Pruning an Avocado Plant

RE: Avocados plant Post By deb and Art (Guest Post) (04/12/2008) In order for my avocado plant to bear fruit, does it have to be cross pollinated with another plant? Also, it is very young (only 6 leaves at the top)and no leaves on the bottom, should I pinch off the top leaves to make it bush out below? Report Spam or Abuse RE: Pruning an Avocado Plant Post by Christopher Joe (1) | (03/23/2008) Profile | Contact I seem to note a thread here, most "seem" to be discussing Avocado Trees grown indoors? Mine is outdoors and will be for it's lifetime, an outdoor tree. Does that affect the need/requirement of pruning? My baby Avocado (my first, thank you), was born on March 1 A healthy baby, whose sex is as yet undetermined.. I could use advise on when I should do the "first" pruning to encourage branching...do you need a "band-aid" of sorts to cover the cut, etc... Report Spam or Abuse RE: Pruning an Avocado Plant Post By Michelle (Guest Post) (01/12/2007) My 9 ft avocado plant is cut all the way to the bottom. I left it in the garage for the winter because of being so large and tall, and thought that at night if I closed the garage door and put it by a window it would make it throughout the winter...WRONG. It looked so sad . So brought it in and there was not one leaf to be found..Of course because of the temp change...Maybe wishful thinking on in the spring it will form some new sprouts at the bottom and take off again...Say a prayer... Report Spam or Abuse RE: Pruning an Avocado Plant Post by trbrown22 (105) | (01/11/2007) Profile | Blog! | Contact I trimmed mine and it bushed out a little bit and it looked so much better. When spring came it put on extra branches and leaves. It was wonderful looking. Good luck! Tina Report Spam or Abuse RE: Pruning an Avocado Plant Post By Lynda (Guest Post) (09/28/2006) It's my understanding that the Avocado is semi-tropical, so I'd not take chances by leaving it out in colder than 50 degrees! 60 or above would be better, and I'd put it in the garage, pot double wrapped in a blanket,stem/trunk wrapped in pipe insulation (inexpensive from hardware store) on a stepping stone base, under a 24 hr. light of 100 W. I've found grow bulbs in regular bulb shape, but they're not so cheap. The idea is to keep the plant warm but not in darkness. It gets it's health from the leaves, so they will be the final determination if you are able to save the plant. Whatever you do, use caution that you do not set up a fire hazard for yourself and the plant. It takes several years before it will produce fruit, I understand, but I'd encourage you to use Sea Kelp, if it were mine, for this season. It should keep it healthy throughout the year. If you know of ANYONE who'd let you borrow a space in their greenhouse, that would be the ideal. I sort of believe that unless there are branches AND leaves well below the 6 foot height, you might actually kill the tree by cutting it back since you may also bring it inside, which causes plants to suffer some degree of shock. (I have so little sunlight that I KNOW I'd kill one. LOL ) If it's pot is really deep, perhaps you could gain a foot and a little more by transplanting gently to a less deep pot, and lightly trim it's roots, VERY GENTLY with scissors? If no one has a greenhouse, look for a friend with a higher ceiling, although I have visions of the plant getting scorched by the heat that rises naturally to the ceiling. This is a tough call for you, having raised it from seed, as I once did as a young girl, then somehow did something wrong and lost it years ago. Most likely I forgot to water it back then. As I say this, there is one more possiblity that sounds strange but might work...Is the plant flexible enough to try bending it over towards an E. or S. window, just for the winter? (We get many months of growing season here in Texas, so it might not work if your season is short there). I thought I'd help you exhaust all options. LOL I'm not an expert, only gardened inside/out for best of 35 years and also lived in Hawaii for three years, a plant's paradise!!God bless you in your efforts. : ) Report Spam or Abuse Request: Pruning an Avocado Plant Post by lewis_admin (1176) | (09/26/2006) Profile | Blog! | Contact Question: I have an indoor avocado plant that is about 5 feet tall. The leaves are only on the top 12 inches. Can I trim it down to about 2 feet and still have it leaf out? Hardiness Zone: 8b Janell from Aloha Oregon Answer: Janell, Avocados are self thinning and if not pruned regularly, they can grow tall and spindly as house plants. If your plant is still losing leaves, too much water or not enough sun are the two most common culprits. I've never grown an avocado plant, but theoretically, pruning a mature avocado plant should encourage branches to sprout from below the cut. This should create a stronger, bushier, more compact plant. If you don't want to cut back the main stem, partially cut back a few branches higher up to encourage new growth further down the trunk. Keep in mind that by cutting back main branches, you will stimulate growth all over and can expect to see several new stems emerge below the cuts. You may want to let these emerging stems grow out a bit and then periodically pinch or prune some of them back in order to reshape your plant. Avoid pruning in late summer or early fall. Ellen Report Spam or Abuse