Without a pruning, the avocado plant disappoints as a solitary, thin stalk with sparse foliage. A targeted pruning at the right time gives you an avocado tree in top form. This guide will show you when and how to encourage the exotic plant to branch better.
Pruning encourages the avocado plant to branch
Cutting date is in spring
In the spring, a pruning prepares the avocado plant for the new growth season. In March and April, any damage caused by the hardships of hibernation can be clearly seen and can be regulated as part of cutting care. On the very rare occasion that your avocado plant surprises you with a bloom, postpone the pruning until later to preserve the chances of a harvest.
Observe the requirements
Every pruning cuts deeply into the growth of an avocado plant. In order for the tropical, evergreen tree to emerge stronger from a pruning measure, the following requirements are important:
- The avocado plant is at least 3 months old and well rooted
- The main shoot has exceeded the magic height of 30 cm
- Each shoot to be cut thrives with at least 4 leaves
Before you decide to prune the main stem of an avocado plant, please consider the growth law of top support. As a result, if you cut off the top bud on the dominant shoot, growth in height will almost come to a standstill. A massive accumulation of juice forms below the interface, which allows buds that have been passive until now to sprout.
Pruning encourages bushy branching
If you can confirm all the requirements for a pruning, please take a pair of sharp, spotlessly clean pruning shears with a bypass mechanism. The advantage of this is that two sharp cutting edges smoothly cut through an avocado shoot. An anvil shears carry the risk that the shoot will be crushed and die. How to cut the laurel plant correctly:
- Cut off the stem above the fourth leaf (counted from the root collar).
- The deeper the cut, the stronger the budding of side shoots
- Cut back any side shoots to the fourth leaf
It is up to you to decide how many side shoots an avocado plant will sprout. Extra bushy growth can be achieved by cutting back each new shoot to encourage the buds to sprout. After pruning, optimize the result by applying a liquid fertilizer weekly from April to September.
Cut leafless shoots on buds
Before you lose a leafless shoot, it is worth trying to vitalize sleeping eyes by pruning them back. To do this, run your fingertip over the bark. Wherever you feel a small elevation, make the cut at a short distance. With a little luck and loving care, the avocado plant can be encouraged to sprout at this point.
tips
Under ideal conditions, grafted avocado plants bear fruit after just two or three years. Check the valuable fruit trees regularly for wild shoots that sprout below the thickened grafting point. Cut off a wildling as quickly as possible because it wants to compete with the precious part for nutrients and access to light.