“CAN YOU REALLY GROW AN AVOCADO TREE IN ICELAND?”

Avocado trees can now be grown outdoors in cooler areas, using strategies not considered previously.

JUST SHY OF THE ACTIC CIRCLE, MOST PEOPLE WOULDN’T THINK OF ICELAND AS A PLACE TO GROW AN AVOCADO TREE. YET IT IS POSSIBLE…

Iceland is the land of volcanoes, geysers and Viking stories. The capital, Reyjkavic, lies only 168 miles (270 km) from the Arctic Circle.

What most people don’t know is that the climate in Iceland is much milder that they ever realized.

For 4 out of the past 6 years, Reykjavik, Iceland hasn’t gotten colder than -10°C (14°F). And in the two years when it did get below -10°C (14°F), the coldest it got was -13°C (8.6°F). With a little effort and planning, you can easily protect your Avocado tree from danger, and still produce a crop of Avocado fruit, OUTDOORS and — IN ICELAND!

OUTDOORS AND UNPROTECTED?

Well, mostly unprotected. And there are a few necessary strategies:

Here are THREE catches:

1. It would be best if you choose a variety of Avocado tree that is more cold hardy than normal. There are at least 7 varieties of Avocado trees that can survive -10°C (14°F) and still produce a crop of Avocados. There are even more varieties that can survive -7°C (20°F). Check out this article about the 7 most cold-hardy varieties: 7 Most Cold-Hardy Avocado Trees.
2. Some of these cold-hardy varieties are short-season (ripen in 4–5 months), while others may take 13–15 months before the fruit gets ripe. I would suggest that you focus your efforts on a variety that is a short-season variety (Iceland has a short summer, right?). You’ll want your fruit to be ready to pick before the winter hits.
3. During the occasional colder-than-normal winter, you’ll need to protect your tree using one of several possible strategies: a) Cloth covers, b) Christmas lights and/or a Halogen shop lamp, c) Plastic sheet protection with a cloth top, d) or another creative method. Maybe in Iceland, there are some geothermal possibilities that aren’t available elsewhere.

Here is one video that shows what one man did to protect his Avocado tree during the winter. (there are different YouTube videos with other available strategies, as well):

What one man does to protect his Avocado tree in winter. This may work in Iceland, too!

4. If you are unable to obtain any of the already-proven varieties of Avocado tree that can withstand colder-than-normal winter temperatures, you may want to do the same thing that some of us here in Vancouver, Canada are doing, and simply start planting all available Avocado seeds that we get from the supermarket. Each seed has unique DNA, and each one has the potential to produce a tree that will survive cold weather better than most other Avocado trees. Sooner or later, you’ll get lucky, and you’ll get the right tree that will survive the Iceland winters with only a little bit of help — outdoors. And it will also produce Avocados for your family and friends to enjoy.

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George Stancliffe has written several articles on growing Avocados in colder climates like Vancouver, Canada. George also teaches children to Speed Read, and is the author of Speed Reading 4 Kids (now in its 4th edition). If you want to read some of his many articles on Speed Reading, visit Medium.com. If you want more detailed information, go to: www.SpeedReading4Kids.com .

Go to TimeAndDate.com to study weather statistics for any city, for the past 12 years.