How to Pick an Avocado From the Tree

Avocados may be high in calories, but they are packed with healthy nutrients. Unlike most other fruits, they are not left on the tree to ripen. Picked when they are considered mature, avocados then take seven to 10 days to ripen. The ripening process can be accelerated if the avocado is placed in a paper sack and set in a dark cabinet for a day or so.

Things You'll Need

• Pruning shears
• Ladder
• Picking pole

Instructions

1. Identify the type of avocado tree you have and ask the nursery when to expect mature fruit. There are many varieties of avocado, and the variety and region can determine when to expect the avocados to be ready to pick. It is important to pick avocados only when they are mature; immature fruit will not have sufficient oil and will not soften, but will either shrivel or get rubbery.

2. Inspect the skin of the avocado. When the fruit is ready to be picked, the skin will change slightly in color and become less glossy, and the seed coat will turn brown.

3. Cut the stem with pruning shears to remove the avocado from the tree. Don't pull the fruit from the stem; it should remain attached to the fruit. Pick just a few avocados to test for maturity, and give them a week or more to ripen---the stems will fall off when they're ripe.

4. Climb a sturdy ladder to reach high-growing avocados. Have a second person steady the ladder, and try to situate the ladder on level ground. Fruit-picking poles can also be purchased to reach high avocados without using a ladder. These are long poles, with a cutter that is controlled by a rope; the cut avocados fall into a bag. Pole picking tools are typically used by commercial growers.

Tips & Warnings

• Since mature avocados can remain on the tree for months, pick only what you need.

• Always use clean, sanitized gardening sheers to avoid spreading disease.

References

• Hawaii Extension
• University of California