Fertilizing
Avocado trees are known to be slow-growing fruit trees, often taking up to 6 years to even bear fruit. That is of course barring any unforeseen calamities. To ensure that your avocado tree begins bearing fruit as soon as possible, proper fertilizing is key. Fertilizer should be applied twice a year, towards the beginning and end of the main growth period. Tree fertilizers with a 10-10-10 or 8-4-4 ratio work best for trees, with higher amounts of nitrogen aiding in topgrowth and flowering, and potassium aiding in root and fruit production.
Soil and Sunlight
To give your tree the best possible start, make sure you’re planting in a rich, well-draining soil. Avocados love full sun, so make sure your avocado tree is receiving atleast six hours of full-sunlight a day. If the tree is in a pot or container it should be potted in a soil mix that drains quickly, and should be re-potted every year in fresh, nutrient content-rich soil.
Watering
An avocado tree in good soil and with proper sunlight should not have to be watered more than twice a week. If the soil feels dry to the touch, feel free to give it a thorough watering. During the winter, when growing slows and the tree’s water requirements are lower, give it less water as overwatering can lead to root-rot.
Pruning
Without pruning, the avocado tree’s flowers may never be in the right place to be pollinated, resulting in a dry crop. Since avocados require hand pollination due to the fact that they have both male and female flowers that develop at different times, early, corrective pruning is essential to bring out any skewed blooms and to ensure a healthy, plentiful crop. Pruning should begin after the tree has mature, and should be repeated every year or two.
Pests and Diseases
The most common diseases affecting avocados are armillaria root rot, root rot, and phytophthora root rot and disease. To steer clear of pests, treat the tree with closely monitored applications of fungicides, or other chemical-free treatments and insecticides. Failure to do this can result in a lot of damage to the tree and in extreme cases, even cause death.
Final Steps
No matter how much care you give your avocado tree, it won’t bear fruit until it is 2 or 3 years old. At that point, it can take anywhere from 4-11 years for the avocado tree to bear fruit
Conclusion
Starting your own avocado tree is not an overnight process. Careful watering, fertilizing and pruning, as well as protecting the tree from pests and diseases can help your avocado tree grow and bear fruit in optimal time. A little patience and lots of care will be award you with a lifetime of avocados!
