How to perform an avocado transplant: step by step

potted growth

In another post we have told about the process of developing a avocado tree and how to get the seeds of the fruit to germinate to become small shoots. But it was time to move on to the second stage, that is, the moment of transplant plants and planting the shoots that have developed during the last 8 weeks. Depending on the avocado It has been obtained by sowing seed or they buy a nursery, one or two transplants must be carried out.

In this article we are going to tell you everything you need to know about how to transplant avocado and what are the different types of transplants that exist.

The avocado transplant step by step

avocado

avocado

Once the avocado pit submerged in water has roots and the first shoots are born, you have to wait until their stems are between 20 centimeters long and then cut about 5 centimeters, which will favor growth. When it reaches 20 centimeters again, the sprout is cut and transplanted into a pot of 10 centimeters in diameter with soil rich in humus, taking care that the upper half of the seed is exposed.

Then the pot in the sun and watered regularly Well, it is a species that needs a moist soil for its development. If the leaves turn yellow, there is excess water, so watering will have to be suspended for a few days to absorb the water. Check the plant to avoid attack by natural enemies and take care of it from the cold, taking it indoors if there are low temperatures.

Potted avocado transplant

potted transplant

pot transplant

This type of transplant is carried out as long as the avocado has been finished in water. It is necessary to do the transplant when the plant is approximately 20 inches tall. Normally, it reaches this height about 30 days after being submerged. It is necessary to transfer the avocado to a pot with soil so that the plant can continue to grow. The water will not develop in good condition and will not be able to grow.

For the transplant to be as optimal as possible, the plant must be at least 20 centimeters high and 10-20 centimeters wide. With these dimensions the plant is prepared to survive the new substrate and the new conditions. It has to look quite large and you have to use a balanced, disinfected substrate with very good drainage. Let’s not forget that irrigation water should not be stored as it would drown the roots of the tree.

It is important that, when transplanting, the roots are well stretched and the top of the avocado pit protrudes from the ground. To do this, it is convenient to put some gravel in the bottom of the pot. This gravel will also aid drainage. Once we have poured the gravel, it is covered with a little substrate and then the plant is held in the center to pour more soil around it until the container is filled. Finally, you have to lightly compact and water so that the soil can settle. It is convenient to place the pot in a bright place that does not receive direct sunlight.


Potted avocado requires a lot of carePotted avocado requires a lot of care

Related article:

Potted avocado care

Transplant abroad

avocado transplant

avocado transplant

We are going to see what are the guidelines to carry out a correct transplant of the avocado abroad. If you want this avocado to be able to fully develop like a tree and bear fruit, you have to transplant it to a field. More or less after the transplant, 3-4 years must pass for it to bear fruit. However, it is worth it if it can be done correctly. We are going to count all the necessary steps for this.

When avocados are young they are quite sensitive trees that can be seriously damaged or die if they are subjected to adverse environmental conditions for them. This is the reason why you have to take good care of all aspects. One of the critical conditions that can destroy an avocado tree is cold. Winter frosts and unexpected spring frosts can cause leaf burns. Avocado does not lose its leaves during winter and with temperatures approaching 0 degrees and the avocado has been transplanted abroad, it can be damaged.

It is convenient that if our avocado has just been transplanted it can be protected in some way from the cold. Another of the adverse conditions that can affect the growth of the tree is the intense sun. As we have mentioned before, it is not at all interesting that, at the beginning when the avocado is transplanted, it is exposed to direct sunlight. In fact, newly transplanted trees tend to show drought symptoms more easily in hot weather.

For all these reasons, it is not convenient to transplant the avocado outside until the plant can harden enough. The bark of the stem and branches must become stronger to withstand these conditions. We will realize that it has become more resistant because lose their intense green color and take on a duller tone. In general, It is not advisable to transplant an avocado until it is at least one year old. If what the plants do before, you are not going to get better results and increased risks.

Avocado tree care after transplant

small avocado plants

small avocado plants

You must bear in mind that any transplant for a plant is a very stressful moment and it will be normal for you to notice it duller for a few days. For example, that the leaves seem limp and more hanging, or that you even think that it is sick. You have to give him time to recover and also to adapt to his new environment.

For this reason, it is always recommended that transplants be done as quickly as possible (as long as it does not take too long to do so) and that the root part and the surrounding soil be touched as little as possible to avoid problems.

Now, what care will you need after that transplant? Everything will depend to a large extent on where you have transplanted it, if it is in a pot or directly in the orchard or garden. We explain in each case.

How to care for it in a pot

We start with a pot. This is the best step when the avocado you have comes from a stone or when it is very small, because if you plant it directly in the garden, unless you take good care of it, it can easily die (it does not have enough energy to to resist).

As we have mentioned before, it is important to put it in a pot that is not too large, but rather what is necessary. In addition, you have to add hummus so that it has a good soil and that it maintains moisture.

If it comes from a bone, it is normal that it has rooted in water, so the change from a liquid medium to a drier one is quite traumatic for the plant. But you can’t flood the earth either because it will be worse. Hence that type of substrate that will help you to adapt well.

As for the location, we recommend that you place it in a brighter area. It is still not good for it to be given direct sunlight, because it could burn the stem(s) and leaves, but it must be kept in increasingly illuminated areas so that it develops properly.

And we come to irrigation. This is perhaps the stickiest point of an avocado because it is where it will give you the most problems. Before we have said that it has to be humid, but not waterlogged. Finding the point is not easy, but we can tell you that it is preferable that you have to water it every day, and with little water, than spend it with it.

Of course, try to always water it from below. If you do it from above, the only thing you get is that the plant damages its trunk and the neural center of the bone. If you see that when you water it sucks up the water in a matter of seconds, nothing better than refilling it and leaving it a little longer. After that, make sure you remove the water to prevent it from causing problems.

It may take some time to grow (as soon as the transplant is done it can stop until it adapts) and at that time we do recommend that you put it in the garden or orchard.

How to take care of it in the orchard or garden

You may find yourself in this situation, either because you have bought an avocado and it is ready to be transplanted to the ground, or because you want to transfer it directly to the ground. In the second case we do not recommend it, but it can be done, only you have to be more careful with it.

When you go to plant it in the ground, to make sure that it is really good, it is convenient to put a good substrate.

As for the lighting, it is best that, during the first days, it is more in the shade (hence, you should choose a time when there are cloudy days and somewhat stable temperatures). The reason is that, because he is stressed with the transplant, subjecting him to hours of sunlight may not be the best thing, especially if he is not used to it.

Irrigation is another important part to consider. As with the pot, you have to keep it moist so that it develops well, but without overdoing it. That means that it is better to water it every day (and never bringing the water near the trunk, but around it) than to water too much once and that’s it.

Why does my avocado have fallen leaves?

avocado tree with fruit

avocado tree with fruit

One of the common questions asked by many is what is the reason why your avocado has fallen leaves. And the truth is that there are many reasons for this.

For the transplant itself

Plants suffer when transplanted. It is a new environment (their pot or the garden), new soil that they must get used to and also the roots have not yet spread to settle the tree, so all the energy is concentrated during the first days in that area.

The best advice we can give you is to be patient. Unless you see that it is getting worse, and it may indicate that there is something wrong, in general it is something normal that happens to many plants (if not all).

Of course, we do not recommend at all that you transplant it and at the same time add compost or fertilizer to “help” it. That will only make him sick or kill him much faster. Keep in mind that a transplant implies new soil with nutrients and if you give it an extra supply you can saturate it and cause the opposite of what you want to achieve.

due to excess water

Avocado is a tree that likes moisture in the ground. But it has a big problem and that is that, when we go too far, in addition to the leaves turning yellow, they will appear droopy and lifeless. It is a warning that the soil is too wet and that the roots suffer (in fact, it is prone to the roots rotting because of it).

When you have planted the avocado from the bone, this does not happen while you have it in water, but the truth is that, later, in the step, this problem can occur.

Due to pests, infections…

When doing the transplant you have to make sure that both the avocado and the soil you are going to use and the pot are free of bacteria, pests and others. The goal is to move him to a larger place so that he can develop and at the same time be healthy.

If you notice that it begins to have fallen leaves and you know that you have not overdone it with watering and that you have followed the care that we mentioned before, you cannot rule out that it is a pest. If so, you will need to treat it quickly and carefully because at that time it is very stressed and it is easy to lose it.

The fruits, a matter of time

After 2 or 3 years, the tree will begin to bear its first fruits. This is common, although trees sometimes take 15 years or never do. So before starting work, study well the type of avocado you have in your hands and when this variety usually pays off.

In these cases, the best army of patience. You just have to take care of your tree as if it were any other decorative plant and sooner or later it will reward you with these delicious fruits.

I hope that with this information you can learn more about how to transplant the avocado and what are the steps you should take.

How to perform an avocado transplant: step by step

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