Avocado Won't Fruit? How To Pollinate An Avocado Tree For Self Fertility

This video explains everything you need to know about avocado pollination, self-fertility versus cross-pollination, and how and when to hand pollinate an avocado tree for self-fertility.
Avocado trees are categorized as either Type A or Type B cultivars. While avocados do produce both male and female flowers, they produce them at different times of the day, so Avocado trees are not reliably self-fertile in their native climate under ideal conditions. Type A and Type B avocados produce male and female flowers on different schedules, so Type A and Type B cultivars should be planted for cross pollination and the best chance at fertility.
However, under certain climatic conditions, an avocado tree can be self-fertile. If you only have room for one avocado tree, you can successfully set fruit. Some varieties are better at this than others, and your chances will increase with hand pollination. This video explains which varieties are best for self-fertility, and how and when to hand pollinate for the best chance of fruit set.
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[@TheMillennialGardener]

Are you growing an avocado tree in your garden? Let us know what kind and how old it is in the comments below!

[@JacobSimpson]

I want to. Maybe I'll try to get my hands on some seeds.

[@martelvonc]

I just started an avocado from a pit a month ago but I just assumed it would never fruit. I figure I've got a few years yet to try your method. Thank you!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Jacob Simpson if you do, realize it won’t fruit for 7-10 years or more. I recommend a grafted tree. You’ll get fruit in 2-3 years with one. Last year, my Lowe’s had Lila’s for $44.99. It is worth it.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Martha Fletcher expect a seed grown avocado to take 7-10 years or more to fruit. I recommend getting a grafted tree while you grow your seed grown one so you get fruit much sooner. Thanks for watching!

[@JacobSimpson]

@@TheMillennialGardener ok. Thanks!

[@ericantunez500]

This guy wears new balances. So you know his information is legit.

[@mistereearly1141]

He’s also got a super neat headset microphone so you know he’s not playing

[@jaylewis8789]

Thanks, I had no idea a corporate brand meant so much. Keep lookin' for those logos!

[@staffordgeduld7470]

This was one of the best avo videos on the Tube...by far. Not only on pollination but also pruning with super effective time lapsing and excellent practical outcomes for what was intended to be illustrated. The tree responded like a veteran actor in a 007 movie....perfectly. I currently have 10 grafted avo trees growing extremely well -- having already paid my fair price in the form of hard lessons learned in overall failures experienced. I dont want my trees to grow too high on me. All are currently shorter still than 1meter/3 ft. That's why this video was so well received and appreciated. Many thanks my comrade . From Port Elizabeth South Africa.

[@andreamara8542]

This is the best gardener in KZbin. I’ve recommended him to other gardeners beginners or semiexperts like me. 😂 He does a great job explaining all details and love his calming voice. I’m the the process of watching all his videos. PS I also love Dale and wish to see him more often in the videos.

[@Houston123ABC]

This is the most informative Avocado video I have seen, THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You’re welcome!

[@jaylewis8789]

Excellent info, Man. I just purchased my type A without realizing I was and it just began to flower. Thanks!

[@evolvingblessed3704]

The amazing Lila is truly amazing!! Bravo!! 🥑 Quite impressive hardiness and growth. Glad to see the update. Happy Saturday

[@TheMillennialGardener]

evolving blessed so far it has impressed me. I hope the fruit is good! Thanks for watching!

[@ryanthomas33]

Thank you so much. Great information. We have a Choquette (type a) had one great year three years ago. It has amazing spring blooms and a very lackluster fruit set

[@engter3708]

Love your video, thanks for sharing. Very informative. This is something I didn't know. Just starting my avocado growth now.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Eng Ter thanks for watching!

[@gretchennirvana]

Avocados are as complicated as me 👯‍♀️ 🥑 excited to follow through to see this thrive. I’ll be patient 💛🥑

[@anastasia.outschool4992]

Thank you! This explanation and demonstration was very good!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I’m glad you found it helpful! Thanks for watching!

[@Icytouch86]

Awesome, finally. Thanks for Sharing, I was waiting patiently.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Loza Farming my tree flowered late this year. I’m guessing it is because I planted it last March and it’s more interested in developing roots at this time. Hopefully it was worth the wait!

[@bballerforever]

This was excellent!!! The best discussion I’ve seen, now I have hope for my two trees. Even my local Master Gardener society didn’t know these answers.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

That's great. I'm happy to help. If you have time, I suggest watching this very short follow-up video on male and female flowers so you can really understand how this happens: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z36rm4l4e95km9k

[@bballerforever]

@@TheMillennialGardener Thank you again, I’ll watch your other avocado videos also. I have two fuerte(?) trees growing in large pots here in the SF Bay Area which I grew from pits from a very large old tree in SoCal. It’s been 10-15 years and only occasionally did I get a very tiny fruit. I’ll pay more attention to the flowers now that I know of their significance. I always thought they haven’t borne fruit die to stunting early in when I keep them in gallon milk cartons (oops), they’re now over 10 feet tall, I will definitely do the brush hand pollination you so aptly described. Great great info from you! (I’ve been a subscriber already and will continue to be. People, this man knows his stuff!)

[@bigjohn6458]

ive really been thinking about an avocado tree, great video.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

bigjohn6458 if you can grow them in your climate, definitely get one. This Lila variety is a game changer to me and removes all the negatives of growing avocados. It is a semi-dwarf and will stay small, it is extremely cold hardy (for an avocado), and it is self-fertile. Add in it is a gorgeous ornamental and the fruit is reported to have a high oil content and it is just a winner. I love this tree!

[@josepbeltran1823]

Gracias por comentar. y compartir.

[@suehowie152]

Great information..Just learning what an amazing plant the avocado is..

[@TheMillennialGardener]

They're a miracle of nature. Thanks for watching!

[@davidschmidt270]

Bro ......you wanna thank me for watching??? Dang man there was some very insightful info on here....thank you !! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You're welcome. Always thank the viewers because without them, there would be no motivation for content!

[@donnaz1961]

My gosh how it's grown! ❤️

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You should see it now! I already cut it back hard in the summer and I think I have to do it again. It won't stop! And this is a semi-dwarf!

[@davidhalldurham]

Another wonderful video!!! I always learn so much from your videos!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching! I appreciate it.

[@pavepm]

2 reasons to like and subscribe: very informative + impeccable audio recording

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you! I appreciate it.

[@andoythegardenman4480]

Thanks for sharing your idea in polynating avocado plant

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You're welcome! It works very well.

[@zaviahopethomas-woundedsou9848]

Thank you, you explained this well. I have tried to figure out the need for an A and B tree thinking they were male and female even though information said they were not.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Zavia Hope Thomas - Wounded Soul Refuge avocados are all both male and female, but rarely overlap, so they aren’t considered completely self-fertile. In the Southeast and Gulf Coast, climate can “trick” them into temporary self-fertility, which you can exploit with this hand pollination trick. Thanks for watching!

[@franbeullensandsimonschmid1687]

Thanks, very helpful!

[@vaidyanathansubramaniam4656]

Very very informative. Thank you so much, Buddy.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching!

[@7s29]

I have a 4 metre pinkerton in Sydney, Australia. It's humid here during summer, where I have it is growing so strongly.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

That's great to hear. You have a good climate for it. Glad to hear it's doing well.

[@raydioz]

I hand pullinated and I got about 20-30 tiny fruit pee to grape size, but then they all dropped off. The 5yo tree looks very healthy and has a lot of new growth.

[@gabiglaezer8685]

Great video, thank you so much! We have a Wurtz but never had fruits so I will definitely do that!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching! It'll be almost time to hand pollinate soon. Good luck!

[@kathleenwilcox906]

What a fantastic video. Thank you!! I've got 4 indoor trees growing in Minneapolis, Minnesota, no idea what kind (grown from grocery store avocado pits) and the first flowered this week after ~6 years. I never knew they could be as full and bushy as your tree, it's gorgeous!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

6 years is very early for an avocado to flower when grown from seed. Usually, they take 7-10 years to flower. After that, it usually takes another couple years for them to hold the fruits to maturity. Growing avocado from seed is a really long-term experiment. It'll be interesting to see what you get because every seed-grown tree is genetically unique, just like a newborn baby. This variety is a Lila and it is a very awesome variety.

[@logicalthinker483]

@@TheMillennialGardener our avocado flowered now for the first time after 15 yrs. Can you shed some light on how can I ensure that flowers turns into fruits.

[@xpeacemaster]

@@logicalthinker483 unfornately there is a 1/10000 chance that it will even taste good and buy trees from a nursery are your best bet because you are paying to skip the genetic lotto and often getting fruit much sooner. Avacdo do not grow true to seed. look up sleepylizard

[@UR2Compliant]

@@logicalthinker483 The details in this video “shed light”…

[@ryensayr]

I have a 10 year old Haas tree that has HUNDREDS of flowers on it. It has flowered for years with no fruit, probably because I grew it from seed. I saw this today and went to buy a brush, hope to get some fruit this year. I did notice the first time I did it, even though I am being SUPER gentle, the brush knocks off a lot of the flowers

[@ravivarma2711]

very detailed, gr8 guidance i hope it'll be fruitful to me 😉😊

[@saxtooter]

Hi I have about 30 avocado saplings all 2 years old, they are branching out and so leafy! I bought a sapling of type B, I think of it like my avocado stud. The other 30 are type A of several varieties. Hoping in a few years I can grow some fruits from them :) I live in the PNW where it gets very cold, for now they all live in my office under grow lights. Thanks for this informative video! I'll come back to comment once I've become an avocado tycoon lol

[@musmanfam]

Have the same Lila as you and it’s blooming like crazy. Thanks for the video, now I know what to do! Keep mine in a pot in zone 8a in Middle GA. May try and get it in the ground this spring.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Awesome! Happy to have another Lila in the family! So far, I love this tree. It's tough and sailed through this warm winter.

[@ryensayr]

Tried this and got the first avocados ever on a tree I started from seed about 8 years ago. Gotta be vigilant for several weeks but it totally works! Thanks!

[@SiggyNowak]

Will give this a go. For the forth time now we have had enormous number of flowers but no fruit.

[@centralcaliforniatropicalg4686]

I just planted a queen,hass,reed,Jim bacon wurtz and Pinkerton. Thanks for the info!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Wow, what a selection! That is going to be a lot of avocados one day. You’ll be able to feed the neighborhood. Thanks for watching!

[@centralcaliforniatropicalg4686]

@@TheMillennialGardener I'm looking to have year round harvest. keep the videos

[@josephkoster8479]

I thank you for all the info, we put up a greenhouse this is our first shot at tropical plants.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

They’re a lot of fun. Just remember, they need to be pruned on unique schedules, and they must be fertilized year round. You can’t cut fertilizer off in late summer like with deciduous trees. They need as much food in January as July.

[@5555tman]

Thanks for your tip on pollinating my semi-dwarf lamb haas and fuerte avocado trees. I have 2 semi-dwarf avocado trees, both about 10 yrs old, both planted at about the same time. One is a Fuerte, right next to a Lamb Haas, going by the A/B rule for pollination. The Haas has only produced about 6 avocados in the past, with only 1 fruit observed for this season. There are full size avocado trees a couple of blocks from me (I live in the Inland Empire (Upland, CA), a great place to grow citrus and avocados), and they are full of small fruit after flowering. Both my trees flowered, but they really never get fruit. As you can see, they are very healthy trees. I will give your technique a try (if I can get that brush away from my wife!!!) Truly frustrated in Upland, CA.

[@jimmcbee152]

Well done, thank you

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You're welcome!

[@solomonmihaltan5512]

Very nice ideea por polinating avocado . Thanks for your video details . I will try to grow some avocado . This tree are so cool ...

[@TheMillennialGardener]

It’s my favorite. If you want an avocado tree, Lila is the one to get, because it is a semi-dwarf. Perfect for backyard gardens!

[@momepenni]

This is what I needed. It is too late this year. I got only one avocado this year, on its own. Last year was three. Next year I will try the brush. I have a Hass. This is my second year after planting it. But when the tree gets too big, I won’t be able to do that.

[@cristhianalfredobalderassa7048]

Gracias por la información ❤❤

[@debbiecurtis4021]

I'd be tempted to use a much smaller brush as pollen could get trapped lower down in the fibres / bristles of the brush. Make up brushes and artists brushes are both good, and I have both readily available in my house.

[@50sKid]

Spray the flowers with 1 part honey, 3 parts water. The bees will be all over them and you don’t need to go through all this.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Avocados flower primarily in January when pollinators are not active yet. If they flowered in the spring, I could see this as a good idea, but if you want good fruit set on a tree that flowers in the dead of winter, I find hand pollination is superior. Well, regardless, hand pollination is always superior than natural pollination.

[@milagrocabrera9526]

Have a avocado tree that has giving me flower but no fruit for two years.

[@robertbarbutti6672]

Ha! I watch your videos... very helpful! I had also heard about the honey spray. also, molasses spray.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Milagro Cabrera have you tried hand pollinating? Do you have a Type A and B for pollination or just a single tree?

[@milagrocabrera9526]

@@TheMillennialGardener I don't under stand I got a avocado tree is gave flower this year and last year. I only got a little avocado this year and fell from tree what can I used to get avocado.

[@johnnyricco625]

Thank you for the information. My thought process is in the right direction. The house has an established tree that is flowering off the hook. The tree is close to 20 feet tall so my work is cut out for me. Off to the make up department!! Never thought id say that😂

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Sounds like a beautiful tree! It was pretty funny searching in the makeup aisle in Walmart looking for blush brushes. It was me in a tank top with 3 other women of varying ages and they were giving me the side-eye. Worth it!! Wait until you see the fruit set you'll get.

[@farmerbob4554]

Excellent video. Very informative. We’re fortunate here in zone 10a where avocado trees grow like weeds. I’m growing five type A (Hass and Lamb Hass) and one type B (Fuerte). Biggest issue we have is salt buildup in the soil due to irrigation water and Zinc deficiency.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Farmer Bob I think that sounds pretty normal. It seems Type A’s are more desirable for fruit and B’s are usually the pollinator types. I know that salt issue is a problem in the desert Southwest since Arizona was an ancient ocean. I think flood irrigating is pretty common there because it washes out the salts, but I am no expert with that. I’m in sandy southern soil where our problem is too much rain and not enough salts!

[@farmerbob4554]

The Millennial Gardener You are spot on. Just about the only mass marketable variety is the Hass type. I personally prefer Fuerte for its fresher taste and creamy texture. We sometimes see Reed and Pinkerton in some specialty markets.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

@@farmerbob4554 I'm very much looking forward to trying something other than Hass. The Lila looks to be very smooth-skinned and oblong and doesn't look like what I'm used to when I think "avocado." That means it should be a special experience. The Lila is known for its high oil content, so I'm hoping it's very good.

[@farmerbob4554]

The Millennial Gardener Sounds like a very delicious avocado. I hope you get some fruit to set so we can see a taste test! I’m totally amazed you have such a healthy specimen in your Ag. zone. You have some serious skills TMG.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Farmer Bob thanks. It isn’t by accident. It is careful planning and a designed microclimate.

[@debbyrichardson1552]

Very Informative, thank you. Just subscribed!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for the sub! I appreciate it!

[@J.brytni]

You are so smart my friend. The brush? So clever and the bricks are smart too. I like the sound of your microphone. Could you please post the link.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you. I have my camera equipment linked in my Amazon Storefront in the video description. I purchased an off-brand $20 mic with a $10 pack of windscreens and the quality is out of control good. It's so good that I deal with the wires now. That's how much I love it.

[@sueweddell9143]

Fabulous video! Thank you! I live in SE Texas and my tree was a gift so I have no idea what kind it is! I pull it inside every Winter and have had it for four years now! It’s full of flowers and I will try your method since it is in the house and no way for it to be pollinated!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you. Please watch this follow-up video, which will help you clearly identify male and female flowers: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z36rm4l4e95km9k You must go from male-to-female with a blush brush to ensure pollination. Avocados have terrible pollination rates: you will get over 90% flower drop, even by hand-pollinating, so keep that in mind.

[@sueweddell9143]

Thanks for your tips and advice! I just happen to have a new blush brush and will do your technique twice a day like you suggested!

[@saltlifegull4091]

You got this thing down man! You're brilliant, Mr. Avocado! Can't thank you enough for sharing your info. Gonna watch all of your videos. I have two different type trees; can I use the same brush for both trees? Subscriber from NW Florida.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Yes, you certainly can. Keep in mind you will be cross-pollinating those flowers, so if you were to plant a pit from an avocado, you'll get a unique hybrid tree, but if you're not planting pits, it won't matter. You'll be surprised how well the brush works. Last year, my small, second year tree set literally hundreds of fruits. Hundreds! They all eventually dropped once they were golf ball sized because the tree was still too young, but the fruit set was amazing. This year, I think the tree is large enough to ripen a few fruits.

[@tiadrumgold4702]

Great info! Wow!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!

[@dougamaya467]

Nice 😂came across this video exactly one year from when It was done talk about perfect timing 🤣 now to watch this video 👍👍

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching! Hope it helps.

[@felipegaitan5877]

Bought a little 6" sprout 1.5 years ago at a local flea market. Currently is 4 ft tall with 2 main stems.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

If it is a sprout, please note that avocados do not grow true to type, and seedlings take 10-15 years to fruit (if they ever do). Avocado seedlings are all random genetic crosses and have a high rate of producing low quality fruit, so you may find yourself waiting 15 years for a tree with low quality fruit. If you want to grow an avocado tree, I strongly recommend purchasing a grafted tree from a known variety. It is the only way to guarantee high quality fruit in a reasonable timeframe.

[@GoldenChiild]

Thank you!!! :)

[@Formbylee]

Most helpful , My little tree is only 4 year old grown from seed but for the first time this year it has plenty of flowers and it’s in a pot . Everyone says it won’t get fruit . Hopefully I’ll have fruit in the near future .

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Usually, an avocado tree will take 10-15 years to be mature enough to ripen fruit. It's very surprising that the tree has flowered after only 4 seasons. They usually take longer. However, it usually takes several more years for the tree to actually hold a fruit to maturity. If the tree sets fruit, chances are, they will all drop the next few years, but anything is possible. The other problem is whether or not your climate will allow self-fertility. That's another issue. They're fussy plants, for sure.

[@Formbylee]

@@TheMillennialGardener , I’m in Australia on the Central Coast , It’s relatively humid and the temperature fluctuates, we rarely go under 10 degrees Celsius or over 40 . No frosts . Hopefully I’ll have something to brag about .

[@donnathorne4612]

Loved your video great information. I'm also happy fact that it seems that we both live on the southeast coast in zone 7. I have been growing Avocados trees from seed for many years,with limited success. I currently have one tree at 6 year's old and two at 2 year's.But still hasn't seen them flower. How do I get them flower? So I could learn how to tell them a part. Thanks, looking forward to seeing your next video.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I live in Zone 8 on the NC coast. If your avocados are seed grown, you'll have a wait on your hands. Avocados grown from seed typically take 10 years to flower and fruit, and it may take even longer for them to carry the fruit to maturity. If you want fruit faster, you'd want to get a grafted avocado tree since they graft mature scion wood onto a seed-grown rootstock. The mature scion wood "tricks" the tree into thinking it's older. However, even with a grafted tree, while they'll flower and fruit within a year or two, it usually takes 3-5 seasons before they strengthen enough to mature fruit. My tree has flowered the past 2 seasons and set fruit, but it could only carry them to the size of a golf ball last year before they'd drop. I think this year I'll get mature fruit.

[@69juamex]

I actually have grown 8 from seed, well they are still small some are from last year and two from the year before. Have them inside planted on pots since the temperature various to much and they would freeze in the winter. Hope to see them grow and maybe some day get flowers and fruit.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

69juamex that’s definitely a long term investment. A seed grown avocado will probably take 7-10 years to fruit. If you want quicker fruit, you could always cut one down to use as rootstock and graft on mature scion wood to have fruit in 2-3 years. That way, you can have a fruiting tree you grafted yourself while you wait for your seeds to mature. It is a long wait for a seeding tree, but the cool thing is a tree grown from a seed is a hybrid, so you’ll have a unique, one of a kind tree to yourself!

[@69juamex]

@@TheMillennialGardener yes i been reading and watching you videos like yours where im getting lot of information. Will keep trying to keep them alive for know. And maybe if the keep thriving and growing in the next summer I can get scions. Thank you for all your help and information.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

69juamex thank you for watching!

[@farmerbob4554]

The Millennial Gardener interesting. Could you graft an A-type and a B-type scion onto the same rootstock? Cross-pollinating problem solved.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

@@farmerbob4554 I'm sure that's possible. I've heard of people doing it with pawpaw's because you need two different varieties to cross-pollinate. That may be something I'd consider doing once my tree gets a little more established.

[@gurdarshansinghsodhi5570]

Very good 👍

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching!

[@GraftingTactick]

Very nice work my friend 👍

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching!

[@vinny6396]

I don't know how you come up with this stuff but its ingenious. I love your videos. I am going to try the Millennial Gardener brush method with my lemon tree.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I’m an engineer so I’m always trying to experiment. I love doing this stuff and trying to improve. It’s kind of like a game. Thank you for watching! Meyer lemons are self-fertile, so they should set fruit pretty easily.

[@vinny6396]

I'm growing a Ponderosa lemon. I'm also in Northern Quebec it's -20 Celsius and we have like 10 ft of snow. So growing figs and lemons for me without a greenhouse is unheard of.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

vince rosati how on earth are you doing that? Is it in a container?

[@vinny6396]

@@TheMillennialGardener All my trees are in containers.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

@@vinny6396 ah, that makes sense. I was wondering if you had a greenhouse or some type of heating/protection mechanism. I know parts of Quebec can get quite warm mid-summer, so I'm guessing the climate is there for a strong crop if you can protect them all winter.

[@stevesbonesai]

I grew 4 avocado plants from seeds 2 years ago. 2 died, 1 is about 30cm tall and sick looking, 1 fell off it's stand and broke the trunk.. The one with the broken trunk grew 3 new trunks and is now about 1.5m tall. It is flowering for the first time this year which I didn't expect considering the 10-15 year fruiting time line...

[@benheaver4332]

Great job on pollenating !! How many fruit did it set?

[@hrimatidasi]

I live in West Bengal India 🇮🇳. 7 years ago I brought a few avocado seeds from Colorado USA 🇺🇸 and planted them here in India. Our climate is very humid and it gets very hot in the Summer. The main tree became very big and tall (bigger than my second floor). This year the tree is flowering for the first time. So far I only see a few flowers, but I am hopeful to get fruits from this tree with the method you advised in your video. Now I just need to borrow a ladder 🪜 to reach to every flower. Thank you 🙏🏼 please give advise regarding keeping the tree healthy.

[@carlosduran6327]

Thanks for the info and detail , keep up the good work. Question what's the purpose of the red bricks over the trunk of the tree? For sunburn protection, or more heat to the tree? Thanks

[@najeebnaj2870]

Marvelous

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching!

[@JonLHenry]

Thanks for the education. I have a large avocado tree in our back yard, but we never had fruit. The flowers have arrived and im going to try the brush technique. however, I'm not sure what type of tree this is. Hoping for type A tree.

[@JacobSimpson]

Hey finally something this crazy late winter early spring weather is good for 😂

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Funny thing is now that the tree has flowered, I need to protect it more. The flowers can be killed long before the tree, so I’m jacketing it tonight just to be safe.

[@JacobSimpson]

@@TheMillennialGardener yeah. It's gonna be 38 tonight here. You said this was the second year it's produced fruit. How old is your avacodo?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Jacob Simpson it is currently 32 here and falling. I think we’ll touch the 20’s tonight. I put the dates in the video. I bought it July 2018 as a very young graft, planted it March 2019 and now it is Feb 2020. It is probably 2 years old total, and has spent 11 months in ground. It is still a baby. It produced fruit for me last year, but it could not hold them. I am hoping it is strong enough this year to mature a fruit or two, but it may still be too young.

[@JacobSimpson]

@@TheMillennialGardener ok thank you!

[@pepitomillan4138]

I’m about to grow Lamb Hass avocados and some Sir Prize in my 1000 sq. m. Lot in Philippines. Temperature ranges from 77 to 95 so I’m covering the the entire area with shades 30 percent...

[@jenniferjarvis1207]

I'm going to try this on my pit-grown tree, which grew up from my compost bin 8+ years ago (I'll need a ladder!). I'm seeing alot of flowering so I hope that means I may be able to get some to strike (set?). Wish me luck! I live in NZ where avos are grown like apples all over the show (ideal temps) :)

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Much of New Zealand is frost-free, or at least doesn't fall very far below freezing, so you're in a pretty good spot for avocados. I'm not sure if your climate will promote self-fertility, though. It's worth a shot. You'll want to carefully examine the flowers, though. You want to manually search out the males and move the pollen to the females. This video will help you A LOT identifying males and females: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z36rm4l4e95km9k

[@HM-uf2vz]

My avocado is same as yours, around 8 years, it has many flower for few years already, but no fruit. This years, after I gave it a compost bin and some blood and bond feed, I saw fruit, around 7, 8, but some fruit dropped young in windy days. My tree is very healthy, tall, big trunk with too many branches, leaves, and flowers. I left it grows nature, but only trimmed some very low branches 3 months ago. I am in Australia.

[@wildoutdoors24]

Thanks for the great info👍Any suggestion for my 11 year old avocado tree that has NOT flower/bear a single fruit? I would really appreciate your input!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Is it seed grown? If you grew it from seed, avocados can take 10+ years to flower. If it's seed grown, it probably isn't old enough, yet. You can conceive a child and get them into high school before a seed-grown avocado will fruit in some cases. For this reason, I strongly recommend only buying grafted trees. If it's grafted, we have a problem here as they should flower within 2 years.

[@davevisuals]

Thank you sir for this lesson. This here is golden info. I have a avocado tree that is 5 years old….lol and not one single fruit because until now I didn’t decide to land on this video. I know I know dumb of me but better late then never right?! Edit: Question for anyone that may know - Would it be bad for the health of my avocado tree if I cut branches to reduce its size?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Please see Monday's video on avocado pruning: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJWpmINsi6qCqtU

[@bigmack2262]

I hope this works. Been waiting years for fruit.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

If your climate allows for self-fertility, it works brilliantly. My tree set hundreds of fruits on it last season. It was too young to carry them to maturity, but this year, I think some will hold.

[@sundancetheexotic5021]

Thank you for the informative video. What happens if you have a healthy, mature avocado tree but it doesn’t flower and bear fruit?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

It is not unusual for grafted fruit trees to take 3-5 seasons to bear fruit. If your tree is 3 years of age or old and still isn't flowering or attempting to bear, you may want to look into your fertilizing routine, the soil it's planted in, and how much sun it is getting. Most fruit trees need at least 6 hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight a day to accumulate enough energy to flower. They also need a healthy amount of fertilizer, particular P and K (phosphorous and potassium). Avocados also need outstanding drainage. They should be planted high and should have a very thick layer of mulch - natural shredded hardwood, grass clippings, shredded leaves, old hay, pine needles, pine bark nuggets, etc. They also need frequent watering if you're in a dry climate. Evenly moist, loamy, heavily mulched, well-draining soil is your friend with avocado trees. Make sure all of those things are in place. If you have all those things in place, your avocado tree should go bananas.

[@sundancetheexotic5021]

The Millennial Gardener thank you! My tree is definitely over 3 years old. It is over 8 feet tall with glossy leaves. I recently moved into this residence and believe it has not been fertilized. I will start with this and hopefully will be making guacamole soon! Thanks for the tips.

[@betovale3952]

Awesome, video thanks in Jesus Christ.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching!

[@mred3608]

Well,there is certainly an art to fertilizing avocados! Your tree has taken off. What fertilizer do you use? Locally around where I live they grow a lot which seem to be most available in our winter. The rest of the year they come from other states.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

mr ed I forget what I fed it when I planted it. Probably 5-5-5 or 4-4-4. Occasionally I would dump excess fish emulsion on it. It hasn’t had any fertilizer in probably 5 months, just the decaying wood chips and compost I put around it when planting. I’ll hit it hard with slow release fertilizer in 3 weeks when the freezes stop. It is already freezing out tonight (exactly 0C right now) and it will drop a few more degrees.

[@olivegobin1584]

I have an avocado about 12 ft high, about 2weeks ago it was loaded with blossoms. Had a lot of wind and almost all fell off. I don't know what kind it is because someone gave it to me. It's about 7years old. What do I do.

[@audreyevans7422]

I wish I'd seen this video a coup[e of months ago. I have a lot of flowers but nothing that looks like it will fruit. As soon as Walgreens open I'm going to buy one of those makeup brushes. I hope it's not to late.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Avocado hand pollinating season is coming up soon. Definitely give it a try this year!

[@amythinks]

I wonder if it's possible to graft different varieties onto the same tree for pollination purposes. I can't think of a reason that won't work, but then again, I've never grafted a thing.

[@alirE2904]

If you have an unkwn avocado type tree, how do you determine if it is A or B type? Mine id seed grow 10 yrs ago, so dont know what it was.

[@lieuwina]

I have potted a haas avocado and it is one and a half years old. I re-potted it today into a larger pot. As I live in a rental and if I should move want to take it with me and want to keep it in a pot. It is growing straight with leaves on either side. Could you tell me there are nodes in the v of the branches (where you have the main trunk and the side branch growing from the main trunk) do I remove them, does that encourage bushier growth?. I live in the UK. Thank you for your informative videos and sharing.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I'm not fully understanding your question. I can tell you that nodes usually don't branch out unless they're close to the growth tip. There are some exceptions, but the auxins (growth hormones) in plants collect at the tip bud, so usually the nodes don't do much unless they're close to the tip bud. If you want the tree to become bushy, you need to cut it back at nodes closer to the main trunk, because the auxins will collect at the new ends of the branches and bush out there. I'm not sure if that fully answers your question, but this pruning video should help a lot: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jau7hahrbLdjo7s

[@lisacooper9922]

Hello, new sub here. I live on the central coast of Cali, San Luis Obispo and have 5 avocado trees with one tree currently profusely blooming in December! It's a Haas that is 3-4 years old. I am definitely going to try your hand pollination method as I have been doing research on how to get my tree to fruit. Thanks for explaining this. Question...do you know how long it will take once pollination occurs (assuming all goes well) until the observance of fruit?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

California's climate is very different than mine. Avocado trees are known to be self-fertile during winter in the South. However, that's not the case in California. Self-fertility rates are much poorer on the west coast. When you hand pollinate, you'll want to go from A-Type to B-Type, so you should walk back and forth from tree to tree if you know what each tree's type is. Unless, of course, you can identify the flowers and go from male-to-female. I have a video on how to identify male and female flowers here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z36rm4l4e95km9k It takes awhile for observance of fruit. I initially thought my experiment failed because the period between pollination and fruit observance was so long. I want to say it took more than a month for fruit to show, so don't be discouraged. It will take awhile for the flowers to turn into fruits, but it'll eventually happen.

[@lisacooper9922]

@@TheMillennialGardener Thank you for your reply! I watched the video and now I can identify the male/female flowers much easier. Thanks so much!!!

[@fisherman4544]

@@TheMillennialGardener this is not accurate. There is always overlap and it has been demonstrated that having A&B avos in proximity increases yield by about 10%. Pollinating each flower individually will certainly increase your yields, but that hardly seems sustainable (although only 12 fruit seems suggest otherwise)

[@saminairfan45]

I planted one about two years ago but no avocado yet. I also have some matured tree from seeds so I am wondering if I have to graft those? Pls help if you know😍

[@maureenmaureen-dl2yv]

I planted an avocado pit in a big pot DEC 2022 it is about a foot and a half tall with 5 leaves .

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Be careful growing an avocado from seed. They usually take 10-15 years to fruit from seed, and chances are, you'll get a very fibrous, borderline inedible fruit since all avocados do not grow true to type. If you want to grow an avocado tree for food, you should only buy grafted trees from known high quality varieties. Avocados are only grown from seed to be cut down and used as rootstock or to initiate generation-long breeding programs.

[@maureenmaureen-dl2yv]

@@TheMillennialGardener thanks

[@CommanderTexas]

You could plant a type B Wilma avocado tree next to your type A Lila to enhance pollination. Wilma is cold hardy to 15-18 degrees F.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

It is not a dwarf variety. My climate is not suitable for in-ground avocado trees, and growing any avocado requires religious monitoring of weather and protecting the tree when nights fall into the 20's. The Lila is protectable because it can be maintained at 6 feet and fits inside a jacket. This won't be possible with non-dwarfing varieties. Also, planting a second variety will require another 32 square feet of space, which I cannot afford. It's not necessary and I do not need better pollination. Hand pollinating the Lila results in literally hundreds of fruits setting. Adding a second tree would be far more trouble than it's worth. This really works if you live in the Southeast and planting a second tree isn't necessary unless you really want a second tree and have the space.

[@lizstefany5947]

@@TheMillennialGardener Check out the book "Grow a Little Fruit Tree" by Ann Ralph. It's all about pruning, not necessarily having the dwarf or semi-dwarf rootstock! As a side question - did you prune when you planted the original tree? Or have you pruned it at all?

[@bkmultimedia14]

Thank you so much for such video. I need to know some information. I have a big avocado tree in Bangladesh. So many buds are coming for some years. But no fruit. There are enough bees for pollination. So, what to do tp get fruit?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

The variety of avocado featured in this video is a Mexican avocado. Mexican avocados are cold hardy and can tolerate freezes. When temperatures are cold at night and warm during the day, male and female flowers can appear on the same tree at the same time, so self-fertility is possible. If you are in Bangladesh, I have a feeling you may not be growing a Mexican avocado and you may be growing a West Indian or Guatemalan type. Also, your temperatures are always hot in Bangladesh, so you may not be able to experience the flower overlap. If you are not having fruit, you probably need to add a second tree of an opposite pollinator type. You would have to find out if your tree is a Type A or a Type B, or keep experimenting until something works. My guess is your climate and tree type won't allow for self-fertility, but you can also watch this video and see if you can identify male and female flowers on your tree open at the same time: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z36rm4l4e95km9k If you do identify male and female flowers at the same time, you can hand pollinate like in this video.

[@TylerDurden404]

how do we find out what type A or B avocado trees do we have? One was grown from a seed awhile ago.

[@sammyboyde6489]

Need to watch this one 10 times. Going to try in Maryland with Fantastic, or what ever cold hardy they send me. What are the chances of getting some scion from you for grafting?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

My variety is a Lila, which has become very popular and easy to get. Lowe’s has been carrying them the past few seasons. The only cuttings I make available during the year are figs, because they have a dormant season, and I have so many. I have never provided any other scion wood.

[@sammyboyde6489]

@@TheMillennialGardener Thanks for replying. Not much of a chance of buying trees local around here, too far north for a market. Do you know of any sellers that ship that are reputable? Beyond what you can find on google? I would really like to try the Lila dwarf.

[@john-michaelwatson5378]

Can you please explain the bricks at the base, What purpose do they serve.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

They insulate the trunk during the winter.

[@davidschmidt270]

I live in Arizona....any tips on how to kinda creat humidity for my avocados?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

If you're in AZ, my guess is you can't use any kind of humidity cover due to the summer heat because it would get too hot in there, correct? Do you use drip irrigation? If so, you can take the drip irrigation tubing and place a mister or two at the bottom to mist the avocado tree throughout the day. That may help your situation. Alternatively, did you know that Arizona has a native avocado tree? It is called the Aravaipa. You may be able to grow that because it's tolerant of your low humidity. desertgardeninghub.blogspot.com/2016/09/new-arizona-grown-avocado-tree.html#:~:text=These%20%22Arizona%20Avocado%22%20trees%20originate%20from%20a%20very,as%20hardy%20and%20acclimated%20to%20Arizona%27s%20harsh%20climate.

[@ddnn8210]

Show a close up vid of how u brush the flowers Not far from tree

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You can clearly see at 9:12

[@davidschmidt270]

I was thinking about starting a mini extotic fruit garden in pots.... obviously avocados being the main guys in there but what I wanted to know was what would grow best next to them and what should I avoid???

[@TheMillennialGardener]

If you're growing trees in containers, the roots will be confined and not competing with any other trees, so you don't need to worry about companion-planting issues. Just make sure your container is large enough for an avocado tree. I would recommend a semi-dwarf variety like a Lila (which I own), a Wurtz or something small in stature.

[@davidschmidt270]

@@TheMillennialGardener which leads to my next question Sir- and I have you can help me out cus I really can't find anything on line or in KZbin.....is there a way I can make a Hass through pruning into a dwarf kind? I'm using all the avocado seeds from my grocer as I am dead broke, LOL

[@TheMillennialGardener]

@@davidschmidt270 fruit trees do not grow true to type in almost all instances. Avocado seeds are just like people: no two are identical. If you plant an avocado pit from a Hass avocado, you do not get a Hass avocado. You get a genetically unique plant, just like every egg from a human being will be a genetically unique person. Every single Hass avocado in existence is a clone that can be traced back to a single tree. The same thing goes with all the popular fruits: Meyer Lemons, Persian Limes, Red Delicious Apples, Washington Navel Oranges - there was only ever one tree, and it has been cloned literally millions of times to form an industry by taking its wood and grafting it into rootstock. Pretty amazing, huh? The only way to get a smaller Hass avocado would be to take wood from a Hass avocado tree and graft it onto some type of dwarfing avocado rootstock. But I don't know anything about avocado rootstock, and I am not much of a grafter. I can just tell you if you want a Hass avocado, you'll have to buy a grafted Hass tree, or find someone to give you wood and do your own graft.

[@davidschmidt270]

@@TheMillennialGardener thank ya partner...and yeah... really amazing....I love this kinda stuff....fruits and veggies and trees and shrubs and planting and grafting....all of it so cool👏👏👍👌💯🤠🎊🎉🦃

[@Max-pb8vf]

You can pop a black bag over some branches regulate the light.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Max I’m happy to say my tree doesn’t have any sunburn. The leaves have also gotten so thick that I am not concerned for this year. It should self-shade pretty well. If there is a problem, I will get some shade cloth. I’ll be experimenting with shade cloth this year on my tomatoes.

[@Max-pb8vf]

@@TheMillennialGardener I grow weed mate and you can change sex by changing the amount of light they get - not talking sunburn here.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Max interesting, I haven’t heard of that for an avocado. I may have to look into that.

[@staffordgeduld7470]

@@Max-pb8vf Make sense that they'll become more sexually stimulated and active under cover than out in the open... risking sunburn and cancers.

[@shahrokhsheybani6514]

I have two avocado tree one male and one female but the type A one blooms earlier than the type B what should I do

[@klimatbgt]

How will you distinguish whether it is a Type A or Type B Avocado?

[@kylediffusion9879]

Or graft the opposite type on the same tree?

[@descendingeagle2987]

Fast forward to 8:12 for the information. Talkie talkie....

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You need to understand how avocados pollinate before you perform the procedure. Otherwise, it is lost on you. The “why” is as important than the “how.”

[@soupsandstews625]

My Joey avocado tree tag says it's self-fertile. but when I look up the Joey avocado tree on the internet it says it's a type b. Can you help me with this?

[@retired1sg718]

Its not necessary to have a second A or B type of avocado tree to pollinate. Many nurseries tell buyers that, but not necessary. Having different types helps increase fruit yield.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

It depends on the variety and climate. Some varieties are better at self-fertility (Type A generally), and some climates are better at encouraging flower overlap. Florida, where spring temps are erratic and humidity is high, is known to have a climate that encourages flower overlap. California, on the other hand, where spring temperatures are less volatile and the air is much drier, is known to have a climate that discourages overlap. If all you grow is a Type B avocado in California, you may not have much success at self-fertility, where as a Type A in Florida may be fairly self-fertile. It's a crapshoot, so experimentation and observation is key.

[@PracticalPrimate]

You can also just multigraft :)A and B in one tree!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You can, yes. You have to be careful with grafting, though, because you'll need to carefully prune the tree to ensure even growth through all the branches. If you let the other branches grow larger, the graft will get dwarfed due to apical dominance. Similarly, the graft could also grow and usurp the vigor of the rest of the tree. Because I have to maintain a very protected micro-climate, I can only grow a Lila because it's a semi-dwarf variety. Keep that in mind if you're going to graft varieties with varying vigor.

[@PracticalPrimate]

@@TheMillennialGardener yep! I multigraft many of my trees but avoid much of what you describe by just matching vigour (ie only cultivars of similar vigour in the one rootstock).

[@mikejacobs-hm8cv]

I can’t do my tree in February because the high outside is 29 degrees so my tree will have to be indoors

[@seansiamubi8640]

How do I differentiate between type A and B plants in avocado when planting the trees?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You have to know what variety you're planting, generally. If you do not know, you are going to have to carefully observe the flowering patterns and what time of day they change from male to female. This would be challenging to do if you don't know the variety or you grow from seed.