Avocado trees (Persea americana) can grow indoors in any growing zone, making great low-maintenance houseplants. However, it can take up to 10 years for the tree to bear fruit in its natural growing conditions, and it can reach 40 feet tall or more when grown in the ground.
How tall will an avocado tree grow indoors?
30 to 60 ft.
How to Grow and Care for an Avocado Plant Indoors
| Common Name | Avocado |
|---|---|
| Mature Size | 30 to 60 ft. in the landscape; potted plants can be pruned to remain small |
| Sun Exposure | Full sun |
| Soil Type | General-purpose potting soil |
| Soil pH | 6.0 to 6.5, tolerates acidic or alkaline soil |
Can an avocado tree survive indoors?
This fact leads to the question, “Can avocado trees grow indoors?” The simple answer to this question is yes. In fact, there are several dwarf varieties, which can help the cold and temperate season gardener produce the healthy fruits in their own home.
How do you care for an indoor avocado plant?
Keep the plant soil consistently moist but not over watered. Overwatering will cause the leaves to curl and the stem to soften– not a desirable trait. Don’t under water the avocado either or the foliage will wilt, dry and drop. Your avocado, as with most houseplants, will need to be fed.
Can avocado be grown in pots?
Like many citrus trees, avocado trees grow very well grown indoors. Natural terra cotta is an excellent choice for pots because the porous clay allows air and moisture to move through soil easily. Start with a 6- to 8-inch-diameter pot, with good drainage holes.
Can you keep an avocado tree small?
With a small number of cuts done every year, and possibly some pinches, you can keep an avocado tree down to 15 feet (my Hass), 12 feet (my Reed), even 10 feet.
How long does it take for an avocado tree to bear fruit?
If you have purchased and planted a tree, you can probably expect to see your first fruit three to four years after planting. If you are growing from a seed, it can take anywhere from five to 13 years before the tree is mature enough to set fruit.
Do you need 2 avocado trees to produce fruit?
Pollination
Avocado Trees are self-fertile, so you don’t have to have another tree for fruit.
Does an avocado tree need full sun?
Sun and shade
Hass avocado trees thrive in bright, direct, unfiltered sunlight. They need at least six hours of sunlight per day, but they can tolerate slight shade. The more light hitting the leaves, the better.
How cold is too cold for avocado trees?
While healthy avocado trees can tolerate freezes between 30˚ F and 32˚ F, severe freezes are capable of destroying individual avocado trees — particularly freeze temperatures falling below 30˚ F. The colder and longer the freeze, the greater the potential for damage to your avocado grove.
How often should you water an indoor avocado tree?
A potted avocado tree or a newly planted avocado tree should generally be watered every two to three days, while a mature planted tree can be watered once a week.
How do I make my avocado tree bushy?
Pinch the tips of new lateral branches when they are 6 to 8 inches (15-20 cm.) long, which should encourage more new branches. Then, pinch new lateral growth that develops on those branches and repeat until the plant is full and compact. It isn’t necessary to pinch shorter stems.
Will my avocado tree bear fruit?
An avocado tree can produce fruit year round, since fruit can be left on the tree for months and harvested when desired. An avocado tree will produce fruit 3 to 4 years after planting a tree from a nursery, or 5 to 13 years after planting from seed.
What kind of soil do avocados like?
sandy
Avocados like loose, rich, well-draining soil. Plant in a container that has drainage holes, in good quality potting soil. The soil may need to be sandy to accommodate the tree’s large roots and fast draining so that the roots do not succumb to root rot fungus.
How do you keep an avocado tree alive in the winter?
To best care for your avocado tree in winter, it is smart to plant your avocado tree in a pot. This way, you can move it around for maximum exposure to more favorable temperatures. If you have to bring your avocado tree indoors, it will have a better chance of survival and a worthy yield.
Can you cut the top off an avocado tree?
Snip the top of the avocado tree off when it reaches approximately 12 inches in height, cutting the tree back to 6 inches. Allow the tree to regain its original height then repeat the trimming. This pruning will encourage lateral branches to develop.
Do you need male and female avocado trees to produce fruit?
Pollination: While avocado trees self-fertilize and produce fruit, yields should increase if both a Type A avocado tree and a Type B avocado tree are planted in order to increase the chances for successful pollination. The avocado tree has both functional male and female organs.
How long do avocado trees live?
Avocado trees will also bear fruit for their whole lives. That said, their crops will begin to diminish as the tree gets older. Avocado trees can live for 200–400 years, but they may not bear much fruit worth harvesting by the end of their lifespan.
Can you plant just one avocado tree?
That means they will be all functionally male or all functionally female. The avocado pollen of one tree is compatible with itself and quite capable of pollinating its own flowers — known as self-pollination.
Flowering and pollination.
| Flower type A | Flower type B |
|---|---|
| Flower type A — | Flower type B Zutano |
Do avocado plants like coffee grounds?
You can consider using coffee grounds, compost, or fish emulsion, which will help your avocado tree thrive.
Do avocados need a lot of water?
A thirsty crop
It takes a lot of water to produce avocados. On average, 2,000 liters of water (about 528 gallons) are needed to produce a kilo of avocados (about 2.2 pounds).
Marilyn Medina is a food expert with over 15 years of experience in the culinary industry. She has worked in some of the most prestigious kitchens in the world, including The Ritz-Carlton and The French Laundry.
What makes Marilyn stand out from other chefs is her unique approach to cooking. She believes that food should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their budget or dietary restrictions. Her recipes are simple, delicious, and healthy – perfect for anyone who wants to cook like a pro!