Homesteading Handbook vol. 4: Indoor Gardening (Homesteading Handbooks) by Amy Lewis

Author:Amy Lewis [Lewis, Amy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-07-16T23:00:00+00:00

Avocados

If you've got an area of the house with high enough ceilings, dwarf avocado trees can be grown indoors. Don't let the word "dwarf" in the name fool you. Dwarf avocadoes are smaller than regular avocado trees, but can still reach heights greater than 10' tall. An avocado tree probably isn't a good choice for someone living in an apartment, but may be feasible if you have a place in your home with plenty of room and high ceilings.

Don't be fooled by those Facebook posts and Pinterest pins that claim you can grow avocadoes from pits taken from avocadoes bought at the store. They will indeed sprout and grow, but will more often than not develop into plants that never bear fruit or only bear a few fruits here and there. Some people get lucky and get good plants, but it's a crapshoot and you could waste several years growing a plant that looks nice, but never bears fruition.

Purchasing a dwarf avocado tree is a much better option. For one, you get a plant that's already partially-grown and it'll take less time before the plant bears fruit. You're also much more likely to get fruit from a plant purchased from a reputable grower. When selecting a variety, make sure you're buying one that's self-fruitful and doesn't require pollination from another tree.

Dwarf avocado trees need to be planted in large containers with plenty of holes at the bottom to allow for drainage. Place the container in a tray to catch any water that drains out of the holes. Fill the bottom of the container with sand to allow water to easily drain out of the container and fill the rest of the container with potting soil. Plant the tree in the container at the same level it was planted in the nursery.

Water your tree regularly and don't let the soil dry out, but don't water it so much it becomes waterlogged. Keep an eye on the leaf tips. If they start yellowing, it's a sign of overwatering. If they turn brown and start to get crispy at the tips, the plant needs more water. Prune branches regularly to keep the tree from becoming top-heavy and tipping over or growing too large for the area you want to keep it in. Repot the tree every spring, right before it starts growing again. Pinch off new growth throughout the summer to encourage your plant to continue growing.

Avocado trees prefer full sunlight and thrive when provided with 12 to 14 hours of light a day. Placing them in front of a south-facing window may meet some of their light needs, but is unlikely to fulfill them in the dead of winter when the days are short. If the plant isn't given enough sunlight, it will elongate and become thin and gangly. Meeting the sunlight needs of smaller plants is easy, but it becomes more and more difficult as plants grow larger. Overhead grow lights can be used, but it's going to take some ingenuity to get them high enough to be of benefit to a taller tree.

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