Q&A for How to Grow an Avocado Tree

If you are growing in water it’s time to plant your tree in a pot with soil. The pot needs to be at least 8-10in deep. Use a well draining soil with high organic matter. Plant the tree with half of the seed sticking out of the soil

Your avocado tree needs to flower and be pollinated before it can bear fruit. It can take 3 to 15 years for your tree to mature and fruit, if at all. Some may never produce fruit.

A fast growing avocado tree is likely a sign that the tree is getting the right amount of everything––fertilizer, water, light and suitable soil. If this is the case, then it's a happy tree! Also, avocado trees are naturally fast growing, with an average of around 36 inches per year of growth. If this presents a problem for your garden, you might like to consider switching to dwarf avocado plants, which will still grow as fast but won't grow as tall as a standard avocado tree.

In some cases, poor fruit is a result of under-watering just at the time when the fruit was setting, resulting in fewer fruits. In other cases, the type of fertilizer used is either imbalanced or inadequate for fruit production. A complete lack of fertilizer can be another issue for poor fruit. Check also for pests such as mealybugs, snails/slugs or avocado worms, which can infect the fruits. Fruit subjected to freezing temperatures or too much sun will get burns; in such cases, the tree requires some form of cover or other protection.

This depends on how you've grown your avocado tree. Generally, an avocado tree purchased from a nursery or garden center will produce fruit in about 3 to 5 years. The label might explain this, or you can ask the retailer for advice. However, if you're growing an avocado from a pit, it can take anywhere from 8 to 15 years before the tree will produce fruit. In this case, treat it as an ornamental in your garden, with a promise of fruit eventually! Or, mix seed grown with nursery purchased avocados to ensure you get some fruit earlier.

It may be adjusting to its new environment and soil in the container. Give it a few more months to settle in. Be sure it's getting sufficient fertilizer and watering (but don't over-water as avocado roots should not be kept wet) and keep it in a wind-free position with plentiful light (but not too much hot sun).

Avocado trees generally due best in tropical climates. However, there are a few species of cold hardy avocado trees that can survive in temperatures as low as 20 degree Fahrenheit.

Prune it back and let it branch out so that it can become more bushy.

No. Avocado trees don't like cold, wet soil and can develop root rot. Unless your winter is especially dry, there's no need.

Yes. Pruning the flowers have little effect on the vegetative root system. Avocado growth is rhythmic, meaning that it goes through phases of growth and phases of dormancy and alternates for the seasons. Flower growth is a sign that your shoots have stopped growing for the season.

Don't cut all the leaves, or it will die. The leaves are the plant's solar panels. Just cut a little into the leaf section. Don't cut any more.

That's mold. Seeing mold on the seed does not mean it has gone bad. Don't worry.

No, the root is starting to find its way out. Don't worry.

Cut 3 inches (7.5cm) off the top. Leave outdoors in the sun, do not place directly in the sun if the temperature is hot, as it will burn from the sun. This should help it try to flower.

There’s nothing wrong with your avocado. It is just growing roots. They will usually sprout a month after planting. If you wait a while, your avocado seed will sprout.

You have "soil gnats". They're in the soil, not the pit. Use a mild insecticide when watering to kill the gnats and their eggs. They won't hurt anything, but they're annoying.

It is the root about to come out on the bottom. Next the sprout will come out the top.

Wait. Make sure the water level stays about halfway up the seed with the toothpick method. With patience comes great reward.

If it has been over 8 weeks and you are using the toothpick method, then start a new one. If you are using the pot method, it will take up to 2 months to sprout.

Although you must plant the seed so one-half of it is above the soil, the leaves above shade the seed, so it can thrive in full sun.

Avocado trees prefer full sun but need protection from the western sun during the first years until they develop a strong deep root structure and dense foliage to protect the sensitive bark.