cold hardy avocado Tree

Question

I bought a cold hardy avocado tree from “fastgrowningtrees.com” two years ago with the expectation that it would produce in 1-2 years. It has not produced yet. Should I be concerned?

Second question is a large percentage of the branches are pointing toward the ground. Should I trim these back? My instinct says yes, but I thought it wise to check with you.

Answer 1

As long as the trees were grafted ones purchased at a nursery or garden center, then you should be able to get fruit from them. In order to bear fruit, the avocado tree needs pollinators. You might want to consider planting flowers that draw bees and other similar pollinators to encourage your tree to bear more fruit if this is an issue.

Additionally, if you are seeing lots of foliage growth with little to no blooming, then it’s likely a nutrient imbalance – too much nitrogen, which produces lush growth and too little phosphorus, which is responsible for flowering and fruiting. Without flowers, you won’t get fruit. I would give the tree a high phosphorus fertilizer, or add bone meal to the soil. Here is more information: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/phosphorus-plant-growth.htm

You can do some judicious pruning, no more than 1/3 of the branches at a time. This article will help with pruning: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/avocado/pruning-avocado-trees.htm