Growing in California: Avocados

There are many things to think about when choosing how to landscape a yard. One of the best plants for California is the Avocado tree. Southern California has a dry, sunny atmosphere, perfect for the avocado fruit tree which demands full sunlight. The trees are shallow rooted, so nutrients can be absorbed quickly, allowing for even a poor soil quality to breed healthy trees. They love mulch, especially organic compost added to the soil a couple times a year.

Avocados do require frequent watering, as they grow year round. The deeper the irrigation, the better the trees will do since they are sensitive to salty soil. Salt build up . Pairing up avocado trees and planting them near one another can aid in the pollination and future vitality of each tree.

The best time to plant an avocado tree is between March and June, before the hot summer months hit. Here are few tips on how to grow an avocado tree from the pit of the fruit. Thanks to avocado.org for the info.

Growing an Avocado Houseplant

Don't throw out that seed! You can grow a beautiful houseplant or even your own tree following these simple steps.

1.     Wash the seed. Using three toothpick, suspend it broad end down over a water-filled glass to cover about an inch of the seed.

2.     Put it in a warm place out of direct sunlight and replenish water as needed. You should see roots and stem sprout in about two to six weeks.

3.     When the stem is six to seven inches long, cut it back to about three inches.

4.     When the roots are thick and the stem has leafed out again, plant it in a rich humus soil in a 10-1/2" diameter pot, leaving the seed half exposed.

5.     Give it frequent, light waterings with an occasional deep soak. Generally, the soil should be moist but not saturated. Yellowing leaves are a sign of over-watering; let the plant dry out for a few days.

6.     The more sunlight, the better.

7.     If leaves turn brown and fry at the tips, too much salt has accumulated in the soil. Let water run freely into the pot and drain for several minutes.

8.     When the stem is 12 inches high, cut it back to 6 inches to encourage the growth of new shoots.

9.     While it is true that you can grow a tree from an avocado seed, keep in mind that a tree grown from seed will be very different from its parent variety and may take 7-15 years to begin producing fruit. Fruit from a tree grown from seed tends to have different flavor characteristics than their parent variety. Known varieties such as Hass avocados are grafted to preserve their varietal characteristics rather than grown from a seed.