Many hobby gardeners are unsure about the correct fertilization. Which fertilizer do I use? How much of it do I need and how often do I have to fertilize? Such questions are usually not easy to answer. In this article, we explain how to properly fertilize your home-grown avocado tree.

Young plants do not need fertilizer

Up to the age of four to six months, young avocados do not need fertilizer because they get their nutrients from the seed. This source only dried up after a few months, so you can slowly get your plant used to fertilizer. To do this, always use a liquid fertilizer that you add to the irrigation water. But be careful: young plants in particular do not need too much of it, as fertilizer a third or even a quarter of the amount stated on the package is sufficient. You should fertilize about every two to three weeks.

Fertilize properly during the growth phase

Later you can increase the amount of fertilizer but lengthen the interval. Older avocados are content with a dose every four to six weeks. It also makes sense to repot the avocado regularly and replace the soil. On the one hand, your avocado will grow better in a larger pot, and on the other hand, small pots can encourage root rot.

Optimal liquid fertilizers for avocados:

  • green plant fertilizer
  • citrus fertilizer
  • Balcony and tub plant fertilizer
  • universal fertilizer

Do not fertilize in the winter dormancy

If you want your avocado to continue growing in winter, you should continue to fertilize it - but much less frequently than in the summer months. The situation is different with a planned hibernation: Then fertilizer application is rather counterproductive. In principle, it is sufficient to fertilize between April and September and to stop doing so in the winter months.

tips and tricks

The avocado does not tolerate salty soil particularly well. For this reason, make sure to use fertilizers that are as low in salt as possible and, above all, not to fertilize too often. If in doubt, repot the plant in a pot with fresh soil.

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