year, of 
two pounds each, and two pounds added 
for each year to each application, will 
keep your trees in good fruiting condi¬ 
tion. The mistake is very often made in 
fertilizing the Avocado as to size; if you 
expect to have a planting of even stand 
and size, I would advise giving the small 
tree just as much plant food as the 
larger one, providing it be of the same 
age. 
Mulching the Avocado has been prac¬ 
ticed here to some extent, but should not 
be overdone. Trees that have a heavy 
mulch the entire year, are inclined to send 
their feeder roots into this, and as the 
mulching decays forming humus, it set¬ 
tles leaving these roots exposed. A light 
application of mulching is very beneficial, 
but strike the happy medium, as near as 
you can, for best results. 
