Growing Avocado
I have an avocado plant that we started from a seed (pit). What are its requirements – soil, water, light, etc. for optimal performance??
Avocado makes an attractive houseplant and a great project to try with the kids. Plant in well drained potting soil. When watering, soak the plant so that all the roots get wet and then allow the soil to dry before watering again. You may have to water more often in warmer weather. It does best in partial shade (bright indirect light) and will tolerate temps of 55-65F for a few months. Excessive heat, dry indoor air and excess fertilizer can cause leaf drop and marginal browning of leaves.You can increase humidity by placing it in a pebble tray or mist around the plant. In Spring start feeding it with 1/2 strength houseplant fertilizer that includes micronutrients(zinc). If you can, place your avocado plant outside in the shade for the summer. It will enjoy the warm, humid air. Once the stem reaches 12″ cut it back by half to a node to control the size and shape. It will not flower or bear fruit indoors but makes a great houseplant. Hardy in zone 9-11
How to grow an Avocado plant from a pit. 
Choose a nice ripe avocado for guacamole and save the pit. Insert 3 toothpicks evenly spaced, half way up around the pit. Suspend the pointed end up over a glass of water making sure the bottom touches the water and stays moist all the time. If the water evaporates, add more and change it every two weeks. In 2-6 weeks, you should see the pit crack and a fleshy white root emerging from the bottom. If not, start over. Once well rooted, carefully plant the pit 1/3 exposed into a 6″ pot in a well-drained soil mix and place in bright indirect light. Keep the soil moist but not wet. When the plant is 6 inches tall cut it back by 1/2 and then again when it is 10-12″. This will promote fuller and healthier growth.
Another way to start from seed. Cut off 1/4″ of the tip and place the rounded bottom into soil- deep enough so that only the flat end is showing. Water and keep the soil moist.
Plant tips
Low light will produce to a tall, lanky plant.
Leaves will yellow and drop in wet soil.
Brown leaf margins and leaf drop indicates that the soil is too dry
Brown leaf margins-fluoride damage
Brown tips- salt accumulation.
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Name: CINDY BROUSSARD |
I HAVE AVOCADO TREES PLANTED AND THEY ARE DOING FINE. I HAVE HEARD IT WILL BE ALL MOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GET FRUIT.IS THIS SO? IF SO HOW CAN I GET THEM TO PRODUCE? I LIVE IN LOUISIANA AND THE STONES THAT I USED WERE FROM FL
I planted an avocado pit about last summer. It is about three feet high and has a nice round shape. I want to move this tree to a diffrent location, Right now it gets sun most of the day. I need to move it back a little that would put it to have more shade. Can I replant this small tree to its new location now in the middle of summer or should I wait ? Would transplanting this tree cause harm? Would the new location be a good choice. I live in Florida. Thanks for your tip?
Need advice!
Transplant shock
I transplanted a three foot avocado tree about a week ago. Now the leaves are wilted and seems very dry and crisp. Should I cut off these leaves for new growth? There seems to be little spurts that are on the branch. I thought that maybe if I prune off the wilted leaves that this would help the new spurts. What should I do about this, and is there anything I should feed the plant with at this time. Its been very warm I live in Florida.
I have an Avocado tree with small green, what seem to resemble sm peach’s. I’ve never seen sm Avocado’s before. Could these be the fruit? If so how long before it matures? Thanks
I HAVE 3 AVOCADO TREES RANGING FROM 3 TO 10 YEARS OLD. THIS YEAR THEY BORE NO FRUIT, HAVE NO NEW GROWTH. THE LEAVES ARE SMALL SPARSE BUT GOOD GREEN COLOR.I WATER THEM DEEP WHEN THE WOOD STAKE THAT I HAVE NEAR EACH ONE IS DRY. I HAVE FED THEM WITH AVOCADO FERTILIZER THREE TIMES THIS YEAR.THE SOIL PH SHOWS A 6.5 AVERAGE. THEY ARE IN FULL SUN.IN SANTA BARBARA CA. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY SUGGESTIONS. THANK YOU.
ART
Hi Art
Here’s a link that hopefully will help you. http://www.ucavo.ucr.edu/
I just transplanted a 6 ft avocado young tree. A lot of the root system got damaged. Now all the leaves are wilted, some completely dry, and I’m just scared to death the tree is going to die. I’ve been watering the tree often adding some root starter. The tree is also in direct light and it’s not helping we are having a heat wave this week. Any help on what to do? can the tree survive even if all the leaves are wilted? should I create some sort of shade for it? Please help!!
I have just moved into a house in Sydney, which has an Avocado tree. It’s pretty big -must be about 20-30 years old – and at this time of year has plenty of avocado on it. However, they look healthy but with a black ‘mould’ at the bottom. When we pick them early, the fruits don’t have the mould, but don’t seem to be ripening after a week or so. Does anyone have any advice for me please?
Hi Andy
Maybe you’re picking the avocado either too early and then too late. Check out this site. there is some good info on When to pick avocado http://www.ucavo.ucr.edu./AvocadoWebSite%20folder/AvocadoWebSite/General/Answers.html#anchor728187
1. how can i tell when the avocado is mature enough to pick and ripen?
2. I have a decent crop this year. This the first year I have abunch of small ones about the size of my thumb? Can I eat them? I opened one up there is no pit.
Hi – I’ve looked everywhere but can’t find anything about my Avocado tree. I have 4 in my garden, but on only one of them the fruit reaches 3-4 inches and then turns completely black and falls off. It is a very mature tree, but gets no more or less watering than the others.
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I HAVE A SMALL AVOCADO PLANT I AM GROWING INSIDE MY UPSTATE, NY APARTMENT…NOT REALLY AVOCADO TERRITORY, I KNOW. IT HAS BEEN DOING FINE UNTIL RECENTLY WHEN DRY BROWN SPOTS STARTED SHOWING UP ON THE LEAVES. THE BROWN SPOTS STARTED ON THE LEAVES TOWARD THE BASE OF THE TRUNK AND HAVE MOVED UP. NOW THE BOTTOM LEAVES ARE STARTING TO FALL OFF. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?
My avocado tree produced good fruit last year (fall season of 2007 into 2008). This year I have gotten no fruit. What can I do to get fruit this coming fall/winter. I live in St Petersburg,
I am staying in Malaysia, Borneo island. I had an avocado tree which is 4 yr old. She has started to bloom quite often since last year but never bear any fruit. Should I do anything to help her? ?Is it true that I have to wait 10 years?
I planted avocado seeds approsimately 12 years ago. The plants have always been healthy. this year, for the first time I have lots of blooms. I think this means I may have avocados. there are plenty of bees around the blooms. is there anything else I can do to help with polination?
i have two avocado trees that i got from my friend she grew them in her backyard when she moved we took them out of the ground and put them in our yard but it has been two days and they look like they are dying what should i do thank you
Avocado roots
I just want to help make a note about Avocado trees, if you decide to have them in the ground of your place, careful not to have it way to close to your house for the plant itself will develop a very large and powerful root system that does spread. Here in Hawai’i, Avocado trees are very common and many foundations are cracked cause of the roots.
I recently planted a 3-4 year old avocado tree, it is about 8 ft tall, but lots of the tips of the leaves have gone brown and many feel dry, despite watering it morning and evening… anyone got any suggestions?
too much water…they have to dry out all the way
I have an approx 8mo. old avocado plant that I planted from the seed (its fruit was delicious!). The upper leaves as well as the lower leaves are drooping down. I watered it a lot and the upper leaves started to raise a little. But the lower leaves are still quite droopy. The leaves are a very nice rich green. I live in Sacramento, Ca. The temp is pretty hot but he (Mr. Avo) lives inside and is in temp of around 78. Although when its in the hundreds he is in about 86 degrees. I have never fertilized him.
I have a Lola Acacado tree and I noticed black markings on the stems resembling mold. When I touch the stems the black stuff some of it comes off. Plus the leaves look wilted and looks sick. What should I do and please let me know what it is and what action I should take. I live in Orlando, Florida, where it has been raining so heavily recently. I also have another avacado tree a brogan and I am scared it will also get contaminated too. Please help! Thanks,
could be a fungus from all the water…try a fungicide spray with copper…too much water will kill avocados…does it have good drainage
Hi
I live in northern Alabama. I started from a avocado seed and now it is about 5 months old. Do you think it will live if I bring it inside each night and take it out in the morning.
HI Neeccee
It should be fine outside in a warm protected area, provided you bring it in when night temperatures get down to the 40’s. You can also grow your avocado plant inside as a houseplant by keeping it in a bright, sunny window. Although indoors, it won’t get as much light compared to outdoors.
Fungus gnats
Hi, i am growing an avocado from seed, it is almost a year old and looks healthy. however, there are many insects, similar to fruit flies, hopping in and out of the soil. How do i get rid of all these quick, winged insects?
Hi Jessica
It sound like fungus gnats in the soil. Let the soil dry out between waterings.
Winter over
I have grown several avocado trees from fruit seed. They usually die due to neglect. The latest one is three years or more old. Last year we planted it outside–our apartment is too small for big house plants. It dropped all of its leaves, then in the spring, it put out new leaves and a second “tree”. Now that it is turning cold, we banked the roots with pine needles, and covered it with a trash can. Question? is there a proper way to keep it warm through NC winter?
I have read that trees grown from a avo pip will never bear fruit. Is that correct? I am growing the pips from 2 old established trees from my garden and not from a grocers. They are growing very well thus far.
I have also read that you need 2 or more trees next to each other- one male and one female. Is that correct?
There is so much conficting information on the net.
Avocado plant care
I have two avacado plants that I started from pits – they did pretty well, but now they look like they are dying – there are definitely gnats – so I suspect this is the problem – I have been letting them dry out pretty well and try not to over water – they get morning sun. I have read to use sticky bug traps to try to get rid of the gnats, as for the plants, the leaves appear dry and all droppped from one plant, but the other has kept it’s leaves – the one that dropped it’s leaves is sprouting new ones on top – should I prune these back? I clipped the stems when they got about 6 inches tall and they leafed out – now they are aobut 10 inches tall. I’m kind of excited about actually getting these to go, so would like to learn about the plants care – any suggested reading or sites would be appreciated.
Tree suckers
My daughter has an avocado tree that was there when she purchased the house. The tree has 2 large thick branches growing out on it’s side about 6-8 inches from ground. If I remove a branch close to trunk and transplant it in another area of the yard, would the tree keep growing or just simply die?
Live in So Cal. Planted a young Hass avacado tree about 4 years ago and it has only produced 4 pieces of fruit (which critters stole before ripened :C ). Every year the leaves turn brown and fall off just before summer begins. However, this year I noticed an additional problem, most of the branches are split on top and have a blackened look inside them. The tree is about 20 feet tall now but still no fruit. Should I give up on this tree?
I have an avocado tree that is about 10 years old and it started bearing fruit 2 years ago. 8 the first year, 10 last year and this year there are dozens of fruit being set but don’t know how many will stay on. Is there anything I can do to help the fruit to stay on?
Also there is a large branch thet has grown out from below the ground. I hadn’t paid much attention and now the thing is 1″ diameter and 10 feet tall. It looks different from the rest of the tree and has no flowers at all. Can I safely remove it or should I leave it alone? What is the best way to remove it if It needs to be removed?
My avocado pit finally started growing roots after several weeks. It just grew a stem a few days ago. Now it seems to have white crusty lumps (like sugar) all over the stems!
It seems to have happened overnight! What could that be? Is it worth keeping?
Thanks, Pat
I’m worried. My avocado plant is one year old, and at least 2.4 ft tall. One week, I noticed that it had several little leaves sprouting at the top, and then, after a week and a half, I noticed that the top of the plant turned brown. It was underwatered. I’ve since cut off the brown part– but without the top of the plant, will it continue to sprout and grow? Does this make sense? Is there any way to fix it?
Transplant shock
I just planted my Avacodo tree. It was in a 24 inch wood container. The tree is anout 6 feet tall. I loosened the rootball before planting. Within a couple hours all of the leaves are drooping. I thing it has transplant shock. Will it survive? And if so, how long will it take. Thanks Jeff
Something is eating the leaves on my tree in (So. Cal). Even newer baby leaves are eating it. What could this be and what is the best remedy? There are about 10 tiny avocados on the tree that I hope to eat one day.