Avocados are delicious. They’re also great for your health, and they make a really nice addition to any meal. If you have a garden or yard, then it’s likely that you want to grow some avocados of your own. Avocado trees are notoriously challenging to grow when young. Lucky for you, with some care and attention, you will be harvesting avocados in no time! Here are 5 tips for successfully growing avocado trees:
1. Choose a location with plenty of sunlight for your avocado tree
-Avocado trees need a lot of light to be able to grow and produce fruit. It’s best if they have at least six hours of sun per day, but eight is even better. Choose the spot for your avocado tree carefully! If you don’t live in an area with enough sunlight year round (for example, if it’s too shady or dim) then consider planting avocados near a deciduous tree that provides shade during the less sunny months while still letting plenty of light through when there are leaves on its branches.
-It’s best if avocado trees are planted outside in a sheltered spot where they will be protected from strong winds but still exposed enough to get sunlight. If you have a grower nearby who sells avocados already grown for planting (and not just seeds), ask him or her about what kind of environment their plants enjoy most – this way you’ll know exactly how much care these particular plants need before they grow into healthy specimens.
2. Plant the avocado tree in well-drained soil
-Avocados require a well draining soil, like sandy loam. Don’t plant it in heavy clay or very sandy soil.
-Select an area with plenty of morning sun and afternoon shade.
-Dig a hole that’s twice as wide as the root ball, but not deeper than the original height.
-Add organic matter to improve drainage if necessary, followed by compost or aged manure mixed with garden loam (or topsoil).
– Don’t add any fertilizer to a newly planted avocado tree.
-Apply three to four inches of mulch around the base of the tree to conserve moisture, control weeds and help regulate soil temperature
3. Whitewash the trunk to protect from sunburn
A young avocado tree should be whitewashed to protect it from sunburn. Whitewashing the trunk can help prevent sunburn in two ways: first, by shading the bark and second, by discouraging any boring insects that may attack.
To effectively protect you avocado tree’s sensitive bark, a high-quality interior latex white paint should be used since other types will peel off or crack with age.
We recommend using an organic option like IV Organics 3-in-1 (10% Off Code: BUSY10) plant guard to avoid paint build-up in the soil. This is a green way to protect your avocado tree from pests, fungi and diseases while also reducing the risk of sunburn.
If you aboslutely don’t want to paint it with whitewash or use organic pest control products, we recommend planting in an area that receives plenty of shade during the hottest part of the day. An option is to plant under another plant or close by a building so the bark can stay cool.
4. Water your avocado tree regularly, but not too much – overwatering can cause root rot and other problems
Avocado trees require more water than most other trees because they originate from a tropical climate. That said, you should avoid overwatering your tree to prevent root rot and other problems.
The best way is to water deeply as infrequently as possible – this will help the soil retain moisture more deeply than watering it just once per day or so. Using a water meter probe is the most objective measure of your soil’s moisture content.
– Like citrus trees, avocado trees like to dry out in between waterings, so spacing watering out is better than frequent superficial watering. A good rule of thumb for how often this would be is every five days during hot summer months and once a week during winter months.
5. Keep your avocado tree pruned to keep it from growing too tall or wide
The size of the avocado tree is going to depend on how tall it grows, so the best thing you can do for your plant is to keep it at a manageable size. By pruning your avocado tree regularly, you have the ability to control its growth and make sure that it doesn’t get too wide or grow too high.
– Remember; If an avocado tree does grow taller than 25 feet, you will have difficulty reaching the fruit, even with a pole mounted picking basket.
– Unlike other fruit trees, an avocado tree does best by allowing the low branches to grow, which protects the root system from summer tempratures and sunlight.
– To prune off a tall branch or to thin out low branching, use loppers for cutting through large limbs that may be too thick to cut with hand shears. With smaller branches and shoots that have grown into other parts of your tree, use hand shears so as not to make jagged cuts, which damage the plant tissue.
Like with any fruit tree, you will prune your avocado tree to remove any dead, diseased, damaged or crowded branches from their stems with clippers or shears.
– Avoid removing healthy shoots that form new growth at the tips of branches as this may hinder future flowering and fruiting.
In Closing
If you have a garden, or are considering planting one this year, consider adding an avocado tree to your landscape. Avocado trees can be grown in most warm climates and need basicare for the first few years of their life. The tips we’ve provided should help with getting started on growing these beautiful trees – but if you still have questions about how best to grow avocados, don’t hesitate to contact us! We love answering gardening questions and want nothing more than for our readers to succeed in bringing nature into their lives through sustainable practices like fruit-bearing plants that provide healthy food sources. Enjoy your new avocado tree!