How to Transplant Avocado Trees
The avocado tree grows well in warm climates, and produces a fruit that tastes great and is high in healthy monounsaturated fats. While many people say that it is impossible to over-water an avocado tree, avocados that are planted in heavy soil that does not drain well can be damaged or even killed by too much irrigation. How you transplant and care for your avocado tree depends a lot on the age and condition of the tree, the type of soil you have, and the environment the tree came from. If you keep all of these things in mind while you transplant, you can help your tree get off to a healthy start in its new home. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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If you want to grow the tree yourself, place an avocado seed in water or in a 4- to 5-inch pot of well-drained soil and allow it to grow into a young tree. Otherwise, buy a young avocado tree from a nursery or grower.
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Expose seedlings grown in your house to the outdoors gradually by placing them outside for a short time each day for 2 weeks before transplanting outside. If you purchased a young tree, keep it in the shade and protected from the wind until you are ready to transplant.
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Dig a hole about 3 feet in diameter and 3 feet deep.
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Put 12 to 18 inches of manure (well decayed, if possible) in the bottom of the hole, and press it down firmly.
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Add 6 to 8 inches of topsoil on top of the manure, and press it down firmly.
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Put the tree in the hole, and fill the rest of the hole with topsoil.
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Dig a circular ditch around the tree to use as an irrigation basin. Using soil that came from the bottom of the hole, make at least 6 inches of higher ground around the trunk of the tree so that the basin does not have a funnel effect.
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Place a stake on the south to southwest side of the tree to provide shade, at least for the first year.
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Tips & Warnings
Plant avocado trees in the spring, just when it has become warm enough for roots to grow well.
If you are planting in adobe soil or heavy clay, dig a larger hole and fill the hole with soil mixed thoroughly with old compost.
Break up any hardpan that is present in the soil.
If you plant during dry summer months, fill the hole with water before planting.
If the tree has become dried out during transport, water it thoroughly before planting.
Do not put commercial fertilizer or fresh manure too close to the roots of the tree.
Be careful not to irrigate too often in heavy soils that do not drain well, so as not to damage the roots with excessive trapped water.
If your tree is young and came from a nursery or is accustomed to shade, protect it from the sun for the first few months after planting; otherwise, the leaves and the bark can be damaged by the sun. If the tree had to be pruned back heavily for transport, you should also whitewash the trunk and limbs.
