avocado plants on garden beds
Progressing to a Tree
As your avocado begins to grow, it will require ongoing care and attention:
Sunlight: Your young avocado plant will thrive in partial sunlight. Too much direct sun can be overwhelming, so find a spot that offers a balance of light and shade.
Support: As the plant grows taller, it may need support to keep it growing straight. A simple stake or bamboo stick can serve this purpose well.
Nutrition: Continue to provide the plant with a balanced fertilizer every 60 days, applying it carefully around the edges of the pot to avoid direct contact with the roots, which could cause burn.
Pruning: If you’re growing your avocado tree to bear fruit, periodic pruning is necessary to encourage a sturdy structure and healthy growth patterns. This involves pinching off new growth at the top to promote lateral, or outward, growth.
The Path to Fruition
Cultivating an avocado tree from seed is a rewarding endeavor that requires patience and care. While it’s possible to raise a tree that bears fruit solely from a seed, this process can take 10-12 years, and the quality of the fruit can vary widely. An alternative for those eager to ensure a specific variety of avocado is grafting—a technique that involves attaching a branch from a mature tree of the desired variety onto your seedling.
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