🥑 Avocado Pear Seedling (Persea americana)
Avocado (often called avocado pear in Ghana) is a high‑value fruit tree. Starting right with a healthy, preferably grafted seedling will give you earlier fruiting and better yields.
🌱 Seedling Basics
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Best planting material: Grafted seedlings (e.g., Hass, Fuerte, Lula, Booth).
Why: Fruiting earlier (2–3 yrs) and true-to-type. Seed-grown trees take longer and vary in quality. -
Rootstock tip: In hot, humid lowlands, West Indian–type rootstocks handle heat and moisture better.
✅ Ideal Conditions
| Factor | What to Aim For |
|---|---|
| Climate | Tropical/subtropical; protect from strong winds |
| Sunlight | Full sun (6–8+ hrs/day) |
| Soil | Well‑drained loam/sandy loam; avoid waterlogging |
| pH | 5.5–6.5 (slightly acidic) |
| Spacing | Vigorous trees: 9–10 m; compact/grafted: 6–8 m |
Important: Avocado hates “wet feet.” On heavy soils, plant on mounds/ridges (30–60 cm high) for drainage.
🌿 Planting Steps
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Dig a 60 × 60 × 60 cm hole; mix topsoil with 1–2 buckets of compost/manure.
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Set the seedling so the graft union stays above soil.
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Backfill, firm gently, water thoroughly, and mulch (keep mulch off the stem).
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Stake in windy sites and install temporary shade if the sun is extreme.
💧 Water & Nutrition (Years 0–2)
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Watering: 10–20 L 2–3×/week for first 2–3 months, then weekly in dry periods.
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Fertilizer: Every 3 months apply 100–200 g NPK 15‑15‑15 per plant (increase gradually as canopy grows) + 5–10 kg compost/year.
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Micronutrients: Occasional zinc/boron foliar sprays improve flowering/fruit set.
✂️ Pruning & Training
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Remove shoots below the graft and any suckers.
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Tip the leader at 1.2–1.5 m to encourage a low, strong framework.
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Maintain height around 3–4 m for easy harvest.
🌸 Pollination & Fruit Set
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Avocados have Type A and Type B flowering. Planting one of each type nearby improves yield (e.g., Hass (A) with Fuerte (B) or Zutano (B)). Bees help—avoid spraying during bloom.
🕒 Bearing & Maturity
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Grafted seedlings: 2–3 years to first fruit.
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Seedling (ungrafted): 4–7+ years.
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From flowering, fruit takes 6–9 months to reach harvest maturity (variety dependent).
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Avocado ripens off the tree—pick mature fruit and ripen at room temperature (5–10 days).
Harvest cues: Size/variety color change (e.g., Hass darkens after picking), sample fruit ripens evenly without shriveling, seed coats turning brown inside.
🐛 Pests & Diseases (Watch‑outs)
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Root rot (Phytophthora): Number one risk—ensure drainage, avoid overwatering, mulch, and keep trunk dry.
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Anthracnose (postharvest), mites, scales, thrips: Use good hygiene, copper/neem as needed; spray after bloom to protect pollinators.
