Growing An Avocado Tree

Growing an avocado tree

Whether you start from seed or a nursery-grown tree, one essential for success is patience. Plant a tree, and you'll wait three to four years for fruit. Start with a seed, you may wait 13 years or more. Even so, there's something special about homegrown avocados that make them worth the wait.

Do you need 2 avocado trees to produce fruit?

Pollination Avocado Trees are self-fertile, so you don't have to have another tree for fruit. But if yours is growing indoors, it's beneficial to shake the tree a bit to spread the pollen, since you will have no bees or wind to do it for you.

Where do avocado trees grow best?

You can grow the tree outside if you live in one of the warmest parts of the U.S. Although they grow in plant hardiness zones 8-11, in the U.S., avocados only thrive in southern parts of Florida or California, and in Hawaii. Avocado trees are subtropical plants native to southern Mexico.

Is avocado tree easy to grow?

Avocados are not easy trees to grow for fruit in the vast majority of the country, but they are fun to have as houseplants when you start them from seed. It's a great science experiment for the kids as well as a conversation starter.

Do avocados grow well in pots?

If your avocado tree will remain in a pot all its life, choose a 15-gallon container with drainage holes in the bottom right from the start. Terracotta is an excellent material for this purpose. Good drainage is key to good growth. Avocado trees have a relatively shallow root system.

Will a potted avocado tree bear fruit?

Fruiting an Avocado As container plants, trees need to get to 6-8' tall with a trunk caliber of 1.5"- 2" before they will set fruit. This requires a large, 24" pot (15 to 25 gallon). It takes a few years for young grafted plants to reach this size.

Is coffee grounds good for avocado trees?

Organically-minded growers might prefer to go for a different kind of fertilizer. You can consider using coffee grounds, compost, or fish emulsion, which will help your avocado tree thrive.

How do I know if my avocado tree is male or female?

"A flowers" are female (receptive to pollen) in the morning and male (shedding pollen) in the afternoon. "B flowers" are male (shedding pollen) in the morning and female (receptive to pollen) in the afternoon. For the most part, avocado cultivars have only A flowers or only B flowers.

Can I grow an avocado tree from a pit?

Don't toss that avocado pit — with a little patience, you can sprout the seed to plant and grow an avocado tree. It'll make a lovely houseplant that may someday pay you back with fruit.

How tall is an avocado tree after 1 year?

Mature Height:	15-20 ft.
Growth Rate:	Fast
Harvest Time:	February-September
Year to Bear:	Can Fruit the 1st Year!
Botanical Name:	Persea americana 'Hass'

What temperature is too cold for avocado trees?

While healthy avocado trees can tolerate freezes between 30˚ F and 32˚ F, severe freezes are capable of destroying individual avocado trees — particularly freeze temperatures falling below 30˚ F. The colder and longer the freeze, the greater the potential for damage to your avocado grove.

How often do you water an avocado tree?

Typically the trees need to be watered 2-3 times a week. As the roots reach out into the bulk soil, more water can be applied and frequency of watering diminishes to about 1 time per week by the end of a year. Check the soil before watering, to make sure it has dried somewhat.

Do avocado trees need a lot of maintenance?

So, Avocado Trees boast no-fuss maintenance, but proper care prepares them for a lush life. Your tropical fruit will need frequent, deep waterings once or twice a week, with enough time between waterings to let the soil dry out a bit.

What is the life expectancy of an avocado tree?

Feature	Description
Type of tree	Evergreen
Sunlight requirements	Minimum of 6 full hours of sunlight a day
Soil composition	Loose, sandy, or loamy, well-draining with a pH of 6.5 or lower
Lifespan	200-400 years

How do you keep an avocado tree alive in the winter?

During the winter months, your tree may need less water as growth slows a bit, and the water in the soil evaporates more slowly in cooler months. Make sure the soil is dry before watering, or wait until the leaves droop a bit. Yellowing leaves are usually a sign of overwatering.

Can you grow an avocado tree in a 5 gallon bucket?

Choosing a Container For example, if you've received your avocado tree in a 3-gallon pot, which is around 10 inches approximately, transfer it into a 5-gallon pot, around 12 inches. Usually, a 15-gallon pot (18 inches) is fine for most dwarf avocado trees when they reach maturity.

Do avocados grow better inside or outside?

Avocado trees (Persea americana) can grow indoors in any hardiness zone, which makes them great low-maintenance houseplants. However, it can take up to 10 years for the tree to bear fruit in its natural growing conditions, and it can reach over 40 feet tall when grown outside.

Is Epsom salt good for avocado trees?

It is inexpensive and can be found at drugstores, where it is commonly sold as a laxative or for soaking feet. A cup or so spread around citrus, avocado and other fruit trees boosts their performance, too.

Is Miracle Grow good for avocado trees?

For beautiful trees use Miracle-Gro® Citrus, Avocado, & Mango Food! Designed with slow-release nitrogen that helps prevent overfeeding and burning (when used as directed). Miracle-Gro® Citrus, Avocado, & Mango helps promote higher fruit yields (vs. unfed) for more enjoyable and rewarding growing!

Is potting mix good for avocado tree?

Avocados are pretty easy-going when it comes to their potting medium. I use my go-to gold standard for mine: A mix of organic potting soil, orchid bark, horticultural charcoal, and perlite. This creates a light and fluffy, well-draining soil situation that most of my plants thrive on.