Victory Gardens and avocado trees
By momiecat
@momiecat (997)
United States
February 6, 2009 4:06pm CST
I vaguely remember hearing something about Victory Gardens -- a garden of fruits and vegetables that people planted may be in the depression of several years ago because money and food was scarce. I think this would be a great idea to start doing again. I know some people do not have land or room for a garden but I bet it could also be done, to some degree, using pots and may be grow lights.
Also, does anyone know anything about growing avocado trees? I heard something about needs a male and female tree in order to bear fruit. Can you grow the trees from the avocado pits? How do you tell if it is a male or female pit?
3 people like this
3 responses
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
7 Feb 09
I found this really interesting site and you should check it out! Here's the link:
I included what it said too.
Not a referral link!
http://www.avocado.org/about/growing-avocado
[b][i]Don't throw out that seed! You can grow a beautiful houseplant or even your own tree following these simple steps.
Wash the seed. Using three toothpicks, suspend it broad end down over a water-filled glass to cover about an inch of the seed.
Put it in a warm place out of direct sunlight and replenish water as needed. You should see roots and stem sprout in about two to six weeks.
When the stem is six to seven inches long, cut it back to about three inches.
When the roots are thick and the stem has leafed out again, plant it in a rich humus soil in a 10-1/2" diameter pot, leaving the seed half exposed.
Give it frequent, light waterings with an occasional deep soak. Generally, the soil should be moist but not saturated. Yellowing leaves are a sign of over-watering; let the plant dry out for a few days.
The more sunlight, the better.
If leaves turn brown and fry at the tips, too much salt has accumulated in the soil. Let water run freely into the pot and drain for several minutes.
When the stem is 12 inches high, cut it back to 6 inches to encourage the growth of new shoots.
Don't expect your house plant to bear fruit. Although this does occur occasionally, it usually requires grafting. A plant grown from seed will take anywhere from five to 13 years to flower and bear fruit. Fruit on trees grown from seeds are seldom good to eat.
Avocados in the Home Garden
California avocado trees are one of the most popular tropical fruit trees used in landscaping in zones 9, 10 and 11. They like soil ph of 6 to 6.5. It is a shallow rooted tree that needs good aeration and does best when mulched with coarse material such as redwood bark or other woody mulch about 2" in diameter. Use about 1/3 cubic yard per tree, but keep it about 6 to 8 inches away from the trunk. Plant in a non-lawn area with full sun, protected from wind and frost. The ideal time to plant is March through June. During summer there is risk of sun damage since young trees can't take up water very well.
The hole should be as deep as the root ball and just a bit wider. Gently place the root ball in the hole taking care not to disturb the delicate root system. If the ball is root-bound, carefully loosen up the soil around the edge and clip away any roots that are going in circles. Back fill the hole with soil. Do not use gravel or potting mix.
The major nutrients needed by avocado trees are Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK) in a 7-4-2 fertilizer and Zinc. Feed young trees 1/3 to 1/2 pound of actual nitrogen per tree per year, spread out over several applications if you like.
When watering, it is best to soak the soil well, then allow it to dry out somewhat before watering again. At planting, the tree can hold about 2 gallons of water. Depending on the weather, your tree may need a gallon of water a day along the coast. Typically, trees need to be watered two to three times a week. A mature tree will take about 20 gallons of water a day.
This information was provided by Dr. Mary Lu Arpaia, Extension Subtropical Horticulturist, Kearney Agriculture Center, Parlier, CA. and Dr. Ben Faber, Farm Advisor, Soils and Water, Avocados and Subtropicals, Ventura County, CA. For more information about avocado horticulture, visit http://www.ucavo.ucr.edu.[/i][/b]
1 person likes this

@momiecat (997)
• United States
7 Feb 09
You bring up a good point. What to do with the cats! May be I should plant catnip. :) Thank you "CatsandDogs" for the very informative post and the link. It makes me want to go out and buy some avocados right now! I wonder what other "seeds or pits" we throw out which could be used to grow new plants? We are such a wasteful society (at least in the States) where we have enjoyed such an abundance over the last many years. The economy is so bad right now and people are so depressed, this would be one very positive way to help people's spirits. Even if you are in a wheelchair, you could still, perhaps with a little help, do some indoor or even outdoor growing in pots. If you have a bad back like I do, you can find ways of gardening without bending over or hurting your back. I find it a very relaxing thing to do. Thanks much for your informative post.
1 person likes this
@TheCatLady (4691)
• Israel
7 Feb 09
You left out a few very important steps.
Keep the darn cats off the counter. Down Tiger, down Frankie, down Ethel, down Mr. Blue Eyes, down Topolino, down Gingi, and down everyone else. Grrr they are all naughty little fur faces.
Make sure they don't knock the container over.
Make sure they don't drink all the water.
Make sure they don't decide the avocado pit is their new ball. Grr my babies are bad.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (51817)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
7 Feb 09
Nothing hurts when you're gardening... it's after you stop what you're doing...
As for other "free" plants... in Vancouver, I had a bunch of little orange trees come up in my compost, that I transferred to pots and they did quite well as indoor plants. And in my current location, I now have a nectarine tree, also curtesy of the compost heap. Any seed is a potential plant.

@momiecat (997)
• United States
7 Feb 09
I guess I was completely off base thinking it was due to the Great Depression. As I stated in a previous post, it makes sense that the gardens were grown due to the War and not having enough food. I really think it would be a good idea for those who are able to, to start this practice again. Garden is good therapy and with all the bad stuff that is happening in the world today, I know lots of people could use the joy that it brings to be able to eat the fresh, homegrown fruits and vegetables. I appreciate your comment my friend.
2 people like this

@deebomb (15304)
• United States
6 Feb 09
The victory gardens were a result of food shortage because of WWII. Yes I too think it would be a good idea and many things can be raised on containers. I have raised tomatoes in pots and they did pretty good. We did have an avocado tree get up to three ft tall in the house. I looked at some sites about how to tell if a tree is a male but they said that to have fruit a tree needs to be grafted with another tree. The tree flowers have both male and female parts but wont pollinate each other.
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/homefruit/avocado/avocado2.html
1 person likes this
@momiecat (997)
• United States
7 Feb 09
Hi dee... Thank you for responding to my post and for the clarification. I thought that the victory gardens were due to the Great Depression but, as the name "Victory" implies, something was won, so it makes good sense that it was related to a "war". I am glad you agree that we all should start trying our hand at growing some kind of food for ourselves. Think of all the land that may be wasted that could be helping people eat better and save money? Thank you for the URL too. I will check that out. I have never tried grafting anything before. Happy gardening!
2 people like this
@deebomb (15304)
• United States
7 Feb 09
During the war a lot of things had to be bought with coupons and when your alotment of coupons ran out that was it until the next month. So much was saved for the war effort. Even gas was limited because it was needed by the military. So people had supplement their food with gardens. People learned to do with out a lot that we think we need. People got along with out such things as sugar and eggs and learned to make tea from rose hips for vitamin c




