Five Tips for Pruning Avocado Trees

Most avocados don't need a lot of pruning. However, pruning avocado trees can be beneficial in some cases. Pruning these trees is different than pruning other trees, so there are a few things you should know beforehand. This article will give you a few tips for pruning avocado trees.

Balance

Balance is one of the most important things you need to know about pruning avocado trees. Many people buy trees from a nursery that has had the roots cut. You will need to trim the top of the tree since most of the root system has been removed. If you don't trim the top of the tree to restore the balance, the tree may grow weakly.

Timing

Timing also plays an important role in pruning avocado trees. Light trimming can be done at any time of the year because avocado trees are evergreen. If you want to do heavy trimming on the tree, you should only do it in late winter or early spring. These are the best times to prune the trees heavily.

Sun Exposure

Avocado trees grow thickly, so it is sometimes necessary to prune the tree to allow sunlight to reach the lower branches. When pruning avocado trees for this reason, you need to make sure you don't create too many open areas in the tree. This will expose major branches to heavy sunlight that could damage them. If you create open areas when pruning avocado trees, make sure you paint the exposed branches with light paint. This will help reflect sunlight and heat and prevent damage.

Freeze

If freeze damage occurs, you should wait until spring before pruning avocado trees. During spring, new growth starts to appear. Branches that may look dead may not really be dead, so you will be able to tell during the spring before you start pruning avocado trees.

Twigs

Many people make the mistake of cutting off terminal twigs when they're pruning avocado trees. However, these trees grow fruit at the end of these twigs. If you cut these twigs off when pruning avocado trees, a lot of fruit won't be produced when the tree blooms again.