I Love Planting Day. Here is my son standing next to a Reed Avocado and a Hass Avocado bought from Mark Gilcrest at GrowQuest Growers. Mark's trees usually had fruit on them, and he delivered them to your door! I had a fuerte avocado already, and a hass (which I was replacing) so I asked him what he recommended for a third avocado tree, and he did not pause to think about it - he said it would be the creamy, nutty, super-large, Reed Avocado.

The Was My First Cinder Block Planter

I wanted to help my much needed watering problems, and decided to build a cinder block planter. This worked out well as it helped contain the water for my young, unestablished trees, as well as provided a nice flat surface to stand on in the later years. I think it also looks good!

The Woes of Mark Gilcrest....

Years later I tried to buy more trees from GrowQuest, but couldn't reach them. I found out that he was into some legal troubles. Here is some information about that:

"Mark Gilcrest, the owner of GrowQuest Growers, has faced legal issues in recent years. In 2015, he pleaded guilty to multiple felonies, including quarantine violations for shipping plant stock without proper permits. Despite these challenges, GrowQuest Growers continues to operate and expand its services, providing plant material across the United States and Canada​ (CA Rice News)​. For more details, you can visit the Santa Paula Times article on this topic."

https://calricenews.org/2024/01/02/2024-crc-calendar-upcoming-grower-meetings-other-events/

https://santapaulatimes.com/

Fruit Already Hanging!

I didn't have to wait too long to try this one as there was already fruit ready to harvest!

First Harvest - Reed on the Left, Hass on the Right