Avocado: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
How to plant an avocado tree?
Before planting your avocado, check winter temperatures in your region and the chosen variety's cold tolerance. Growing in the ground suits sufficiently mild, sheltered situations; frost-free weather in spring alone does not guarantee survival through the next winter. In a cold climate, choose a container that can stay in a bright, frost-free space instead.
For garden planting, favour spring as conditions warm, a wind-sheltered site and genuinely draining soil. Moisten the root ball before removing the plant and handle its roots carefully. Dig a wide hole without burying the base more deeply than before. Keep the graft union above soil level if the tree is grafted. Backfill, firm gently and water to settle soil around the roots.
In a pot, use draining compost and a container with holes, only slightly larger than the root ball. Monitor moisture during establishment without leaving standing water. Garden mulch reduces drying, but keep the trunk clear. If fruit is your goal, look into a suitable grafted cultivar. A seed-grown plant does not reliably reproduce its parent's variety and rarely fruits as a houseplant.
How do you prune an avocado tree?
How to care for this plant
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Prepare for overwintering
If your potted avocado spends summer outside, prepare a bright indoor place for cold nights. A young seed-grown plant should not wait for frost: follow forecasts and its cold sensitivity. For a tree in the ground in a mild climate, check the variety’s hardiness before choosing protection.
