Digging Up and Moving Avocado Trees

We dug up 2 established avocado trees and moved them to a new home. Established avocado trees hate to be moved, because of their sensitive root system. In this video, I share some tips on how to help them survive the move.
#avocado #avocadotree #transplant
0:00 - 1:01 White Sapote Tree is Gone!
1:02 - 1:37 Avocado Trees Will Replace It!
1:38 - 1:51 Raking the Mulch Away
1:52 - 2:37 Nice Native Soil and Digging Wide Holes
2:38 - 3:37 Beautiful Volunteer Avocado Trees
3:38 - 4:41 The Problem With Digging Up Established Avocado Trees
4:42 - 6:11 Why I Cut Back Trees That Are Getting Moved
6:12 - 6:44 The Digging Process Begins
6:45 - 7:07 A Deep Taproot!
7:08 - 7:49 Tree is Out! And Moved!
7:50 - 8:09 Taproot Got Damaged
8:10 - 8:37 Why I Had To Stop The Video
8:38 - 8:56 How The Trees Look 1 Week Later
8:57 - 9:37 Why I'm Very Optimistic For These Trees
9:38 - 10:36 Avocado Trees Get Sunburned!
10:37 - 13:27 How To Treat Avocado Sunburn
13:28 - 13:59 Don't Worry About Paint Splatter
14:00 - 14:40 The Best Water Comes From The Sky
14:41 - 16:17 If You're Tree is Struggling, Try This FREE Fertilizer!
16:18 - 16:49 Applying the Special Formula to the Trees
16:50 - 18:16 How Close Can I Plant My Avocado Trees?

[@SVmathfarmer]

Good job with the urine. My young GEM trees are regularly peed on. Flushed through with water regularly. You’re right NO RULES for planting. I’ve got avocado trees jammed in every part of my 1 acre yard and there so far is no upper limit as to how many can be stuffed in.

[@growyourownavocados]

😂Thanks for your honesty and for sharing your secrets AJ!

[@AJTheGraftMan]

You bet

[@vballguy1]

You are exactly right. Transplanted trees will die from dessication. Trees lose water from their leaves, not much from their stem. To minimize dessication: - trim canopy as you already did. - shade the tree - easily done with two tall stakes about 3 ft apart with a black contractor’s trash bag slipped over them on the south/southwest side of the tree. Photosynthesis not so important in those critical first 2 weeks - water daily, as you already did. - you could wrap each remaining branch that has leaves in a plastic grocery bag or kitchen garden bag and tie off around stem, to increase humidity and decrease transpiration, just like when grafting. Enjoy your videos. Great job.

[@johnnygonzales3211]

In 1968 when i was 10 years old we lived in Compton California and there was a purple avocado tree and we didn't know what they were at fisrt until we learned what they were so delicious.

[@AJTheGraftMan]

There are some amazing fruit trees in the Compton area

[@reyn66]

AJ try using kids chalk paint from a crafts store. They are usually AP approved and are non toxic, and they are cheap too. I dilute with water and put it into a spray bottle. You only need to spray the areas that have the most intense sun, which is South to SouthWest.

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Sounds interesting. I’ll try that

[@user-le8mw1mp6e]

Love your enthusiasm and willingness to do what you think is best for the avocados. The pee trip is new to me. I had thought the salts would be harmful, but you do it with success, so i'll try it on my new trees. But what really blew my mind is your take on planting close together. Everybody talks about 10, 12 foot spacing so they get more sunlight. But if they grow close in Mexico and produce - I like it, especially cuz I don't have acres just a nice sized back yard. Now if it would just stop raining! I've covered the ground around my trees with heavy black plastic to keep some of these rivers of rain off. But i also have about 800 gallons of collected rainwater so I can feed that when summer gets here. Keep up the good work.

[@AJTheGraftMan]

800 gallons… Nice 👍🏽🥑

[@arcangel9546]

I love the video! I have a fuerte that i had to transplant about 3 times if you can believe that. It kept doing good and then would begin show signs of i believe to be root rot. In the final transplant all of its leaves fell, but the branches remained green. In about two weeks, it started to grow at a pace i didnt see before. 10 years later, its about 15 feet tall, but since i live so close to the S. Cali coast it doesn't want to give me fruit.

[@AJTheGraftMan]

That’s encouraging to hear

[@kimhicks4781]

I heard Fuerte needs more heàt like maybe Lemon Grove or further inland. I have the same problem. Last year no blooms at all. The year before lots of blooms but no pea size avocado no pollination at all.. I did not know that some varietys will not give you avocados in the coast valley. I am learning from all these great videos about these avocado trees. Hopefully you will get some fruit eventually.

[@growyourownavocados]

I completely agree on spacing. Here we have cherry and olive orchards with trees a yard apart.

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Seems the trees figure it out on their own

[@devbachu7072]

Recently start paying my tree trunks with water base latex paint an it's looks great

[@jenngildred]

Definitely follow up with an update video on how they do. Hope they survive, but Avos are so sensitive, I’d be pretty surprised if they do. Good luck tho!

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Thanks. Will do 👍🏽🥑

[@neurocognitive]

As usual, another very interesting and informative video - Thank You. I noticed that you did more of a bare root planting rather than preserving the rootball when transplanting. I wonder if that might increase your success rate? I also use a diluted combination of fish emulsion and MorBloom, and put shade cloth overhead (70%), to protect the newly transplanted tree in this transitional stage, until they are re-established. I would love to see a follow up video in a month from now to see how the 2 trees are doing. Thanks!

[@AJTheGraftMan]

It’s best to preserve the rootball, but it fell apart as we were digging. The fish emulsion is a good idea. Thanks

[@jackz4056]

I have a suggestion for the leaves that just may help out a lot the roots. Mix to get max production and health 1 oz molasses 1 oz fish emulsion 1 oz seaweed All to one gallon of water in a sprayer. Spray every two weeks for 6 weeks.

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Sounds like a fine mix. Thanks

[@raufaliyev2911]

I did successfully transplanted 5 year's old evergreen trees, but did it in winter, pruned them heavily, tried to preserve the soil on roots, removed almost all leaves ( 70-90% ) and created the shade above

[@AJTheGraftMan]

I like your approach

[@conqueringlion420]

Thx Graft mon

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Ya mon

[@ryanr.719]

Hey AJ, you know me from CRFG meetings… I haven’t been able to score any scions at meetings nor do I know anyone with a mature tree to get some from. I recall you talking about an avocado tree off the 405 freeway and was hoping you could give me a hint or two as to where to locate it. I have a rootstock that is in desperate need of a graft and maybe this could work out for me. Besides, I love the idea of cutting a scion from the side of the freeway 😂. Thanks in advance?

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Email me [e-mail]

[@matthewking2209]

I hope they make it, will you do a future update? Hearing you talk about urine seemed awkward but it shouldn't be it's one of the oldest fertilizers. It's good for banana trees.

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Yes I will

[@hennybrunner8939]

You should move to planter bag first and keep it under the shadow, away from direct sunlight, until the healthy root growing then move to the ground including the root ball soil

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Good idea. I didn’t think of that

[@ragnaraxelson59]

🎶When the graft man's testifying 🎶

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Yes indeed 😂

[@johnnygonzales3211]

I have 13 trees indoors it's too cold here in New Mexico my favorite avocado is the Reed.

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Reed is one of my favorites as well

[@hennybrunner8939]

I wonder these trees could make it.

[@kimhicks4781]

Another great video. Do not think I will try the urine. I have heard about it before. It seems to be pretty common.

[@bonholio0o]

What is your space separation between each variety? They look so closed. I'm out of room myself so this is the topic I'm trying to get. Can you do a video showing the exact separation between different variety that are permanent in the ground? The ones I'm interested in are Nabal, Fuerte, Bacon, Little Cado, Stewart, Mexicola, Hass, Gwen, Lamb, Anaheim, Zutano, Pinkerton

[@AJTheGraftMan]

I don't really measure. Looks like 3 to 4 feet apart.

[@user-hz3xj4jj6i]

Great video, I haven't been successful in transplanting avocado trees. But I've done great with others, the urine trick is a new one for me but I've tried Super thrive which has been helpful. I also learned from an avocado ranch in Michoacán MX that using lime helps with sunburn and ants, have you heard of that? Hope your transplanted trees do great 👍

[@dafnereich205]

How do you use limes to prevent sunburn?

[@emanueldelgado540]

@@dafnereich205 he means limestone powder (cal)

[@devbachu7072]

Will give it a second coat because we're scared the paint might kill it an did not

[@devbachu7072]

Dilute the pee bro your pee is toxic bro

[@devbachu7072]

Planted avocado together great same family

[@econ0003]

Did the avocado trees survive? Avocado farmers, in San Diego where I live, cut drought stressed trees to stumps to help them survive. I am wondering if cutting those trees to 1' stumps would increase their survival rate. It would be a much smaller tree the stressed roots have to support. I am not sure about using urine especially when they are suffering transplant shock. Urine contains a lot of salt and avocado trees are sensitive to salt. The two things I would have done differently: Cut the trees to stumps and don't use urine in the rain water.

[@AJTheGraftMan]

These trees were not drought stressed.

[@econ0003]

@@AJTheGraftMan the point was that you will have less root function whether due to drought stress or the loss of roots. Curious if the trees survived?

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Hope to do an update soon

[@sheckydiamond7533]

These trees have a lot in common with my ex.

[@AJTheGraftMan]

😂😂

[@100lucch]

Italians have been peeing on their lemon trees for many years with great success. It was well known in the past that pee is beneficial for plants but I guess the companies that sell fertiliser don't want us to know that.

[@dafnereich205]

Regarding the soil, I thought that avocados prefered decomposed granite, peat moss, perlite, and Mykos fungs (I got the info from one of your previous videos). I would love to understand what's the best soil to plant avocados. Thanks!

[@AJTheGraftMan]

That’s more for containers

[@johnsonrobbins]

Hey any thoughts on planting A and B cultivars in the same hole together. I’ve watched a few videos on folks doing this but would love your thoughts and experience on the matter? Thanks!

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Highly recommended 👍🏽🥑

[@johnsonrobbins]

So better to grow two trees in one hole or one tree grafted with its opposite type? I’m trying to understand the benefits of each.

[@arthurponsonable]

Hey Graft Man, I followed your lead on grafting avocados, and I grafted 12 plants, so now i need to wait about 3 weeks before I would know. But before your video, I grafted 9 plants and not one of the took the grafting. But let me see if this will do better. I have a question: How long can you keep the "Scions" in your refrigerator? can you freeze them for longer period?

[@AJTheGraftMan]

I did a video about this. Here’s the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fX-3p2Wintl9lcUsi=-i7c1hk4WNQaEeKe

[@alpha42069]

you look so stoned lol

[@AJTheGraftMan]

😂😎

[@stregescoots]

What is the mixture of urine to water?

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Usually 5 parts water to 1 part urine

[@stregescoots]

@@AJTheGraftMan ty dude

[@The7thSonSteve-O]

Usually being POed is a bad thing usually the “O” stands for off in this case this “O” is on, who would of thunk That would have been a good thing

[@titoace408]

When the family gets together at my uncles house all the men have to pee frequently because of the beer drinking. We all go pee at an orange tree in the backyard and everyone that try them say they are some of the best tasting oranges😂

[@AJTheGraftMan]

😂 awesome

[@NotSoIsaac]

Great vid as always.. Q:Did they pull through?

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Still alive, starting to bud out. I’ll do an update video

[@NotSoIsaac]

@AJTheGraftMan That'd be awesome 👌..They didn't look so promising after you transplanted them..

[@jbirdfunk]

I used to pee on my plants until I realized how much salt is in my pee! Like, it’s basically saltwater 😂. Also, a tip that might help any translplanters out there: I do a lot of propagating difficult ficus via air layering and I spray the leaves with Wilt Stop before I cut them from the mother tree. “Wilt Stop is an antitranspirant plant protector that forms a soft, clear, flexible film on treated plants which holds moisture in on plant foliage reducing water loss during plant stress”. This just helps the plan to not dehydrate so fast. If you transplant into direct sun maybe add a few drops of white paint or IV organic product to that for some sunscreen.

[@AJTheGraftMan]

You need to drink more water 😂 Wilt stop sounds interesting. Thanks for the tip 👍🏽🥑

[@jbirdfunk]

Or use less salt but then the Guac isn't as good!@@AJTheGraftMan

[@AJTheGraftMan]

@@jbirdfunk 😂

[@ericmatthews7264]

Updates? They make it?

[@AJTheGraftMan]

I’ll do an update video

[@aquapros916]

Did it live?

[@AJTheGraftMan]

I did an update video. Check out the latest video on my channel.

[@frankyancy1347]

So how did they do?

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Defoliated. Still alive

[@kinglucas9922]

What variety did you remove? Thanks!

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Suebelle White Sapote

[@angrybees8122]

Hope they survive 🤞🏽

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Thanks

[@helnbak08]

Fantastic work. Yeh I use pee too for my bananas which I mix with ash and water. I learnt that some Asian tribes would throw their ash under their hut and pee on and that’s their fertiliser. So that’s what I’ve been doing and the plants like it

[@bhubansingh1571]

Please talk to the point and a bit fast. We are interested only in the topic of transplanting Avocado, safely & successfully. Thank you.

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Lol go watch some Tik tok videos

[@Zulu369]

Not what I was expecting, honestly.

[@AJTheGraftMan]

😂

[@yusufnoorzayee6898]

Good job, pee?

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Thanks!

[@tinyjungle_]

You just inspired me to go pee on my neighbors dying tree

[@chinatownboy3368]

By popular demand, AJ needs to make more pee videos. Everyone wants to see you peeing.