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Avocado Growers

Old seed-grown tree, any use for it?

SW (Sydney, USDA 10b)

8 years ago

When I was a kid, I planted the seed of an avocado from the supermarket in my backyard.

That was about 15-18 years ago. The tree is now about 5 m tall, and the trunk is about 40 cm in diameter.

I didn't know the first thing about gardening back then. I've only recently gotten into it. The soil is very sandy. The tree grew up squashed between two much older and bigger trees; there's a Schefflera actinophylla on one side, and some large yucca (?) tree on the other, about 45 cm between the trunks on either side. So the avocado is probably not as advanced as it should be for that age. There isn't a large canopy: just whatever can break through the canopy of the other trees.

There have never been any flowers or fruit on it, as far as I know. I've never fertilised it until this year, when I threw a bit of slow-release stuff and compost around the trunk.Can I do anything with this to make it bear fruit? Searching through the archives, people say that the fruit of seed-grown trees is usually not so good. Can I cut it down and graft onto the trunk or something?

Featured Answer

pip313

8 years ago

You can graft to it, sure. But if it's still squashed between bigger trees getting shaded out it still might not do much.

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Comments (8)

tim45z10
8 years ago
You can graft onto a single branch.
SW (Sydney, USDA 10b) thanked tim45z10
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SW (Sydney, USDA 10b)
Original Author
8 years ago
Oh that's a good point, Pip. I hadn't thought of that.

It's quite hard for me to see, but if I cut it off at branch level, and graft onto one of the main branches, as you suggest, Tim, then I think it should get enough light at that height.

If it's a step toward productivity, I'm going to give it a try because otherwise I'll just cut the tree down anyway.

Thank you so much for the help! Any other tips?
fireduck
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Often folks will "cleft graft" an older tree. Increase your chances by making several grafts...then eventually you can eliminate any you do not want or ones that don't take. You will get awesome growth because of the mature root system. goodluck PS Study the variety you want to use as a scion.
SW (Sydney, USDA 10b) thanked fireduck
SW (Sydney, USDA 10b)
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Thanks fireduck! I'll do that. It's going to take a lot of prep, because I don't want to screw it up. If even only one of them takes, I'll be stoked.

I've read late winter, early spring is the best time to do it...? Which is six months away for me.
tim45z10
8 years ago
You don't have to stop with grafting a single variety either.
SW (Sydney, USDA 10b) thanked tim45z10
SW (Sydney, USDA 10b)
Original Author
8 years ago
Yeah I'll probably need both an A and B type on there because I only have the one tree. Probably Hass and Sharwil or something, though I haven't done much research into it yet. Acquiring the scions might be the biggest hurdle; I'm a long way from the avocado-growing areas. I might just have to take what I can find. :(
Omar Maatoug
8 years ago
What about girdling some big branches in late august or early september? girdling is used to shorten the juvenile phase of a tree grown from seed and force it to set flowers, it's used in breeding programs to develop for new varieties but remember it's dangerous and could kill the tree if it's done in the trunk so be careful.

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