Grow And Properly Care For Your Avocado Tree

The avocado, nectar for the gods! It is the favorite fruit of many people, with it you do not make juices or smoothies as happens with other fruits, however, as a companion to our lunches it is one of the best. In the supermarket you can find several varieties of these, fat, elongated, vinotintos, etc.

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It offers us a high nutritional intake , fiber, potassium, and unlike what people commonly believe, it is low in cholesterol. Sensational! With all these benefits, we can understand why this rich fruit has its own fan club.

Now, if you want to grow your own avocado tree and do not know how to do it, you have come to the ideal place. This Tree has its quirks, sometimes despite having provided good care, it does not bear fruit, and we wonder what have we done wrong? Well probably, we have not considered some tips that guarantee success in planting this tree.

Here we will teach you everything you need to know to grow and care for your avocado tree . Take note! Now, let’s start at the beginning, the avocado has its history and here we will tell you about it.

Origin and history of the avocado tree

Avocado is one of the flowering plants that dates back a long time . The meaning of this name is believed to mean testicles . Perhaps that meaning was given to it, due to the fruit’s resemblance to the male genital organ. Some countries use different names for this fruit, in ancient times it was called Avocado, perhaps related to an ethnic group based between Peru and Ecuador.

In the United States it is known as avocado, on the other hand, in Mexico it has many consumers , in fact, the entire population consumes a sauce called guacamole (avocado sauce) which is a companion to a variety of dishes. You have surely heard of this famous sauce that distinguishes Mexicans.

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It is important to note that the avocado has its origin in the high regions of the central and eastern part of the country . As a curious contribution, in ancient times this tree was considered by the Mexican population as sacred, they saw it as a symbol of life and fertility.

In some areas it is currently recognized as natural butter, its texture and creaminess have given it that reputation . Its commercialization began formally in relatively recent years. In other words, despite the fact that various populations consumed it on a daily basis, it was not until the middle of the last century that its commercialization began.

This exquisite fruit has been mentioned throughout history , for example 1519 AD it was described with its distinguishing qualities. However , Martín Fernandez de Enciso ; Who was Sevillian, did not call him by any particular name. Some 30 years later, the conqueror of Peru ; Pedro de Cieza de León, I call it avocado , although I also use the term avocado , which is also currently used in some countries .

Characteristics of avocado trees

This fruit has some unique characteristics, it is true that there is a great variety within avocados, however, they have similar characteristics:

• The avocado tree is lush, with many flowers, and can reach a height of approximately 20 meters.
• The fruit is green in color , some varieties may be lighter or darker in color, and their skin may be thin or thick .
• The appearance of the fruit is similar to that of a pear , although some varieties have a rounder appearance, their flavor is somewhat similar to walnut .
• Avocado does not ripen on the tree , some varieties do not change their color when ripe, so you should touch it lightly to determine if it is ready for consumption.
• All avocado varieties are characterized by their In fact, oil can be extracted from the fruit that can serve as a beauty cosmetic.

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What care does an avocado tree need to grow?

You have decided to plant your avocado tree, but… How to guarantee that it is a success? Do not worry, the avocado tree does not require excessive care , in fact, you only have to consider the soil and the branches of the tree. Let’s start with the first aspect:

The soil of the avocado tree

You do not want that after the fruit tree, before curdling, the avocados begin to fall, to avoid this common problem, you must take the soil into account. The avocado tree does not grow in limestone soils, that is, excessively dry. Therefore, it requires irrigation , however, the soil cannot be kept very moist , here you must find the balance .

Now, if the land you have is humid, that is, it is not arid, it is not necessary to water it constantly , it will be enough with 2 times a month (not two days in a row obviously, it allows a little more than a week to water again ). In the rainy season it is not necessary to water it , unless more than a week passes without rain.

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An interesting fact that you can take into account is the appearance of the leaves, if they have turned somewhat yellow it can indicate that it is receiving a lot of moisture , therefore, you should not water it , until its appearance changes a little.

To help promote the growth of this splendid tree, we recommend the application of compost or mulch which helps to maintain humidity and improves the soil , which will allow the soil to be more productive and you will have a fertile avocado tree.

Branches

It is necessary that this majestic tree receives enough sun , therefore, it is not advisable to place it in a place where it receives a lot of shade, nor should it be allowed to grow excessively, where the branches do not allow the trunk and all the leaves to receive natural light.

Therefore, it is necessary that you take care of the branches, if you have the tree in a pot you can move it from one place to another to ensure that it receives the necessary solar nutrients for its growth. It is also vital to prune it , so that it does not grow excessively, since, if you let it grow as you please, then you will have a museum tree, since neither Tarzan will be able to climb on it to lower the fruits.

Nutrients needed for an avocado tree

The avocado tree requires some very important nutrients for its optimal growth. In the nurseries, which are specialized places in the best care of the plants, an exhaustive analysis of the terrain is carried out , as well as an observation of the foliars of the garden.

It applies some fertilizers and concentrations of nutrients which are generous with the environment. These nutrients can be applied in different doses throughout the fertile life of the tree. The avocado tree produces its own nutrients that serve for its good production and health, so it is not convenient to recharge the tree with nutrients.

For example, imagine that a person is well fed, enjoys an ideal weight, but decides to increase the dose of food because he does not know his true state of health, what do you think will happen to him? … well, he will gain weight and it will cause a number of health problems, so your performance will decline.

This is precisely what happens with an avocado tree that already has the adequate nutrients due to the soil and its branches, before proceeding to apply nutrients it is necessary to determine if the tree really needs it , because you can seriously damage the health of the plant .

When to transplant an avocado tree

To transplant an avocado tree you must take into account the time of year , yes, that is important. In hot times like July and August they are not very convenient. Now, the ideal month is April and May. Once you have germinated the seed , you must transplant it into a small pot, there you must take care of its growth.

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Did it stick to you? Does it grow very determined? It is time to transplant it to its final place, for this you must consider the soil, the contribution of sunlight it will receive, and even the size it will develop, remember that it is a tree that you are planted, so that It would be a shame, that after much fighting you should eliminate it because it is breaking the floor of the house, or the roof of the house, wow! You have to be imaginative.

How to properly prune an avocado tree

To maintain the ideal size of the avocado tree you need to prune it , the best time to do it is in summer or spring . No need to constantly trim branches. Pruning is like trimming the ends of our hair, don’t get excited like your hairdresser does!

Use the right tools , remember that it is like going to the beauty salon, you must provide a good view of the tree, so get yourself a good scissors, some have round tips so that, if it has fruit, it will not hurt. Although we will tell you that it is better to prune once it has been fully harvested.

Do not ride the tree, it can be very exciting, and bring back childhood memories, but it is very dangerous, use a ladder and ask someone to accompany you , so the process will be safer. Before pruning, we recommend that you sterilize the tools.

You can prepare the tools by cleaning them with bleach, or alcohol , this does not seem important, but this small action will prevent the spread of pests from one tree to another . Depending on what you want to achieve in pruning, you should consider that pruning in summer favors taller and wider growth while in spring it grows generally.

Suitable fertilizer for an avocado tree

Avocado trees require the application of fertilizers, although the amount applied to each plant will depend on some considerations , such as tree yield expectations , land production, irrigation , etc.

It is vital to take into account the location of the most active roots of it. This way it can be guaranteed that the fertilization will be fully utilized by the tree. This plant requires Phosphorus, Potassium, Magnesium, Sulfur, Calcium and Nitrogen .

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Therefore, for effective fertilization, the highlights should be considered, and the appropriate dose for the avocado tree must be known. During each year different doses of ammonium sulfate can be applied , which is a good fertilizer.

Types of avocado tree pests

This plant faces some pests that can cause a deterioration in its health, so you should be careful, some of the most common are:

Dark brown spots

Surely you have come from the market happy with your avocado, you have ripened it and then … surprise! When you chop it, you see it completely brown. What a disappointment! But this does not mean that you have missed it. It is a pest that affects the fruits of the tree , it is one of the most common plant diseases. 

Roots and trunk rot

Have you noticed that your splendid avocado tree began to wither and the size of the leaves has changed, they look small? We are sorry to tell you that it is a fungus that totally damages the tree, this disease has no cure, our condolences !

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Now all that remains is to accept his death, and perform a worthy cremation for the good times. Yes! You must burn the tree, to stop the spread of the disease to other plants.

The spider

This little animal is a real headache, but before you scare away all the spiders in your house, it is vital that you know that it is the red spider, this insect loves to feed on the leaves of the tree, creating holes in its leaves, have you noticed? Are not many holes ?, then act now, because the proliferation will come shortly. Arm yourself with lime and brimstone, and take on these little arch enemies!

Dangerous fungi for avocado trees

The avocado tree faces some enemies, one of the most fearsome is a very small insect, it is the red laurel beetle . It is the carrier of a disease that dries out the entire tree in just a few weeks. The speed and spread of the fungus has damaged hundreds of crops.

Phytophthora cinnamomi is the name of the fungus that kills avocado trees, attacking their roots. This archenemy produced in the ground, rots the roots of the plant, this plague turns out to be a true tragedy since there is no salvation for our beloved tree , so we must be vigilant in order to stop the epidemic.

Longevity of an avocado tree

We know that the avocado tree is not a chili pepper, from which we will hardly consume the fruits in a few months. If you want to eat avocado, you must be patient. The years have passed, you have finally harvested, but what is the average lifespan of an avocado tree? It is an interesting question.

Well, they have an average life span of approximately 35 years . Although there are super trees that supposedly have reached up to 100 years of life , although this is not a common average.

How to grow your avocado tree in a pot?

Apparently some have managed to grow this tree in a pot, to achieve that feat you need to have a large enough pot , remember that its roots need space. It must have adequate drainage, that is, neither too much nor too little water .

An interesting fact is that, just as this tree needs nutrients on the natural soil, it also needs them in the pot, therefore , we recommend applying enough fertilizer to nourish the roots.

The plant must be located where the sun gives it the best, thus we guarantee its good growth. One aspect worth knowing is that you are unlikely to achieve this milestone with the seed of the fruit you just ate. You need to go to a nursery , there you will find grafted avocado plants, those are the ideal ones to plant in pots.

How to protect an avocado tree from frost?

Experts acknowledge that frost causes great damage to avocado trees, however, they recommend sufficient watering before frost. Apparently humidity and evaporation have less burdensome effects.

You can also apply some amino acids , which will combat this time of great stress in the tree. Another tip that you can apply is to make a mound of earth in the middle of the tree that covers part of the trunk, apparently that action isolates the cold a bit, in addition to counteracting the weeds that may grow.

This tree is part of the family, right? Treat him like the child of the house, wrap him up, put some plastic or thick cloth, so that the cold does not hurt him so much, you can also try to give him some heat with incandescent lights under the towel that you are going to place.

How much water does an avocado tree consume?

These types of trees need a certain amount of water, of course, we must be careful not to flood the ground, the roots can rot due to over watering. New plants need more fluid because they are in the growth stage, especially those that have just been transplanted.

Now, when the tree is adult and is about to bear fruit, it must be watered . The amount of water an avocado tree consumes will depend on the time of year, its age, and the terrain.

For example, if it is dry season they need approximately 4,540 liters , if it is a young tree they need about 70 to 150 liters of water . It is convenient to analyze the circumstances of each tree in order to perceive the amount of water they require.

When does the avocado tree bloom?

There is a period of time in which the tree begins to bloom, that is the sign that the fruit will come, or at least it is common. Usually this period occurs between the month of January and March . Some avocado trees are eccentric and have their own time to bloom , this is called “passive flowering.”

Why does the avocado tree not bear fruit?

There are several factors that can affect avocado tree production:

• Pollination: It turns out that some avocado varieties need a partner to pollinate, in other words, a good spouse. What can I tell you? they can’t stand loneliness and need a supplement. Other varieties of this fruit are self-pollinating. If you do not know what claims your tree has, it is better to plant another plant on the ground so that it does not feel sad.
• Age: This is a very important aspect and perhaps you are getting desperate, some trees bear fruit in two years, while others take about eight and even ten years! So if you’ve been waiting halfway through, don’t cut it, you’re closer to the goal now than when you planted it.
• Soil care: If you have not applied the appropriate fertilizers and nutrients, the tree will take longer to bear fruit or perhaps never will. Some soils are very salty, and the plant fights tenaciously with this problem, if we help it fight it, it will be able to concentrate its forces on the production of fruits.

Why do the fruits of the avocado tree fall?

This will depend on the conditions of the terrain, the weather, and other incidents . Some factors can produce fruits of very poor quality, therefore, before they are ready for harvest, the entire load may fall. If that has happened to you, don’t despair ! It is time to do a check-up or review.

Ask yourself : Are you getting enough sun ? Maybe you should prune a tree that is shading it, you can also check the humidity, do you need more watering? You can check the leaves, are there any diseases or pests? Attack her! With these points present, it is possible that you can combat this problem so common among lovers of this splendid fruit.

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