If you love avocado, you’ll be happy to know how easy it is to grow avocado trees in your own backyard. As well as producing wonderful fruit, they’re evergreen. So they look good year-round, and also provide shade and protection for smaller plants.
Where to grow avocado trees
Avocado trees grow best in warm, tropical regions. Native to Central and South America, they need full sun and good free-draining soil.
You can grow them anywhere in Australia, but they’ll need protection from heavy frost. They also won’t thrive in heavy soils.
Growing avocado trees in pots
As avocados need free-draining soil, they’re well suited to growing in pots. Use a good quality potting soil, but make sure it doesn’t dry out in hot weather.
Place your potted avocado tree in full sun, out of the wind. A happy, healthy tree can produce a good crop within a few years.
Types of avocado plant
Different cultivars are best suited to growing in certain regions. Shepard and Hass are the most common fruits in supermarkets because they’re good all-rounders with a reasonable shelf life. Plus, they’re a bit easier to grow than others.
The best avocado plant varieties for home gardeners in the subtropics are Pinkerton, Rincon, and Wurtz.
Cooler climate trees include Bacon, Brogdon, Fuerte, and Lula. Avocado trees are classed as either A or B type pollinators. Type A varieties grow well in cooler climates. In warmer climates, you can get a better crop by growing both A and B types together.
Growing avocado from seed
Many people grow avocados from seed in water, as they’re easy and fun to grow. Clean up the seed, and place toothpicks in the sides so it can sit half submerged in a glass of water. Once the roots start to grow you can plant in a pot or the ground. It should grow into a healthy tree, but it could take as long as 15 years to fruit, if at all.
In comparison, commercially propagated avocado trees will take 4 or 5 years to fruit. These are grown by grafting, which is a sure way to make sure they’re true to type.
While you probably can’t produce large fruit like a commercial grower, you can grow healthy avocado trees in large quantities. Simply prune a major limb each year once fruiting is finished, gradually working around the tree. This way, you’ll keep it to a manageable size with an open branch system, reducing the risk of fungal diseases.
Harvesting avocado
How do you know when the fruit is ready for harvesting? Look for a subtle change in the colour of the fruit.
You can either pick them when they’re mature – or simply leave them in a bowl at room temperature until they’re ripe and ready to eat.
Avocado can bruise easily, so cut from the stem and handle carefully. Look for the largest fruit to test ripeness, and then stagger the harvest according to your needs.
Pope’s DIY tip
Pope’s All Purpose Pruners make caring for your avocado trees quick, easy and comfortable.
Avocado trees grow best in warm, tropical regions. Native to Central and South America, they need full sun and good free-draining soil.
You can grow them anywhere in Australia, but they’ll need protection from heavy frost. They also won’t thrive in heavy soils.
As avocados need free-draining soil, they’re well suited to growing in pots. Use a good quality potting soil, but make sure it doesn’t dry out in hot weather.
Place your potted avocado tree in full sun, out of the wind. A happy, healthy tree can produce a good crop within a few years.
Types of avocado plant
Different cultivars are best suited to growing in certain regions. Shepard and Hass are the most common fruits in supermarkets because they’re good all-rounders with a reasonable shelf life. Plus, they’re a bit easier to grow than others.
The best avocado plant varieties for home gardeners in the subtropics are Pinkerton, Rincon, and Wurtz.
Cooler climate trees include Bacon, Brogdon, Fuerte, and Lula. Avocado trees are classed as either A or B type pollinators. Type A varieties grow well in cooler climates. In warmer climates, you can get a better crop by growing both A and B types together.
Growing avocado from seed
Many people grow avocados from seed in water, as they’re easy and fun to grow. Clean up the seed, and place toothpicks in the sides so it can sit half submerged in a glass of water. Once the roots start to grow you can plant in a pot or the ground. It should grow into a healthy tree, but it could take as long as 15 years to fruit, if at all.
In comparison, commercially propagated avocado trees will take 4 or 5 years to fruit. These are grown by grafting, which is a sure way to make sure they’re true to type.
While you probably can’t produce large fruit like a commercial grower, you can grow healthy avocado trees in large quantities. Simply prune a major limb each year once fruiting is finished, gradually working around the tree. This way, you’ll keep it to a manageable size with an open branch system, reducing the risk of fungal diseases.
Harvesting avocado
How do you know when the fruit is ready for harvesting? Look for a subtle change in the colour of the fruit.
You can either pick them when they’re mature – or simply leave them in a bowl at room temperature until they’re ripe and ready to eat.
Avocado can bruise easily, so cut from the stem and handle carefully. Look for the largest fruit to test ripeness, and then stagger the harvest according to your needs.
Pope’s DIY tip
Pope’s All Purpose Pruners make caring for your avocado trees quick, easy and comfortable.
Different cultivars are best suited to growing in certain regions. Shepard and Hass are the most common fruits in supermarkets because they’re good all-rounders with a reasonable shelf life. Plus, they’re a bit easier to grow than others.
The best avocado plant varieties for home gardeners in the subtropics are Pinkerton, Rincon, and Wurtz.
Cooler climate trees include Bacon, Brogdon, Fuerte, and Lula. Avocado trees are classed as either A or B type pollinators. Type A varieties grow well in cooler climates. In warmer climates, you can get a better crop by growing both A and B types together.
Many people grow avocados from seed in water, as they’re easy and fun to grow. Clean up the seed, and place toothpicks in the sides so it can sit half submerged in a glass of water. Once the roots start to grow you can plant in a pot or the ground. It should grow into a healthy tree, but it could take as long as 15 years to fruit, if at all.
In comparison, commercially propagated avocado trees will take 4 or 5 years to fruit. These are grown by grafting, which is a sure way to make sure they’re true to type.
While you probably can’t produce large fruit like a commercial grower, you can grow healthy avocado trees in large quantities. Simply prune a major limb each year once fruiting is finished, gradually working around the tree. This way, you’ll keep it to a manageable size with an open branch system, reducing the risk of fungal diseases.
Harvesting avocado
How do you know when the fruit is ready for harvesting? Look for a subtle change in the colour of the fruit.
You can either pick them when they’re mature – or simply leave them in a bowl at room temperature until they’re ripe and ready to eat.
Avocado can bruise easily, so cut from the stem and handle carefully. Look for the largest fruit to test ripeness, and then stagger the harvest according to your needs.
Pope’s DIY tip
Pope’s All Purpose Pruners make caring for your avocado trees quick, easy and comfortable.
How do you know when the fruit is ready for harvesting? Look for a subtle change in the colour of the fruit.
You can either pick them when they’re mature – or simply leave them in a bowl at room temperature until they’re ripe and ready to eat.
Avocado can bruise easily, so cut from the stem and handle carefully. Look for the largest fruit to test ripeness, and then stagger the harvest according to your needs.
Pope’s DIY tip
Pope’s All Purpose Pruners make caring for your avocado trees quick, easy and comfortable.
