Avocado Seedlings

Question

My seedlings have reached six inches tall in the glass container with roots as long as nine inches and spreading leaves. I’ve been told to cut the tiny trees in half and they’ll grow new leaves, and then this is the right time to plant them.  I planted one without this method when the roots were still small and it grew to ten inches, growing a different series of leaves that grew large and died.  I was told to pinch the plant at the top, which I did, and now a couple of the original nodes seem to be growing. What is the proper way to treat my tiny house trees?

Answer 1

Choose a few of the strongest shoots and cut away the rest. These will grow into the new trunks. The leaves will actually regrow on the stems. You should see swelling on either side of the stem at the top of the leaf node point in a bit. If you just want it to branch out, simply snip off the top of the plant, maybe just a leaf or two down on the main branch (but make sure you cut through the branch). This will force lateral growth to begin, which will make side branches and result in a bushier plant without too much damage to the plant.