About Estes Avocado Company, LLC

Estes Avocado Company, LLC is a Placer County operation with a single focus: providing high-quality avocado scionwood and cuttings from named, established mother trees. We do one thing and we intend to do it right.

Most scionwood available in Northern California comes from Southern California commercial sources. Our goal is to provide material from cold-tolerant selections proven to perform in Placer County and the Sacramento Valley — varieties suited to our climate, our seasons, and our soils.

Damin Estes

Founder & Grower · Placer County, CA

Damin established Estes Avocado Company, LLC to provide scionwood and cuttings from named, producing mother trees. He personally maintains mother trees and plants for Lila, Aravaipa, Mexicola, Mexicola Grande, Hass, Stewart, Zutano, Bacon, Ettinger, Pomegranate Wonderful, Guava, and Passion Fruit. Every cutting is taken by Damin after your order is received — never pre-cut, never stored.

Why scions — not trees?

Grafted trees are excellent, but they're expensive to ship and limit your rootstock choices. Scionwood is compact, ships well when properly packaged, and puts you in control of which rootstock your tree grows on — which matters for soil type, cold tolerance, and disease resistance.

If you have a seedling rootstock, or you're working with a local nursery on custom grafts, fresh scionwood from a known mother tree is exactly what you need.

Our varieties

• Lila — Cold-hardy Mexican race, Type A. Purple-black skin, exceptional flavor. Scions + seeds.
• Aravaipa — Extremely frost-tolerant, Type B. Thin edible skin, nutty flavor. Scions + seeds.
• Mexicola — Cold-hardy, Type A. Thin edible skin, richest buttery flavor. Scions + seeds.
• Mexicola Grande — Larger-fruited Mexicola, cold-hardy, Type A. Scions + seeds.
• Hass — World's most popular variety, rich and creamy, Type A. Scions + seeds.
• Stewart — Cold-hardy NorCal selection, thin black skin, Type B. Scions + seeds.
• Zutano — Cold-hardy Type B pollinator, winter harvest, popular rootstock base. Scions + seeds.
• Bacon — NorCal classic, Type B pollinator, reliable winter bearer. Scions + seeds.
• Ettinger — Israeli variety, large pear-shaped green fruit, light flavor, Type B. Scions + seeds.
• Pomegranate Wonderful — Greenwood cuttings, 6 in., $10 each. Available fall 2026.
• Guava — Greenwood cuttings, 6 in., $10 each. Variety TBD. Coming soon.
• Passion Fruit — Greenwood cuttings, 6 in., $10 each. Variety TBD. Coming soon.

Grafting avocados — an overview

Avocados are grafted because seed-grown trees take at least 7 years to produce fruit, if they fruit at all, and yield genetically unpredictable results. Grafted trees reproduce the exact variety and typically fruit in 3–4 years.

What you need

• A healthy rootstock seedling — 6–18 months old, pencil-diameter stem
• A fresh scion with 3+ nodes (what we sell)
• A sharp, sterilized grafting knife or single-edge razor blade
• Grafting tape or parafilm to seal the union
• Optional: grafting wax or sealant for added protection

Common graft types

Cleft graft — Most beginner-friendly. Cut the rootstock flat and split it; shape the scion into a wedge and press into the split. Works well when rootstock is thicker than the scion.

Side-veneer graft — Used by most professional nurseries. Long slanting cuts on both pieces create maximum cambium contact. Great for similar-diameter stems.

Whip-and-tongue — Best when rootstock and scion are matched in diameter. Interlocking tongues create a self-aligning, strong union.

Timing for our varieties

• Lila, Mexicola, Mexicola Grande, Hass, Bacon — Dormant hardwood scions cut in late winter to early spring.
• Stewart, Aravaipa, Zutano, Ettinger — Available as dormant wood in late winter, or greenwood in early summer.
• We cut to order — contact us to confirm timing for your region.

Rootstock for Placer County

For our climate, Zutano and Duke seedlings are the most commonly used cold-hardy rootstocks. For heavy clay or poor drainage, Duke 7 or Dusa clonal rootstocks offer better disease resistance. Local Placer County pickup customers can discuss rootstock sourcing with Damin directly.

Rooting greenwood cuttings (Pomegranate, Guava, Passion Fruit)

All three of our non-avocado offerings are sold as greenwood cuttings and root without grafting. Plant your 6-inch cutting upright in a 50% perlite / 50% peat moss mix — a classic well-draining propagation blend that holds just enough moisture while preventing rot. Bury 2–3 nodes below the surface, keep the mix evenly moist but never waterlogged. Bottom heat (a seedling heat mat) significantly accelerates rooting. Roots typically develop in 4–8 weeks in warm conditions.

Passion fruit is the fastest — vines can begin fruiting in as little as 12–18 months from a rooted cutting. Pomegranate and guava typically begin bearing in 2–4 years. No grafting required for any of these.

Contact

Estes Avocado Company, LLC is a small, direct-contact operation in Placer County. For questions about availability, varieties, rootstock compatibility, bulk orders, or local pickup — reach out directly to Damin.

Pre-orders & inquiries

We are accepting pre-orders now. Use the Pre-Order button on the Shop page, or email us directly. If you have questions about a specific variety, grafting compatibility, or shipping window to your zip code, email first and we'll give you an honest answer.

Local pickup — Placer County

Local customers in Placer County and the greater Sacramento area can arrange pickup instead of shipping. This avoids shipping costs entirely and gives you the freshest possible cuttings. Contact us to arrange a pickup time after placing your order.

Shipping reminder

We ship to U.S. addresses only via USPS Priority Mail at a $10 flat rate per order. Our checkout is configured to accept only U.S. shipping addresses. For California customers, all CDFA regulations are strictly followed.