It's been about a year and a half since we planted this avocado tree in the yard. I really haven't done much more than sticking a couple of fruit tree fertilizer steaks near the trunk, or throwing some leftover potting soil in its general direction. Neither my wife nor I have green thumbs, so the fact that we haven't killed it is a success in our book.

But it actually seems happy! It's grown a couple feet since we've planted it. Lots of new growth. It now stands right about as high as I do, six feet. But no sign of any flowers or fruit yet. Is there anything that I can do to speed the progress of homemade guacamole, or will I be buying avocados from Winn Dixie and Publix for a while longer?

My Avocado Tree!

That is too small to hold fruit. Plus, most avocado need cross pollination. And, laurel wilt disease has been knocking out avocado. I've never had luck growing avocado and getting fruit. It is obviously not a care free grow on its own tree as is a must in my yard. Sometimes there may be a micro-nutrient missing. Like Zinc, boron, iron, etc... I had a macadamia that was pretty big and never flowered. I applied zinc and the next year it did. But, not sure. Maybe copper. Who knows. good luck.

Focus on the tree first. Get it mature and healthy, then play with making it flower. Make sure there is protection around the base from weedeaters and debris from the lawn mower. Good Luck!

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If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.

BEachside, 1000 ft from the Ocean...no luck w/ Avacodo at all.  Too much trouble but I have seen some nice trees in Melbourne many years ago.  If they need cross pollination , you would need two trees?  I thought there was a variety that was self polination but I maybe wrong.  I was planting two trees next to each other, in MLB i saw someone do this and the two trees inter-twined almost looked like one giant tree, pollination was very good.

I have a FL green avocodo beachside (river side of Mel Beach) that the kids planted from seed 10+ years ago.  

It gets zero care other than pruning when too tall.  Flowers like crazy in early spring, sets bunches of pea size fruit, then drops almost all. 

Some years I get a few dozen, some years nothing.

I don't know why.

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I'm 1000 ft off the ocean too, and I have definitely had some failures, but I resorted to more vigorous seedlings and planted them with 3 "bananny" plants to protect them a little while they established. I also planted two in the same hole, effectively. Mine have been alive for over a year and seem to be ok. You can definitely notice the salt burn on the leaves, but I think they might make it.

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If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.

Cross pollination is essential.  Avocados have two "breeding types" and there need to be A and B types close together.  Like Brogdon and Lula.  

Grafted avocados unite a seedling rootstock with a sexually mature bud.  The combo will reach fruiting status far quicker than a seedling.

 

I've been told that the easiest thing to do is scrape off a section of bark on one which is already getting fruit, wrap this and keep it moist. Eventually, it will grow roots in that section and you can trim that off and replant it. This way you don't have to wait 8 or more years for the tree to mature.

Has anyone done this?

air layer

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If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.