Oro Negro Avocado – Tree Farm & Nursery

Growing Oro Negro Avocado in the Northeast Florida Landscape

Oro Negro Avocado / Persea americana Origins:

– Oro Negro translated from Spanish means Black Gold ( Type B ) is thought to be a seedling of a Monroe avacado crossed with a Mexican Type giving it its black skin, however parentage is unknown and there is no scent to the foliage. It is a Florida grown seedling grown by Mike Hunt in Miami and evaluated for years before sharing his tree with the rest of us. Thanks Mike, I added mine to my collection last year! Anyway…It is grown for its cold tolerance and creamy textured fruit with a moderately high oil content. (13-15 percent)

Oro Negro Avocado Tree Exposure:

– Oro Negro should be planted into a full sun or afternoon sun location in the Northeast Florida landscape.

Oro Negro Avocado Foliage and Winter Tolerance:

– large green leaves typical of the species, non scented, remains evergreen in winter.

Oro Negro avocado trees have a high cold tolerance known to survive winter temperatures in the upper 20’s without fail. It is a good option for a no fuss avocado tree for our northeast Florida landscape.

Oro Negro Avocado Soil Preference / Salt tolerance:

-Avocado trees need well drained soils. They are not tolerant of overly moist soils, avoid planting in areas that remain wet for days after heavy rains, plant in raised beds or berms in areas with a high water table. when planted into well drained soils avocados are well suited to the native sandy soils of Florida and do not require amendment at the time of planting.

– low salt tolerance not suitable for coastal gardens.

Oro Negro Avocado Size Variance and Growth Habit:

– Oro Negro avocado trees can reach 20-30ft in height in the Northeast Florida Landscape. They will produce fruit best when kept to an open center where sunlight can penetrate into the branch structure. It is recommended that after few years of growth in the home landscape that they be cut back to 10-15 ft from the ground removing the central leader, this helps keep the trees fruit where you can easily reach it, keeps get sunlight and air circulation into the inner branch structure and helps with any pest / leaf treatments you may need.

Oro Negro Avocado Tree Growth Rate:

– Avocado trees are considered a moderate to fast growing plant selection. Once established into the landscape expect 1-3 ft of foliage growth in a season.

Oro Negro avocado tree flower buds forming

Oro Negro Avocado Tree Blooms and Fruit:

Oro Negro avocado trees follow the type B flowering schedule. Individual blooms will open as female the afternoon of their first day remain open for a few hours close up and open again the next morning functioning as male flowers.

– Oro Negro avocados are large 1-2 lb fruits taht mature to a very shiny black with a rounded interior pit in the center and a smooth somewhat thicker skin. The fruits are creamy and have a really excellent texture, a ,oderately high oercentage of oil and a nice buttery taste.

All avocado fruit ripens once it has fallen from the tree or has been picked. Once your Oro Negro avocado tree fruit has reached mature size and deepens in color to that shiny black you can pick them and let them ripen indoors at will and leave them on the tree until you need them!

Begin harvesting your Oro Negro avocado tree from November to January here in NE Florida.

Avocado Water Requirements:

– Although much more durable once established in the landscape, regular water is necessary to get the plant rooted and growing on its own after being planted in the ground from an S & J Nursery container. Use supplemental irrigation when planted in full sun or in extremely sandy soil.

– Water generously during droughts at least once or twice a week for best results if
planted into an non irrigated garden location.

Care of Oro Negro Avocado in the Northeast Florida Landscape:

– Its always best to trim an avocado just after harvest but here in NE Florida with the later blooming and later harvesting avocado trees like Oro Negro you may want to wait until spring to do any trimming and shaping to avoid new growth sprouting before a freeze after pruning. It wont be the end of the world if that happens you may just end up having to do a little cleanup pruning in the spring on leaves or stems that didn’t make it. Make sure to fertilize at the same time you prune and water well for the next few weeks to ensure the tree has everything it needs to get growing.

– Avocado trees will need good water during the establishment period and
supplemental irrigation during dry spells or particularly hot dry summers, especially when planted into sandy soils.

– Fertilize your newly planted trees every other month through the year with a good tropical plant food or a slow release poly coated plant food such as Osmocote. This is especially important on newly planted and younger trees. Once the trees are well established and have been growing for a few years in your landscape you can reduce that to once a season, or 4 times a year.

– Keep the area below the foliage free of grass and other vegetation that will compete for nutrients. Mulch thickly in a circle around the tree under the foliage canopy being sure to keep it thinner not letting it pile up right at the base of the trunk. Start with at least a 4 ft wide circle on a young tree and you can keep expanding the mulch bed area to the foliage line as your tree grows. Arborist chips are ideal, you can also use other options like leaf litter from surrounding landscape trees, pine straw or pine bark all good sustainable options that will both help regulate soil moisture and break down into nutrition for your trees.