PRUNING AVOCADO TREES To Keep Them Small: BEFORE and AFTER!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ก.ค. 2024
- This video teaches you my technique for pruning avocado trees to keep them small. I'll teach you when to prune your trees, a full instructional on how to prune avocado tree branches, and a before and after comparison with new growth 18 days later as a follow-up!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
0:00 My Lila Avocado Tree: The BEST Semi Dwarf Avocado
1:01 When To Prune Avocado Trees
2:43 Why I'm Pruning My Tree So Aggressively
3:34 How I'm Growing Avocado Trees Under Protection
4:05 Tools For Pruning Avocado Tree Branches
4:23 2 Tips For Avocado Pruning
5:10 My Avocado Plant BEFORE Pruning
5:58 Avocado Tree Pruning Montage
7:45 My Avocado Tree AFTER Pruning
10:11 Mulching And Fertilizing After Pruning Avocados
10:36 Results 18 Days Later - New Growth!
12:09 Final Thoughts On How To Prune An Avocado Tree
13:19 Adventures With Dale
If you have questions about pruning avocado trees, how to grow avocado trees in general, want to know about the things I am growing in my garden, are looking for any gardening tips and tricks, or have questions about gardening and organic gardening in general, please ask in the Comments below!
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Are you growing an avocado tree? Do you prune it? How tall have you let it grow? Let us know in the comments below!
As tall it want gggggggg
And mys a old avocado tree
Do you get pests/insects/diseases with avocado tree? Doesn't look like you have issue with the winter so I think I should be ok to plant in Raleigh?
I just can't believe it got this big and mature in just three years!!! 😱😱😱
Hi millenial gardener, how you cover or protect your plant in winter? because I live in New Jersey and my avocados plants I try to ground allways die.
I watched so many videos to finally watch one where this person knows what he is talking about.
Anthony, you are a true pioneer. I love watching you re-define what many of us have considered as improbable or unlikely. You are giving those "professional arborists" a run for their money.
Well, in their defense, most people don't want to do any work at all on their yard. They have to assume the homeowner is lazy. *But* if you're willing to put in a little work, you can grow some amazing things! Covering things 5-6 nights a year can have you growing some incredible stuff. It's work, but it's worth it the other 360 days a year when you can enjoy the spoils!
I love how you show the “after” shot of what happens down the road! Nice job!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
Agreed! That was something I was thinking as well, the follow-up provides great insight to what you explain!
Gonna try to keep my avocado tree in the smaller side.. thanks!
This was so helpful! Thanks so much!
well, this answers my wondering about pruining a Fuerte which I'm thinking of getting to help fertilize my other avocado trees. Thanks!
I'm growing one in pa, southern York co. Home of screwed up weather. Thanks for the video. You have great points.
Thanks for pointing out the need to keep all the branches at the same height. My problem was my Gwen at 20+ years old and had never been pruned and getting too tall but growing well at a 2’ height bank so I recently had to cut some major branches but now will have to cut even more to even out the height. Drip irrigation, Zone 10b, SCal, avo country.
One of your very best videos, thank you so much for this. So educational, great great video!
I'm really glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge 😊
Thanks for watching!
Salamat po sa info
Awesome - thank you! Love seeing the new growth everywhere
You’re welcome! I try to show some “after” results. It is hard to trust someone without any results, so hopefully that helps put your mind at ease. If you watch my pruning video from last year where I pruned it even harder...that’s how much it grew in 1 year!
I'm in Australia and love getting alerts when you have new videos! Will definitely check out your last year pruning and feel much more confident to prune my own fruit trees after seeing this
@@nostalgicmuch glad to hear you're enjoying the videos!
That tree was propagated in Uvalde, Tx. That area is 8a/8b. I got two of them recently. One about the size of yours when you first got and the other a lot smaller. I’m so eager to plant the bigger one now. I love your videos thanks.
Fabulous information. Thanks!
You're welcome!
Fantastic video.
Thank you! I appreciate that very much.
Great information .. thank you
You're welcome!
Great video, thank you.
You are welcome!
Thank you for your all your videos.
I’m glad to hear that avocados are somewhat like figs!
I drastically pruned my mama fig tree of 2012, along with 2 propagated youngsters from her (Fall 2015, Spring 2016) all in pots on drip.
I got very good results!
Love I can control the height, as I am in the same short stature🙂
I started pruning drastically my avocados I grew from pits (7 year old trees now) the same way before the figs, but for bringing inside some winters, depending on cold, mostly as an ornamental type tree.
Now, I hope for more control of height and fruiting & leaving them outside all the time!
I have frost blankets if needed.
Oh, by the way, just got that Japanese saw too.
Look forward to using it!
Avocados can’t quite keep up with figs. Figs can be cut down to nothing and grow back strongly. Avocados still need a pretty significant base structure. Still, they are very vigorous, for sure. I’m curious how you’ll like that saw. Let me know what you think.
Great video, thanks. I'm in SoCal and my tree is loaded with fruit this year. I'm picking 10 or and so is a pesky 🐿. Sure would like to prune it but still a bunch of fruit. Not sure when to do it.
So glad I found you. I started an avocado from a seed this past spring and it is 2 1/2-3 ft tall. No clue as the variety! Will look at your videos as to how to winter it. I'm also in NC between Salisbury and Statesville, known as the weather vortex, lol. Thanks again 🤗🌻
A seed-grown avocado is almost certainly cross-pollinated, so it will not be a known variety. It'll be a genetically unique cross, and the only one of its kind, just like each individual human baby is a genetic cross between 2 unique parents. Just be warned: seed-grown avocados take 10 or more years to ripen mature fruit, and their fruits are often inferior to named varieties (since named varieties are ultra-selected out of hundreds of seed-grown plants to find only the best fruits). Chances are, the fruits will be small and stringy compared to the fruits in the grocery store you're used to, but there is a small chance you could have a nice new variety. Just keep that timeframe in mind. You'll need to either place it in a container in front of a sunny window and possibly supplement it with a grow lamp, or you'll need to put it inside a garden cart and cart it in at night, and then cart it back out during the day when temps get above freezing.
I have read that cutting straight across rather than an angle exposes less area to exposure to insects and pathogens. UC science based experiments have supported straight rather than angled pruning cuts.
I disagree. Straight cuts allow moisture to pool on the surface. It doesn't have to rain - it can simply be natural dew forming in the morning. Right after a cut, that is when trees are most susceptible to infection. If you make a straight cut, you invite moisture to pool on the surface, which increases the likelihood of that. Angled cuts promote the tree drying out and healing over more quickly.
Informative information thanks for sharing out....
Thanks for watching!
Awesome 👍 ty very much!😊💕
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
Nice pruning music!
Thanks! Gotta love that stock program library 😅
Thanks!
Thank you so much for your support and generosity! I really appreciate it ❤
helpful !!!!
Damn. I would love those cuttings.
Unless you have rootstock planted and ready to go for grafting, I don't think they're of much value. Avocado wood is very soft, so it actually makes excellent mulch. Avocados self-mulch and need to grow on a large humus mound, so it's great to repurpose the pruned plant matter as ground cover.
Dude that is so impressive wow! I guess my avos are still in sleep phase and will start leaping next spring! Thanks again!🙏🏻
My climate is detrimental to a lot of common plants. However, tropical and subtropical plants that like humidity, rain, and sandy soil love where I live. Avocados are one of those trees that come from humid, subtropical and tropical rainforests that require a lot of rain and excellent drainage, so as long as I can keep them alive during our cold winters, they'll do great. This tree is in its 3rd season, so that's why it exploded. I expect it to grow just as hard, if not harder, next year if I can keep it warm enough during the winter.
@@TheMillennialGardener Thanks for the reply! I live in South Louisiana zone 9. Lots of heat and rain during summer. I don’t use sand in my mix only peat, potting mix, compost and a little vermiculite #3. PH is 6.7 to 7. Avos are all mounded and drainage seems good but I think stays moist not wet. What percentage of sand do you think you have? I planted three grafted trees in March ‘21 and barely have three to four inches of new growth on one. The other are alive but stagnant! That’s what has me thinking about soil being to moist!Thanks again!🙏🏻
3rd year in central Florida with a hass from Fast Growing Trees, it started out 4' tall and is about 10-12' tall now, I haven't pruned it, and haven't seen any flowers or fruit... what is my issue, water or fertilizer? I am going to prune but when is a good time? I need to wake this thing up!
Awesome! I am growing citrus here in Oklahoma. I cover them each winter and heat with old christmas lights. I have been keeping them pruned to about 4-5' tall
That’s exactly what I’m doing. Are they in ground? Which varieties? OK is a stretch for most high quality citrus.
@@TheMillennialGardener yes in the ground and it certainly takes a good effort each ear. Hoops, frost cloths, tarps and the lights. Year 5 now. Meyer lemon, Washington naval, miho satsuma and dekopin/sumo satsuma. I usually get atleast a 5 gallon bucket of lemons. Figs are going in the ground next spring. Love your channel
@@FosterFarmsOk that means they survived the crazy freeze last February. You had to have fallen to at least 0F! That's pretty impressive.
@@TheMillennialGardener we did. Actually hit -10F and we're below freezing for 250+ hours. It was brutal. You should have seen all the blankets I tossed on them 🤣
@@FosterFarmsOk you totally just gave me hope for tennessee and citrus and other more tender tree fruits. I have an idea and I hope it works out LOL.
Low growth is a great tip for pruning avocado trees. I don’t do it and have fruit 20’ high that I can’t reach without climbing!
Wow, that’s a big tree. There’s no way I’m harvesting on a ladder. A Lila might be right up your alley, since it doesn’t get taller than 10-15 in its own, and can be maintained at 6-10 feet the way I’m doing it. I would think you could give yours a pretty good haircut, though.
It's a very good video helpfuly for me. I realised that you didn't paint the cuts. Everybody say that they may infected with no paint. Your cuts are super. Maybe they say this for the big cuts. Kisses from Greece, Hellas
Your videos are awesome brother! Have you harvested any avocados from your tree?
Thank you. Unfortunately, no. It set fruit each of its 3 years in-ground, but it all dropped at varying stages. The largest the tree would hold was until about golf ball size. The caliper is getting significant, now, so I’m hoping this year will be the fruitful year.
Really cool of you to include metric for us non-Americans! I tried to sprout an avocado stone on a whim a few weeks ago and the little thing started growing roots immediately despite sitting on a cold, darkish windowsill so I'm gonna try and see if I can make an indoor plant out of it, and this pruning video was really helpful. I want it lush and small!
Thanks! Almost 40% of my audience is not based in the US, and I try to make these videos for everyone in the world, not just my home country. I will caution you against growing an avocado from seed. They take around 10-15 years to fruit, and avocados grown from seed are often “wild,” having an extremely high percentage of stringy, inedible fruits. Breeders grow hundreds of trees for 10-15 years to come away with only a handful of good trees. It can be a fun experiment, but if you want good fruit within a reasonable time (3-5 years), purchase a grafted tree from a popular variety.
@@TheMillennialGardener Yeah I know it takes forever to get any fruit and honestly, getting anything edible from it isn't my goal either. I also live above the arctic circle so there's no way I can have one survive outdoors. Just a fun experiment to see *if* I manage to get a plant out of it.
@@ScaryMeadow literally, the same situation, except my daughter started the seed. I'm actually here because I also want it to be a houseplant and not concerned about the fruit. It's a really pretty plant and what I'm getting, is we can just lop off the tops to keep it small? Idk if this will work but I'm gonna try it.
@@ScaryMeadow Also, we've had it for two yrs and is about 2ft tall with 8-10 leaves so super leggy. Pruning as it grows might be a good approach.
@@brittanykat3716 A lot of people do that. Myself included. I had one growing on East side of a kitchen sink window. Didn't get a lot of light but it did great. They grow slow inside. Your plan should work out fine. Just be sure to keep the soil moist. They like water.
Great video, I’m going on year two in the ground in Middle Ga zone 8a. Not quite ready for a major prune. But, was wondering how you secured the pvc into the ground, and what you cover it with?
Outstanding! The way I secured the PVC couldn't be any easier. I went to Lowe's, bought four pieces of 24" long 3/8" rebar, then pounded it 18 inches into the ground with a mallet so it sticks up 6 inches. The 1/2" PVC conduit slips perfectly over 3/8" rebar for a tight fit and it secures the structure no problem. The whole thing took maybe 5 minutes to build. If you use bigger conduit, you'll need thicker rebar, so plan accordingly.
What type of fertilizer do you use? Thanks for the video, your avocado looks great!!
Thanks. Honestly, not much. I practice a lot of soil care. I give it a couple bags of compost every spring, mulch it with shredded hardwood bark, and when I prune it, I chop up all the leaves and branches and mulch it. Maybe 2-3 times a year I’ll dump a 5 gallon bucket of MiracleGro Tomato on it to give it a boost. I have really improved the soil where the avocado, satsuma and lemon are.
Wow, such great growth! Do you have a citrus pruning video? My tree has grow very big is not as manageable as I'd like. I'd like to prune it before I bring it in for winter, but don't want to hinder it fromfruiting, it just started this year.
Not yet, because up until now, my citrus trees had not gotten large enough to require significant pruning. That is all about to change, though. I intend to prune my Meyer lemon within the next few weeks, and my Owari Satsuma will require pruning for the winter, so definitely stay tuned!
@@TheMillennialGardener can't wait. Always such good and helpful information.
Amazing! Well done. Any blooms yet? Are you going to dig up all those big trees on the south side of your house and take them with you to your new place?
Thanks. The avocado flowers in late July/early February depending on how cold the dreary the winter is, so we still have a ways to go. I'm not moving any time soon. This house is a 10-year plan, so I still have a ways to go.
Nice Avocado tree, I have Some Avocado tree in my house too.
Thanks! You have an avocado tree indoors? Or is it outdoors?
@@TheMillennialGardener Outdoor
@@OudomOfficial Nice!
Stan shipped my avocado yesterday. (I am telling my wife it's all your fault lol.) I am just south of Memphis in Olive Branch MS so we'll see how it goes. Thank you for all the great info!
Stan McKenzie? If you're talking about him, I honestly didn't know he had avocados. That's great! What variety?
@@TheMillennialGardener Yes Stan McKenzie.I told him you sent me. Variety is
Lila. I am in zone 7b and it seemed like the best choice. I'm copying you on the Satsumas, "one brown and one LA early" and on the Avocado. Thinking about getting a kumquat next. After that I will be out of room on the south side of the house. Thanks for all you do!
I’ve got a ton of avocado trees on the side of my house that are growing in a compost pile that I haven’t added to in 2 years. They’re in the shade most all day. They just need to be planted in a sunny location which I soon hope to have.
Interesting. You must live in a place where it almost never frosts! Be aware seed-grown avocados can take 10 years or more to fruit, and since avocados are cross-pollinated naturally, they will not grow true to type. Most seed-grown avocados will have inferior fruit quality, such as being small and/or stringy, so keep that in mind if you want to wait 10 years for a risky proposition. It's entirely possible the seedlings will have superior fruit quality, but rolling the dice, most will be of lower quality than what's in the store.
@@TheMillennialGardener wow Mr Wonderful. I didn’t know that. Just kidding, it’s Wendy from Jimbos’s silly. But, I really didn’t know that!!
@@wendyc.5769 Be very careful if you decide to move them. Avocados do not transplant well. Once the taproot digs in, they really can't be moved. Moving them often responds in death. If you want to relocate them, do it ASAP or it may be too late.
@@TheMillennialGardener I probably won’t mess with them now. Just pull them out so they don’t continue to rob nutrients from the compost. I do so value your knowledge 🤩
@@wendyc.5769 Try to save the best ones. You can graft a scion bud wood from a variety you like and it won't take long to produce Avacados. You can buy scions or get some for free from someone that has a grafted tree. They may even do the graft for you. Just make sure the graft is from a tree that will grow in your zone. I have heard the Fantastic is the most cold hardy. John Kohler of Grow Your Greens out of Las Vegas Nevada showed a Fantastic tree while at a nursery in Texas. I don't know where else they have them. Someone from Oregon commented they were successful in growing it in the ground.
Would you recommend I prune my Gem avocado tree knowing that I planted it a year ago? It’s about 4.5 feet tall. I live in Riverside California. Love all your tips and tricks on how to grow!!!
Thank you. It depends how large you want the avocado to be. I can't find a lot of information on this variety, as it seems like a pretty recently developed variety. All I can find is that the tree is more compact than Hass. I assume the tree will still be able to reach 20 feet or so, so you're going to have to decide how small or how large you'll want it to be. Since the tree is young, now is when you'll want to establish the general form of the tree if you want it to be smaller. Otherwise, it'll be a fairly large tree that you'll probably need a ladder to harvest the high fruits.
id give it another a year
This is great information thank you. it's also good to know that an avocado will grow so far North, I live in northeast Florida, now I know I can grow them. Do you have a link to where I can purchase an avocado tree?
Thank you.
Keep in mind that this avocado can only grow here with significant protection, and I haven't had a true "Zone 8a" winter since it has been planted. My low's the last 3 years have been 22F, 22F and 19F, so we are due for a true 8a winter with a 10-15F low. I'm not sure how it'll handle that temperature, even with protection, but at least it was able to get established in those few mild winters. If you live in 9a, this tree won't be much of a challenge (although you will need to protect the flowers from freezes once they form), but Zone 8a/8b will require some effort. I purchased my tree through Plantogram.
What is the name of the Japanese Pruning saw that you used? I don't see it in your Amazon store and I want one! This was an amazing video. Perfect timing. I just bought my first Avocado tree, a Mexicola Grande.
It's linked in my Amazon Storefront under GARDEN ACCESSORIES. It's the first item in that category.
I’m growing a couple of avocado trees. I’ll never get fruit from it but I just want to watch them grow. I have one that’s about a foot and a half and my other one is about 8 inches high. This smaller one that I have has dark green veins so my first thought was iron deficiency. I gave it chelated iron but it didn’t help. Unless I didn’t give it enough. Any thoughts? (2 years later🤪)
I’d like to control size of my avocado murishege tree, can I start printing and shaping soon after planting.? I live in hawaii thank you
Will annual pruning help keep the root system small? We have one 10 ft from our I ground pool. Debating removing it. It's only 3 years old and about 25 ft tall. We do keep it pruned. It's very frail from the 2 hurricanes here last year. Trunk is only 4" round. Should we remove it so it doesn't destroy our pool or plumbing?
I live in nc how you do it when the cold comes in
Good information 👍...Is it possible in the tropical climate
Avocado trees are from the tropical highlands. Yes. But for low elevations, the West Indian varieties do best. Guatemalan and Mexican varieties don't do as well, since they are from high elevations where it is cooler.
@@TheMillennialGardenerThank you so much ❤
What is the best time to plant avocados outdoors?
I have an avocado tree growing on Long Island New York it is almost 2 years when do I start to pruning how big of a pot and what type of fertilizer do I put in it
I've lived in a house that had foundation damage from tree roots. Caused windows to rack, drywall to separate and trusses to shift.. be careful with those trees so close to yours
This is a dwarf tree, so it isn't going to get much larger than it is now. Avocado trees have very shallow, soft roots.
I have the same experience with a huge 70+-year-old maple tree next to my home. I am having it removed at a considerable cost I might add.
My wurtz is planted 5 feet from my House foundation and 4 ft from an air conditioning unit outside and after 20 yrs there is no problem with roots avocado roots are shallow and are not destructive.
I lived for 20+ years in a house with a 30 foot tall Fuerte avocado only 8 feet away from the foundation. No problems at all. Maples, on the other hand, cause a lot of problems. Very different root systems.
My tree is about 5"5' , and I really haven't done anything on it . It has the main stem that reaches to the top and four branches in each direction that sprouted positioned above the middle of the main stem. Should i prune it ?
I saw the sunburn. Next time paint it white to help the tree avoid all that damage
There isn't any significant sunburn on the tree. You may be seeing the wood turning from green to brown. The tree is becoming mature, so the wood is lignifying.
@@TheMillennialGardener I was wondering why you didn't paint the cuts with paint to keep disease froand insects from entering the cut just to be on the safe side. iV Organics is supposed to have a good product paint especially developed for Avacados
Can you espalier fuerte and mexicola avocados and still produce fruit?
My tree is 10 years old and I’ve done very little pruning till yesterday.
Can I kill my tree by over pruning? That has always been my fear. A lot of the branches are long, narrow, and turn in every different direction. Should I cut these back to 6 inches to a foot from the tree trunk, or way further out where there I would be cutting off all leaves from the tree?
The tree is in a pot, so I take it indoors during the winter months and just brought it outdoors for the first time this year, yesterday.
I also repotted yesterday, removing a lot of the roots system as it was all roots, and no soil, then put in new Soil and fertilizer. Please let me know. Thank you.❤
Do you need another avocado tree for cross pollination?
Checking out more of your videos and had a question pop up. My container avacado tree was transplanted this pass summer and dropped a majority of its leaves. Only a few are still up top. Now that the winter is coming I like to bring it indoors and put it under the grow light. Since the transplant, it’s gotten to be a tall lanky tree that is a challenge to move in and out. Would it be ok to cut it down to about 3 feet tall and it just be a bare “trunk?” No branches or leaves just the stick itself? Thank you for the informational video
Avocado trees shouldn't be losing leaves like that. It sounds like you have a serious problem. A few things:
1. Avocados need very well-draining soil. They cannot tolerate a soggy mix, at all. They are one of the most root-rot-prone trees in the world. If the tap root every penetrates into clay soil, the tree will die. Period. You must make sure your mix is not retaining too much water, or the tree will defoliate and go into decline.
2. You also can't let the tree dry out 100%, either, or it will go into decline.
3. Container-grown trees need to get all their nutrients from that little pot, so you have to feed them very well, and very frequently. They need many more feedings than trees grown in-ground. I'd feed them at least every other week with a soluble fertilizer.
Is your tree seed-grown? Avocado trees should be "headed" somewhere around 12-18" to encourage low branching. They shouldn't be allowed to grow up straight like an apple tree. They perform better with an open center, and they will grow more stout, strong, and disease and wind resistant like that. If your tree is grafted, make sure you don't cut below the graft.
@@TheMillennialGardener I think that may be the issue then. This morning the soil was still very moist and it had rained earlier in the week. I’ve been over watering hoping that it was just needing more water. The tree is a grafted grown tree. I’ll head out to the store and pick up some fertilizer. Thank you for the help!!
Do i cut top off a small avacado? Its like 1 ft
But I know your case is special circumstance you had to drastically prune it to cover and protect I would probably wrap the trunk and put a heater underneath the trunk and stop pruning and let the top growth die back but its risky because it could die from the cold, I'm surprised if you will ever get fruit from heavy yearly topping and if it will ever stop growing as vigorously probably after many years of topping but curious about fruit production.
I can't use a heater because of the fire hazard. Incandescent Christmas lights are ideal, and they seem to work well. The tree sets hundreds and hundreds of flowers this way, and every year for the past 3 years it has set dozens of fruit as a self-fertile tree. Problem is, they drop around quarter-size. The trunk caliper is hopefully large enough now to carry some fruit to maturity.
You should be getting fruit soon how many years old is lila? If you don't get fruit soon then I would be worried because I think this tree is how old 4 or 5 yrs old? if no fruit staying on the tree then Otherwise you have a cultural problem. Lila is a Mexican strain and I would be surprised if the fruit quality was good Quality in your climate because avocados need a certain climate to produce quality fruit Mexican avocados need a Mediterranean climate which they are native to in the Mexican highlands with lower humidity levels 45-55 percent humidity ie hass avocado grow in tropical high humidity climate but does not produce quality fruits in tropical high humidity climates like hawaii florida, the fruit rots inside molds etc. And other high humidity problems, being that hass is 60% Mexican and 40% quatemalan strain. Guatemalan tolerates a little higher humidity to 60 % but Mexican Avocados do not like high humidity the fruits do not grow or taste acceptable or ripen properly in high humidity climate 45-60 %preferred or required.
Another ? Comes to mind. The Mexicola Grande did not have a large crop last year. I inherited the established tree with the house. I was reading about a compatible variety to cross pollinate with it to produce more fruit so I bought a Sir Prize Avocado that I've temporarily potted up on the other side of property. This year, the Mexicola Grande exploded with fruit, just later than expected. Only thing different than organic citrus tree food, I applied organic 0-10-10 during fall/winter last year. I am wondering if cross pollination with the Sir Prize,when it's mature enough to flower, will improve the fruit quality of the Mexicola Grande?
Thank you.
Cross-pollination will greatly increase fruit set. Keep in mind that avocado trees are primarily wind pollinated since they flower in winter when bee activity is low, so the trees need to be planted close to each other so that wind can transfer pollen. If you planted them close to each other, the pollination was likely the key. If they're pretty far away, they may not be pollinating each other well and it's possible your tree is alternate-bearing. Sometimes, when trees fruit too heavily in a season, they'll exhaust their energy and have a low or no fruit-bearing year the following year. Commercial growers thin their crops to prevent this. Cross-pollination probably won't improve fruit quality, just the fruit set.
@@TheMillennialGardener Thank you for posting reply so quickly, I appreciate that. Thank you for the information, I didn't know they can alternately bear heavy v. light crops seasonally. I was hoping that cross-pollination would improve the fruit quality of the Mexicola Grande. Maybe it's something I'm doing wrong culturally. Fruit is thin walled and kinda dry in texture.
Mexicola Grade zone 9, 30-50' at maturity. This year strange. A lot of Fruit late in season and already flowering again in October. Is it too late to prune now, or can I selectively prune to keep its height reduced? Thank you.
The best time to prune your tree is immediately after harvest, because that will allow for the most time possible to grow new wood that will be the flowering/fruiting wood for the next season. If the tree is already flowering, pruning will cut off those flowers. When you prune, it's best to trim everything to the same length to try and keep apical dominance at bay. It would be very difficult to get a good result if you're only pruning some branches. This is a tough call.
I'm trying to let my avocado tree grow into a very tall tree, rather than a large producing bush. It is currently one long stem of about 3 feet height. Do i wait until it gets to a taller height before the first prune? Or will the main stem keep getting taller even if I prune now?
Trees grow by a principle called "Apical Dominance," where growth hormone predominantly collects at the tips of the tallest/longest branches. If you want the tree to grow tall, you'll want to try and concentrate the growth energy into that central stem and be sure never to cut it. You will probably want to exercise minimal pruning if that is your goal, because pruning will cause branching out at the cut points, leading to a more "bushy" tree. The prunes you'll want to make is probably to remove diagonally growing suckers growing "into" the tree, if that makes sense.
What about an avocado tree that we keep inside our house? We live in Finland and we never hoped it will survive the dark winter but now it’s been two winters and it’s growing like a lunatic and is now touching the roof. So from a hopeless experiment we’ve ended up with a beautiful healthy tree that we can’t plant outside because it will be like minus million in winter. Any ideas guys? 🙈🙈🙈
Hi. Do u prune your citrus trees to prevent frost damage?
The citrus trees will require pruning so they're small enough to protect. Frost isn't going to harm an Owari Satsuma or a Meyer Lemon, but the Owari can take damage
How do I know where to prune?
Ohh that kinda hurt to watch 😹
Good shape on the final product. I'd pay for shipping if you want to send scion wood next time. My Lila recently died.
Oh no! What did it die of? Cold, pests, root rot, or something else?
@@TheMillennialGardener I think a near by pine tree sucked the life out of it. It's alright. I plan to graft more this spring.
@@ShaggyDogg0128 that is entirely possible! Hopefully you can find a better spot.
I have a year and half old lime tree in a 10gal bag got a 15gal pot as you sugges.when is the best time to repot it ?
Lime trees do not have a dormant season, so you'll want to repot the tree, ideally, when it is not flowering heavily or carrying a lot of fruit, since transplanting can cause stress leading to fruit or flower drop. If the plant is always in some phase of flowering or holding fruit, you'll just have to bite the bullet and do it. Just do it in the evening, so it has a chance to recover in darkness. Don't expose it to harsh light immediately after transplanting.
Good to hear it recovered well.
How often should I water my Hass avocado? It’s about 3ft tall. About a year old,
Depends on your weather and location. Here in zone 10b, SCal we don’t get much rain. I water using drip once a week for an hour, if we get a heat wave I water after 3-4 days. My 12” spaced emitters 1/4” drip line is spiraled around an 8’ diameter tree.
My avacado trees are not growing much. I'm in zone 9b in CA what should I do to make them grow. We planted them earlier this year and we pruned the longer spindly branches.
Fertilizer n alot of water honey
If you just planted them, trees don’t grow much their first season. “The first year they sleep, the second they creep, the third they leap.” That’s because they spend the first 1-2 years growing roots first before they grow up toward the sun. Don’t rush the process.
Now, I must also ask: Did you make sure to plant them high? Avocado trees cannot be planted flush with the ground, or they will die. They prefer very sandy soil and need excellent drainage, and need to be planted high to send surface roots in a thick mulch layer. This is even worse if you’re growing in hard California clay. Growers sometimes need to build 12-18” raised beds in hard clay. I think you should watch Mark’s video on avocado trees to ensure you planted it high enough: th-cam.com/video/U26i4J9yv10/w-d-xo.html
Hi i have an avocado tree that i have prunned, and a few days ago i noticed some flowers, it has grown so tall maybe 12 to 14 ft high, can i stiĺl prun this tree? I live in the philippines.
I mean i have never prunned.
I think Farmer’s Almanac is forecasting an extremely cold winter. Be prepared to heat that tree if you have to. I’m not sure bundling it up will be enough, but it is just 1 zone out of place, so maybe it will prevail.
I’m Zone 8a, but I haven’t recorded a temp lower than 19F in 3 years. The last 3 years have been 9a, 9a, 8b for me. We had a very below average year last year in terms of high temps, but above average in terms of low temps. We are due for an Arctic blast and a 10-15 degree night, unfortunately.
I'm in zone 9a it rarely drops below 25 degrees it maybe possible once every 5 years, below 25 and only for a few hours in the early mornings 5-7 am but that low temp 20 degrees is usually a once in 10-20 year event I thought it wasn't possible to get to 20 degrees but it did it took 20 yrs but it did that's why the usda garden zone is accurate its based on the absolutely lowest temperature possible which is 20 degrees in my zone 9a enough to kill probably most avocados and citrus however none of my citrus trees died and my wurtz and mexicola Grande lost half of their trunks With no protection whatsoever and recovered and regrew.
Texas last year got hit with a deep freeze 10 degrees foR 3 consecutive days a guy on TH-cam who had supposedly the lila, and all the super cold hardy Texas avocado trees growing in ground got frozen and sprouted only from the rootstock. So basically he got his citrus and avocado trees killed, destroyed what is perplexing is he was in zone 9a after that freeze they are going to be adjusted down to zone 8a (houston, San Antonio area previously zone 9a) which you cannot grow any avocados or citrus he was living near San Antonio I believe the usda zones are not accurate because they are constantly changing and are based upon past data of 20 yrs only which is irrelevant uses garden zone should be based on past 100 years to be more accurate.
Do you need male and female trees to produce successful fruit? Thx
It's complicated. Avocado trees produce both male and female flowers, but the flowers morph. They go from male to female, so technically speaking, avocados are not self-fertile and need an "A Type" and "B Type" avocado, because A's and B's morph from male to female on different patterns, so overlap is possible for pollination. However, in certain climates, individual trees can have partial flower overlap, which can be exploited via hand pollination for self-fertility. My tree occasionally does that in my climate, but it doesn't do that in every climate. I have a video on how this works here: th-cam.com/video/8jdMMjZjI6g/w-d-xo.html
Can you send me a little branch so I can graft the little avocado plant that I'm growing?
I don't personally exchange scion wood. You can buy scion wood through Fruitwood Nursery when it's stocked.
You should sell budwood.
I don't know how viable avocado wood is. It isn't easily rooted, is very soft and is really for grafting purposes. It's hard to find people with rootstock ready to grow, so I doubt there is much of a market for it. It's better used as mulch.
@@TheMillennialGardener It isn't that hard to produce seedlings from the Hass avocados you get at the store. Not an ideal rootstock, but certainly viable for the average hobbyist. It's what I have been grafting onto while I wait for my Lila, Bacon and Wurtz to produce. Problem being a lack of budwood on the market - especially shipping to Canada.
@@TheMillennialGardener There is a growing market. Especially in CA. A lot of home growers have learned of all the many varieties but have limited space so want to graft different varieties to one tree. Some are putting 24 inches even 48 inches boxes 9n their patios for a permeant home for a tree. I think it is a growing movement. Avacados are healthy and expensive to buy and it makes a very addictive hobby. People are getting hooked. In the future there will be more budwood available. Especially in California where a lot of location are perfect for growing. The trees can be finicky so it is a matter of learning what your area and particularly Avacados need. A small yard can have many different varieties by multiple grafting and choosing semi dwarf varietys like the Gem that is semi dwarf and slower growing than the Lila. More semi dwarf trees are being developed now because the commercial growers want them too. Some have already been sent to test growers. Like the Gem was. It is only recently the Gem has gone to Nurseries to be available to the public. I haven't tasted one yet but it is said by some to taste better than the Hass and is a heavy consistent producer that can be kept to 10 ft. Perfect for commercial growers that have had them for awhile. At least in CA I have heard some Lowe's has been getting them in. I can't wait for all the new varieties that are in the pipeline so I am not rushing to buy. I envy those that have big plots of land where they can grow many varieties. I already have a wish list. Lila was on it but after watching your tree I think it is a more vigorous tree than what I want. It is amazing how fast it grow but you are doing a wonderful job with it.
Evergreen trees are a bit weird, aren't they? Can you get away with multiple summer prunings? As my deciduous trees get closer to full size, I find myself doing much more summer pruning to control the vigor versus winter pruning. It feels like a bit of work, but really, you're not doing quite as much work as if you were doing everything at once.
I wouldn't say they're weird, but they're a lot more challenging. Having a dormant period makes life so much easier. I do not know if I can prune in the summer, because my avocado tree has not yet carried fruit to maturity. It keeps dropping them when they're the size of a quarter. I will be able to experiment with different types of pruning if the tree starts holding fruit. However, the tree grows so quickly that the pruning needs to be pretty aggressive, so I doubt I'll be able to prune until after harvest since the tree needs 50% of its size cut down. Honestly, the tree is very easy to prune. It's a 10-15 minute job, but the filming process makes everything so much more drawn out. Filming this work makes things take 4-5 times longer, unfortunately.
@@TheMillennialGardener Yeah, maybe not weird, just different. Does your tree grow in flushes of growth? If so, between flushes you can make heading cuts to both limit the length of the growth and encourage ramification. I'll also give my trees hair cuts to keep the top from growing too high and remove most internal growth (i.e. watersprouts or crossing branches) just about any time of the year. Not using that growth for anything, might as well have the auxin go elsewhere in the tree.
Hopefully you figure out what makes your tree happy. It's frustrating seeing fruit set and then drop everything.
My tree literally never stops growing. You can practically watch it grow. It almost grows as quickly as my figs. The fruit drop is an age thing. Grafted avocados flower immediately, but they often take several years to hold fruit. I’ve heard 3-5 years. Hopefully, next year will be the year. It’ll be its 4th season.
Most grafted avocados take 3-5 years to fruit from my Growing experience however in your case is different because your topping your tree every year i never did this the first 5 years, after the 5 th year i realized 20 ft at 5 yrs old was too big and difficult to pick the fruit it will put all of its energy into growing a canopy first and fruiting is secondary so it is aslim chance you might get a few fruit but don't expect fruit based upon the drastic pruning I know because my tree stopped fruiting too when I tried to keep a mexicola Grande 30+ feet to 12 ft half its size it was not happy And never fruited again until I stopped pruning because flowers are on the end terminals and your cutting these off every year your tree is dropping its fruit which is normal for young avocado trees but if it continues to happen to drop fruit after 3-5 years then I would say something else is wrong in your case the yearly pruning would be the cause because it is a very healthy tree I believe your soil is optimal and it has a well developed very healthy root system because avocados dont grow vigorously without healthy roots and soil this tree if it were left to grow un pruned in a different climate zone would become very fruitful and productive
I have 2 avocado plants in containers. Am in zone 5, upstate ny. What to do?
You're going to have to bring the trees inside and give them a very sunny window to make it through the winter. Avocado trees do not have a dormancy period, so they require sun all year long to stay healthy and maintain their growth. It may be challenging to keep them healthy using only indoor window light with the short days of Zone 5 and cloud cover upstate NY gets during the winter, so you may have to get yourself a grow light or two to make up the difference. They may need significantly more energy than the sun can provide them. Keep that in mind.
@@TheMillennialGardener thank you. I do drag my non hardy plants and peppers in every year. This is the first year for avocados tho. I tend to throw avocado seeds into my containers and this year they just suddenly popped up and are about a foot now. I was going to keep them in the living room and dining room which are relatively well-lighted in winter but now that i read your suggestions, i think i might put them in the spare bedroom because that is always super-bright. The whole idea of grow lights scare me for some reason, but i'll see what i can do. Thanks so much.
@@CaroleMcDonnell for an avocado, you may need a supplemental grow lamp. All you need to do is get a cheap stand light and a grow bulb...something like this: www.amazon.com/LBW-Spectrum-Flexible-Gooseneck-Adjustable/dp/B08B557W5D/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=led+grow+lamp&qid=1632504459&sr=8-7
I'm not necessarily recommending that. It's just the first thing that popped up. A sunny window plus this over top could do the trick. You might need something taller, or a table to set the lamp on, if you need more height as the tree grows.
Avocados need large pots and repotted Every 3 years to stay healthy if grown long term in a pot they get large when they mature so if you want it long term you would have to keep repotting and moving a large pot in and outdoors grow lights etc I wouldn't do it and I don't think most people are able to do this plus you will not be able to control height to bring inside without major pruning which is detrimental to the tree health you are getting yourself into a big mess and worries.
@@xrsjohnm thank you.
Did you ever get fruit out of your tree yet?
Thanks
It has fruited every year since its first season (so 3 seasons in a row), but it isn't mature enough to carry them to maturity. They drop when they're golf-ball sized. I'm hoping this year will be the year it holds the fruit.
I see what looks like bananas on the other side of the garden. Are they? And do they bear bananas for you?
Yes, and, yes. I have many different varieties of bananas and just harvested a bunch over the weekend. This is last year's harvest video: th-cam.com/video/-CQdWn4hmmY/w-d-xo.html
@@TheMillennialGardener great for you. I am in south Florida. My nephew who lives in Atlanta took a pup back with him and wants to grow bananas. The one that I gave him a few years ago didn’t make it thru the winter. They now have a greenhouse. Are you the same zone as Atlanta? What suggestions do you have for him to be able to enjoy a banana harvest? Thanks for your help.
Why do you have the pile of bricks at the base of the trunk?
It is for winterization purposes. You can see the process here: th-cam.com/video/zYehs-1f7a8/w-d-xo.html
Have you gotten any avocados at all yet?
My tree has set fruit every year for the past 3 years, but it drops them when they’re around golf ball size. It often takes 3-5 years for a grafted tree to carry the fruit into maturity. This will be the tree’s 4th summer and 3rd full year in ground, so I am hoping this is the year I get fruit carried to maturity. We’ll see, I guess.
@@TheMillennialGardener
Even if you thin out the fruits for the first couple of years?
Or maybe even take all the fruits off for the first year? What do you think?
Is this your 2nd major pruning?. It looks like a standard are you sure semi dwarf? My wurtz the only true dwarf is Already 15 ft tall I guess your Lila could get to be 20 -25 ft.
Yes, it is my second major pruning. Yes, I'm sure it is a semi-dwarf. It is quite compact, and it responds very well to the hard pruning. IS it possible you did not receive a Wurtz? The Lila appeared to be getting close to "topping out" in the beginning of this video. You can see it in the tree, because it is getting spindly up top.
The wurtz I bought was 10-12 ft for the first 18 yrs and the past year put on 4 ft of height what avocado tree grows to 12 ft after 18 yrs without ever being pruned ? only the wurtz the only true dwarf avocado and I'm 99% certain its a wurtz. I don't believe Lila will top out at 15 ft unlocked that is absurd it probably top out after 20+ years unlocked at 20 -25 ft
You've only had your Lila avocado tree for 3 years? There is no way this tree is anywhere close to topping out. It takes 20+ years of unpruned growth for an avocado tree to top out avocados are long lived tree 100+ years
I also believe that this tree is going to be a problem because your trying to contain a 20 ft tree to half its size and this will be a battle plus detrimental to the tree health either it will get pruned to death
From my experience it may not be perfect but my avocados usually attain 50% of their mature size after 5 years in ground 80% of their mature size after 10 yrs in ground that's if they are unpruned. Your tree is growing rapidly because it wants to be in a normal vegetative size /state relating to its age.
Why is there an arch between your branches
It is for cold protection. You can see how I do it here: th-cam.com/video/O5pc_GYjyKI/w-d-xo.html
According to professional arborist " a trees foliage has the crucial task of using sunlight and the process of photosynthesis to produce the trees food. Tree care industry states no more than 25 to 30 percent of a trees foliage should be removed in a given year. When properly pruned most tree species would require this amount of foliage removed only every two to four years. Excessive removal of foliage diminishes a trees health and its food production capacity much the same as an excessive reduction in a persons diet can affect that individuals health. Repeated removal of large amounts of foliage can cause a decline in tree health or even worse the death of a tree.
That's mostly nonsense. Trees are like people - they are all individual. There are no set-in-stone rules to pruning, because pruning needs to be tailored to an individual's plan. Furthermore, the amount you can prune a tree varies dramatically based on a diversity of factors: the type of tree, the variety of tree, the type of soil it is growing in, the amount of fertilizer it is getting, the type of fertilizer it is getting, the time of year, how many heat units your location has, your hardiness zone, etc. I wouldn't trust the word of "a professional arborist," because I've yet to find a professional arborist that knows how to even fertilize a fruit tree. Give me a dollar for every "professional arborist" that thinks fertilizing a tree is dumping 2 cups of 10-10-10 synthetic fertilizer at the bottom of the tree and walk away for the rest of the year and I'll retire a wealthy man.
Trees like fig trees can be cut down to the ground every year, and they'll be 8 feet tall by September. It will not affect the lifespan of the tree. The fig tree will outlive you and me. Avocado trees are extremely vigorous when grown in proper soil and fertilized properly, and they can take quite a bit of pruning. This will be proven come next August when the tree is even larger than it was before I pruned it a few weeks ago.
Figs are deciduos , deciduous trees can take more pruning because they grow more vigorous to make up for no leaves/photosynthesis in winter, evergreen tree is a very different situation.
Expression crepe murder refers to the yearly topping of crepe myrtle trees lol deado cado is the yearly removal of more than 50% of the foliage.
Well now I want cold-hardy avocado trees. 😏
“Cold hardy” is relative. Cold hardy avocados are still 9a trees. My Lila can take a hard freeze, but the flowers are destroyed colder than 28/29F. Once they flower in Jan/Feb, they become 9b/10a trees that need frost protection. This isn’t an easy tree to grow, for sure.
@@TheMillennialGardener Yeah G. It was wishful thinking forealz.
@@BlackJesus8463 they can grow well in a container if you have a really sunny window and/or don't mind adding a grow lamp.
Can I give My avocado a hair cut as they are fruiting to get rid of extra greenery
Yes, you can prune your avocado tree back, but do not be too aggressive. If your avocado tree is fruiting right now, there is a chance you could shock the tree if you cut too much at once and cause fruit to drop. Also, consider sun strength is maximum now, and avocado trees are *very* prone to sunburn. If you cut the tree back too much and light enters the canopy, you could burn the trunk. You probably don't want to remove more than 5-10% of the foliage at this time, and if you cause direct light to enter the canopy, you may need to whitewash your tree with a diluted water-based white paint.
@@TheMillennialGardener thanks,I will try
Not supposed to prune Avocados until after flowering in spring because you promote new growth into winter which is bad for avocados and cut off the new growth for next years flowers.
My tree cannot be pruned in the spring. It has to be pruned in the fall to get the size down as small as possible so it can be protected to survive the winter. This is why I prune right after harvest season - so it has plenty of time to accumulate new wood before it flowers around February 1st, but not enough so it can't be protected. This procedure allows both a small enough size to be protected during winter and plenty of new wood to flower come winter.
There is no avocado tree that grows to 10 ft tall at maturity so why do they keep saying Lila is 10 -15 ft at maturity it is not a true dwarf, even my wurtz only the only real true dwarf avocado is 15 ft tall at maturity.
This is the description of the Lila Avocado:
"The Lila Avocado Tree is a smaller, semi-dwarf tree. This Mexican variety grows to around 10 feet tall at maturity and can be easily maintained at 5 feet. This is great for growing the avocado tree in a pot. One benefit would be that you can move the tree indoors or to a warmer location when it is cold. Once established, Lila Avocado Trees are cold-hardy down to 15° F."
easttexashomestead.com/plant-of-the-week/homestead-plant-of-the-week-004-lila-growing-avocado-in-texas/#:~:text=The%20Lila%20Avocado%20Tree%20is%20a%20smaller%2C%20semi-dwarf,to%20a%20warmer%20location%20when%20it%20is%20cold.
The tree was around 10 feet tall when I pruned it, and looking at the top growth at the time, it was clearly "stretching" itself, so the 10-15 ft tall claim seems to be reasonably accurate.
10-15 ft in a pot my guess is 15-25 ft in the ground
I feel sorry for the tree it is really healthy and thriving but won't to its full potential because of the severe pruning but you knew what you were getting yourself into I think Lila is not a dwarf tree. 10-15 ft is no way For Lila They advertise it as a dwarf it shouldnot be advertised this way, my wurtz the only true dwarf avocado is 15 ft tall unpruned. Think Lila is a 20-25 ft tree at least.
Lila is a semi-dwarf tree. All nurseries advertise them as having a maximum height of 10-15 feet. The tree is doing very well, and it fruits well every year. I have no use for a large avocado tree taller than I can reach, so this is exactly what I'm looking for. If it gives me a few dozen fruits every year, that's all I'm looking for and I will be very happy.
This is a terrible pruning job.