The rule of thumb for mature trees is about 20 gallons of water a day during the irrigation season. Seedlings will require quite a bit less water, of course. Check the soil before watering each time to make sure it has dried somewhat. If the soil from around the roots can hold the impression of a hand when squeezed, it has enough water.
Mulch with coarse yard mulch. Redwood bark or cocoa bean husks and shredded tree bark will work. Choose something that is woody and about 2 inches in diameter. Coarse yard mulch is available at some garden-supply centers and through tree-trimming operations. Use online search engines to find a local tree service. Put 20 pounds of gypsum spread around the tree base, and mulch the area with 6 inches of mulch, keeping the material about 6 to 8 inches away from the tree trunk.
The other important nutrient for avocado trees is zinc. Ordinary home fertilizer for houseplants will normally work. Be patient about seeing fruit. If you have purchased and planted a tree, you can probably expect to see your first fruit three to four years after planting. If you are growing from a seed, it can take anywhere from five to 13 years before the tree is mature enough to set fruit. When the tree does flower, expect a lot of flowers to fall without setting fruit. This is natural. A-type flowers open female in the morning and male in the afternoon, B-type are male in the morning and female in the afternoon.
Optimum fruit set occurs at temperatures between about 65 — 75 F. Cooler or warmer temperatures are less ideal. Under some conditions, you may get a fruit from a flower that did not pollinate properly. This is called fruit drop. An avocado tree typically produces about one million flowers, but only pieces of fruit per tree. In other words, 1 fruit in 10, will set and mature.
Sometimes the tree will set fruit but drop them when they are pea to walnut size. This is typical. Research suggests that fruit retention is also better when there are other avocado varieties present to provide cross-pollination, and that these crossed fruit have a higher tendency to stay on the tree.
There is also some indication that over-fertilizing with Nitrogen during the early fruit stages can also somewhat influence fruit drop. They mature on the tree. If the temperature outside drops below 10 degrees, you should bring your avocado inside, otherwise it will not survive the winter. When the avocado grows, it produces a stem for each pit. Sometimes the stem will be very tall with leaves at the end but not along the stem.
This is often a sign of lack of light, the stem stretches towards the sun to catch the available sun rays. To prune the stem, cut at the height at which you want the new branches to start forming. The pit will then need plenty of sun, fresh water and good care. New branches will soon start to emerge from the stump of the stem. There is no perfect, universal method for watering your avocado plant.
It depends on many factors such as temperature, climate, type of pot, and amount of light. In general, you should keep the soil slightly moist.
If you find it difficult to manage the watering of your plants, we recommend using a Sustee moisture indicator. Just stick it in the ground and watch the little window. If it is white, your plant needs to be watered, and if it is blue, your plant has enough water.
It may still sprout, but it will take much longer. Keep your little plastic baggie next to your water heater or furnace so it stays consistently warm.
Soak it in water for 1 or 2 days. This slows down germination. If your paper towel is not wet enough, the same problem can occur. Be careful if you leave the bag near a strong heat source radiator , the risk of drying out is higher. Wash your hands before handling the pit, otherwise you risk introducing bacteria into the bag. You may have tried this toothpick technique before to grow your avocado.
This technique seems simple and quick, but it rarely works and takes much longer. The reason is simple: the pit is not placed in ideal germination conditions. As we showed you before, in order for the seed to start germinating, you have to wrap it in a wet paper towel and put it in a ziploc bag.
The temperature in our homes is also often too cold, which slows down the process. For your avocado tree to bear fruit, several conditions must be met. Support this mission by becoming a sustaining member today. Get smart curated videos delivered to your inbox. Twitter Instagram. Primary Menu.
Search for: Search. How to sprout an avocado seed, a time-lapse. I have it in a bay window to get some light, but it is now sulking and leaves browning. It may be too cool near the window. Any recommendations for helping it through the winter?
I live in Maryland so it will be months of cold weather. Thanks for any input!! Hi Lou, These plants really sulk if changes come too suddenly.
And sometimes they just dry up and drop leaves even when seemingly nothing has changed. See if you can stick to the growing tips listed here without any sudden changes and it might come around.
My seed has cracked and the root began to appear however it broke off at the tip. Is there anyway to save it? Excellent instructions. I grew a tree from a pip. Its a huge tree now and bears a good crop every two years. It took about 6 years before the first crop.
What helped was giving the tree a good supply of Epsom salts. Great you got a crop but Epsom salts would not be the cause. Your excellent growing conditions and care suited to the plant would though! This is great. Worked on my first try.
Can I grow my plant over a bottle with the roots submerged in water and the seed and stem growing above similar to the toothpick method? I just like the look of it. You can grow them over water but for how long is hard to predict. Ultimately growing in potting mix is best for this plant. Thank you! Thank you for your wonderful tutorial on avacado plant growing. The pictures are a great plus and I think I adore your website!!
If you sprout your avocado seed and cannot tell the top from the bottom or distinguish roots from shoots , just plant it anyway aiming both sideways if you can. The roots will grow down into the soil and the shoots will grow above it. I read somewhere to cut root to three inches for a more bushy appearance when planting. And, then cut the six inch plant stem in half for a more sturdy stem.
What do you think about these methods? The second one is scary. Everything depends on the type of avocado its genetics. I have not found any research to support the root pruning advice. Personally, I would leave everything as it is, plant it, and provide the recommended care as a houseplant. Yes, it may still do fine. Carefully wash it off, start with fresh supplies, and choose another location less humid or warm making sure the paper towel is not too damp.
You can also keep the plastic bag open for better air flow. Is there a point at which you would put more soil to cover the seed from which the tree sprouts? My tree is about 4 inches tall right now. Hi Janet, No need to add more soil, it can remain fine with some seed above soil level. Congrats on your little tree! I have one Young avocado tree standing 2 feet tall, I currently have 4 seeds in a bag of which 2 are almost ready for planting!
In my experience the toothpick method works for a short time then they die off! I have a question though. One of the seeds has about eight cream colored fleshy growths around the base.
This is the best method, by far! I have tried several times and each time my plant gets tall and leggy. What am I doing wrong? If you want a guarantee of a bushy tree or fruit , I think you would have to start with a grafted tree from a seller. I had 3 pits. I put them in water and then transferred to your paper towel method and I swear they cracked open in a few days. I planted it in soil from compost but am worried I planted it too soon.
How often should I be watering it? Hi Cara, You want to keep the soil moist without being too damp. Thanks for the reply and new link. Hoping the pit in soil still has a chance!
The first pit I write to you about died and so I moved it out of the sun but I kept watering it and about a week later it grew a new stem.
I planed the other two that I started Using your paper wired method and recently planted them. They sprouted so quickly in the paper towel. I had them in there about a month. They grew a stem in the cupboard too so I thought it was time to plant them. So exciting to watch. I need all the excitement I can during these Covid times.
Thanks for this post!
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