Introducing: Young Tree – Remember that avocado plants thrive at temperatures between 60 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit with moderate humidity. Once established, they can survive temperatures between 28 and 32 degrees Fahrenheit with no harm. Avoid cold conditions.
Plant your tree between March and June. If you plant avocado plants during the summer, there is always the possibility of solar damage, as immature avocado trees do not absorb water effectively. Plant it in a non-lawn area away from sidewalks and, if possible, in a wind- and frost-sheltered location. Remember that direct sunlight is optimal.
Dig a hole that is as deep as the root ball and as broad as the root ball plus a little more so you can plant the plant with your hands. As the avocado tree has most of its feeder roots in the top 6 inches of soil, it requires adequate aeration. It must be transplanted with extreme care so as not to harm its delicate root structure.
How do you put an avocado seed in the ground?
Place the avocado seed on top of the soil in the container so that the roots may spread evenly. Take your soil mixture and fill in around the roots until the top of the seed is level with the potting soil. Pat the earth around the seed to harden it up, taking care not to injure the roots.
One of the simplest methods to germinate a seed is in a standard glass or jar from the kitchen. It is also one of the most entertaining methods since you can observe the roots develop. To prepare seed, thoroughly wash it. Then, insert three or four wooden toothpicks approximately a third of the way down the pointed end of the hole.
Place the pit on the rim of the glass, pointed end up, so that the toothpicks can support it. Add enough water to cover the seed’s lower half and place it in a location with ample light. Refill the water as necessary to cover the bottom. In around two to six weeks, your seed should sprout roots. The top will then break open and a sprout will emerge.
Once this occurs, the seed should be planted in a container with coarse, well-drained potting mix. Half of the seed should be planted above ground and the other half below. After planting, be sure to give your tree plenty water and set it in the brightest area in your home.
- As with many other citrus trees, avocado plants thrive when planted inside.
- The porous nature of natural terra cotta clay makes it an ideal material for planters, since it allows air and moisture to travel freely through the soil.
- Begin by selecting a 6- to 8-inch-diameter container with drainage holes.
As your tree grows over time, you may repot it into a larger container. From seeds, avocado trees are straightforward to grow.
Covering avocado seed with dirt.
Step 2: The Seed – Dirt Approach – The seed-dirt method is similarly straightforward. Put a little amount of gravel or stones in the bottom of the container for optimal drainage. Avocados enjoy water, but they dislike wet soil. Leave a small portion of the seed above the earth.
Obviously, seedlings will need far less than that. At planting, the trees’ root capacity can retain around 2 gallons of water. On the seashore, they may use 1 gallon of water every day, depending on the weather. Typically, trees require watering two to three times each week.
- As the roots extend deeper into the soil, more water may be provided, and the frequency of watering decreases to once per week by the end of the first year.
- Before watering, ensure that the earth has dried considerably.
- If the soil surrounding the roots retains the hand’s imprint when squeezed, it still has sufficient moisture.
Learn more about avocado tree irrigation. Fertilizing The principal nutrients required by the avocado tree are Nitrogen – Phosphorous – Potassium (N-P-K on the fertilizer label) and Zinc (Zn). For young avocado plants, 1/2 to 1 pound of real nitrogen per tree each year is recommended.
You can divide it out among many applications as long as the total amount of Nitrogen is between 0.5 and 1 pound. Zinc is another essential component for avocado plants. A general-purpose fertilizer for houseplants should typically suffice. If the fertilizer you are using does not contain zinc, you may need to use zinc once each year.
Check the label to be certain. Read more about avocado tree fertilization. Mulching Mulches are of significant importance to avocado trees. Any organic material may be utilized, including the avocado tree’s leaf litter. It is preferable not to rake the leaves.
- They give free mulch for the rather close to the surface avocado roots.
- A thick layer of mulch can inhibit the growth of some soil diseases, such as the Phytophthora cinnamomi fungus that causes root rot.
- Avocado Varieties The climatic zone in which you reside dictates which avocado cultivars perform best, when fruit should be picked, and which pests and diseases are most prevalent.
Avocados thrive in locations where temperatures seldom drop below freezing, often in temperate coastal or inland climes. Type A and Type B avocado trees are distinguished by the time of day when the blooms are open and ready for pollination. Each flower opens either in the morning (Type A) or the afternoon (Type B) as a female (Type B).
It closes, reopens the following day as male, and then closes for good. This pattern appears reliably when temperatures above 70 degrees Fahrenheit day and night. While temperatures fall below 60 degrees Fahrenheit or pollinators are absent when both male and female flowers are open, fruit set is poor.
Although avocado trees are capable of self-pollination and fruit production, yields should rise if both a Type A and Type B tree are planted to maximize the likelihood of successful pollination. The varieties suggested for home gardens are included in the table below, along with a broad idea of their maturation season.
| Cultivar | Type | Mature Season | Ripe Color |
| Duke | A | Sep-Oct | Green |
| Fuerte | B | Nov-Mar | Green |
| Gwen | A | Apr-Sep | Green |
| Hass | A | Jan-Jul | Black |
| Jim | B | Nov-Feb | Green |
| Lamb Hass | A | May-Nov | Black |
| Mexicola | A | Aug-Sep | Purple |
| Pinkerton | A | Dec-Apr | Green |
| Reed | A | May-Nov | Green |
| SirPrize | B | Nov-Mar | Black |
| Stewart | A | Oct-Dec | Purple |
| Wurtz | A | May-Aug | Green |
Images of the Varieties Check out the UC Avocado Varieties page for photos and descriptions of many different avocado varieties that grow in Southern California. When to anticipate fruit Expect your newly planted tree to bear fruit three to four years after planting.
However, if the tree is grown from seed, it can take anywhere from five to thirteen years before it is mature enough to bear fruit. When the tree flowers, expect a large number of flowers to fall off without producing fruit. This is expected. Growing in containers is the dwarf avocado tree “Little Cado” The Wurtz avocado tree, also known as Little Cado, is the only true dwarf avocado variety and will produce consistently good fruit from May to September.
Unlike other avocado trees, which can reach heights of up to 80 feet, the Wurtz avocado tree reaches a maximum height of 10 feet. Due to its small stature, the Wurtz avocado tree can be grown in a large container (such as a half wine barrel) and is an excellent choice for front and backyards with limited space.
The Wurtz avocado is a cross between the Mexican and Guatemalan species, and it produces an abundance of fruit within one to two years of planting if the tree is grafted, grown in optimal conditions, and cared for properly. This is the best variety of Avocado for container gardening. A Wurtz avocado tree will thrive in California regions with mild winters.
Avocados like loose, rich, well-draining soil. Plant in a container with drainage holes and potting soil of high quality. To prevent the roots from succumbing to root rot fungus, the soil may need to be sandy and quick-draining to suit the tree’s enormous roots.
Avoid manure-based mixtures, as they tend to be very salty. To keep the soil moderately wet, dwarf types in pots require frequent watering, maybe even daily during the summer. While the Wurtz avocado tree can endure temperatures as low as 25 degrees Fahrenheit, it should be kept in a warm area and protected from high winds and frost as much as possible.
Young trees, those less than one year old, must be shielded from direct summer sunshine or their stems and bark may burn. After two years, the tree will have sufficient leaf to provide shade from the sun. Regularly fertilize with a balanced citrus and avocado nutrient.
Frequent pinching of young tree stems helps maintain the ideal form of the tree. Flowers If the Wurtz avocado tree is grafted, it will begin producing flowers for pollination between January and March one to two years after planting, assuming good maintenance. A grafted tree is a tree formed from seedling tissue that has been combined with generating tree tissue.
The simplest option for a home gardener to obtain a fruiting tree is to purchase a grafted Wurtz avocado tree from a nursery. A tree developed from a seed will not produce fruit until it is eight to twenty years old. Fruit The Little Cado gives birth. Once the blossoms have been pollinated, the Wurtz avocado tree will produce fruit between May and September.
The fruits are between 6 and 12 ounces and dark green in color. They have a thin, glossy exterior with tiny seeds. Growers have rated the fruit’s flavor as excellent and consistent, with a 16 percent oil content. While avocados are still on the tree, they will not ripen. Harvest when fruits have reached full maturity and are still firm.
In one to two weeks at room temperature, they will ripen.
May I plant my avocado in soil?
Avocado trees are subtropical plants native to southern Mexico and are grown outdoors. If you live in a place where winter temperatures routinely dip below freezing (in the United States, only the southernmost tips are acceptable for outdoor avocado planting), put the avocado tree in a container so it can be brought within for the winter.
To allow air and water to flow, avocado trees growing inside must be planted in potting soil, not garden soil. If your hardiness zone is warm enough, you can plant outside. Avocados thrive between 60 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the plant in an area that receives at least eight hours of sunlight every day.
Dig a hole that is somewhat broader but only as deep as the existing root ball. Planting too deeply or too high above the earth might be problematic. Attempt to avoid disturbing the root system during planting. Several liters of water should be applied every 5 to 10 days to the newly planted avocado tree.
