Plant Care 101: How to Care for Avocado Trees
Last updated: Mar 31 2022
Key takeaways
Avocado Trees need 4–6 hours of direct sunlight daily and grow best in containers with excellent drainage or well-drained garden soil.
Water Avocado Trees deeply once or twice a week, allowing the soil to dry slightly between waterings to prevent root rot.
Avoid fertilizing Avocado Trees during their first year, then feed established trees with a balanced fertilizer to support healthy growth.
From toppings on toast to guacamole, avocados are the star ingredient in your favorite dishes and recipes! And though store-bought avocados are great, there’s nothing like the home-grown version of your favorite superfood. Learn how to plant, care for and harvest home-grown avocados below!
What’s great about these powerful trees is that they’re fairly hassle-free and low-maintenance. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a green thumb, either. You can still ensure these trees thrive, right in your backyard or garden. Check out our tips and tricks for Avocado Trees and their care – it’s as easy as 1-2-3!
Avocado House Plant Care
First, find an area that receives at least 4 to 6 hours of direct afternoon sunlight daily. After you’ve found the best location for your Avocado Trees (more than one tree is best!), take them out of their shipped nursery container and plant them in containers that are twice the size of their root balls. Ensure the containers you use for planting have drainage holes, as these will help to keep the plant from catching root rot. And be sure to dispose of any standing water in your containers’ saucers to avoid fungal growth.
Growing Avocado Trees Outdoors
If you’re planting multiple trees outdoors, leave approximately 5 to 8 feet of space between your trees and other structures. Dig a hole that's two to three times wider and deeper than the container it was shipped in so that your roots have space to get established - it’s that easy!
How to Care for Avocado Trees
So, Avocado Trees boast no-fuss maintenance, but proper care prepares them for a lush life. Your tropical fruit will need frequent, deep waterings once or twice a week, with enough time between waterings to let the soil dry out a bit. Also, avoid fertilizing trees their first year because fertilizer can burn the roots and cause damage.
And we said Avocado Trees are effortless, right? The only time you will need to prune your tree is during late winter or early spring to get rid of dead wood. If you want to maintain a certain height, trim your tree lightly by cutting the tallest, protruding branch off the tree.
Avocado Plant Care
Like we mentioned above, one of the great perks of Avocado Trees is that they can be planted in a container or in the ground. Again, if you’re planning on container planting, make sure that you place your pot-planted Avocado Tree in an area that gets a minimum of 6 hours of sunlight, preferably in front of a large window with direct afternoon light.
If you’re planting in the ground, choose an area on the southern side of your home with well-drained soil. And it’s no problem if your soil needs work – you can amend the soil with sand or other gritty matter to soak up the moisture.
Avocado Tree Pollination
Harvesting Avocados
It’s time to reap the rewards of planting your own superfood! The harvest months are the most exciting time to have home-grown fruit.
Hass Avocados are ready to harvest as early as February, and their harvest can extend as late as September. By contrast, Cold Hardy Avocados usually ripen between November and March. Last, but definitely not least, Condo™ Avocados are harvested from July through September. However, it depends on the weather in your area, their fertilization, and the bearing pattern of the tree.
Avocados have to be harvested by hand. If you don't pick the fruit, they won't fall off the tree and will never ripen. But your Avocado Trees can be used as a sort of storage unit for your delicious fruit for as long as eight months. The longer the fruit stays on the tree, the richer the taste – just don’t leave them on too long.
Check out the chart below for more information on our favorite varieties of avocados, and pick a few trees of your own today!
| Avocado Type | Growing Zone | Mature Height | Years to Bear Fruit | Annual Growth | Spacing | Sunlight | Characteristics |
| Hass | 9-11 Outdoors 4-11 Indoors | 15-20 ft. | 3 to 4 years | Fast | 5-8 ft. | Full (6 to 8 hrs.) | Oval shape with pebbly, thick skin and pale green flesh. Skin turns from green to an almost black hue once ripe. |
| Cold Hardy | 8-11 Outdoors 4-11 Indoors | 15-20 ft. | 4 to 5 years | Fast | 5-8 ft. | Full (6 to 8 hrs.) | Oval shape with smooth and thin, green skin. Yellowish-green flesh. |
| Condo™ | 9-11 Outdoors 4-11 Indoors | 8-10 ft. | 3 to 4 years | Fast | 5 ft. | Full (6 to 8 hrs.) | Club-shaped avocado with smooth, green skin. |
Don't forget to shop our entire collection of avocados for more inspiration! Plus, check out our Tips for Tons of Avocado Fruit.
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Written by
Blair Brown
Blair is the Content Marketing Manager at Trees.com, and though she's not your traditional gardener, the planting world is definitely growing on her (pun intended!). She's enjoyed digging into plant care and maintenance and growing her plant collection, especially with exotic indoor varieties.
