Planting Avocado Trees in Heavy Clay Soils

This Soil can look deceiving. At first glance, it looks sandy and silty, but upon closer inspection, this soil is very heavy clay. Once you add water, it gets mucky and sinks. Planting avocado trees in this kind of soil can be tricky, but with a few adjustments, your tree will thrive in this “bad” soil!
0:00 - 0:39 October is a great time to plant trees!
0:40 - 1:27 Sometimes clay doesn’t look like clay
1:28 - 2:13 Avocado trees grow well in clay!
2:14 - 3:01 The key to planting in clay soils
3:02 - 3:45 Preparing the tree and placing it
3:46 - 4:35 Putting the native soil back in place
4:36 - 6:17 The secret ingredient
6:18 - 6:36 Watering
6:37 - 7:18 Mulch is critical
7:19 - 8:17 Adding the mulch
8:18 - 9:02 Showing some trees planted in the same style
9:03 - 9:39 No need to overthink planting avocados
#avocado #clay #avocadotree

[@ivanguajardo7111]

I like you're last message that avocado growing should be kept simple with no fertilizers or fancy stuff. I've been basically doing the same as you and my 5 avocado trees are all flourishing with thick beautiful growth. I have a Bacon, two Reeds, Mexicola and a Gem. I plant the root ball 1/4 to 1/3 above ground, mound it up with a mixture of my native soil, some sandy soil from the base of a native so cal hill, and some DG. Then I use heavy, heavy mulch from weeds, leaves, and grass from my yard. Then I keep the mulch in place with a 4 x 4 ft x 7 inch tall frame I make with plywood.

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Thanks. Nice method 👍🏽

[@ioschris]

How are these trees doing now?

[@ivanguajardo7111]

@@ioschris all my avocado trees are exploding with growth. Of the four mature enough to fruit, three of them have quite a bit of fruit and only one, the Mexicola, has only two avocados. I deep water twice a week occasionally three times a week. The heavy mulch and thick weed/grass growth really help retain water and keep the soil moist. That’s it, I pretty much let them do their own thing.

[@RobertSolo714]

What’s up brother.. I’m going to give it a try. Thanks for the tip. Have a great night 😃👍

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Thanks 🥑

[@SVmathfarmer]

Awesome AJ. Great message to teach. I do same thing more or less but on a much larger scale (I’m OCD). I make a massive hole and backfill with a mixture of sand and Sandy loam from my local rockery - like 2-3 big wheelbarrows full to make a big mound that tree sits in then top with a heavy mulch layer. The clay gets ditched and tossed elsewhere. That Nimlioh I planted this way last Spring was only about a foot tall in a 1 gal pot now towers over 12 ft tall and is expanding in all directions. I’ve had similar massive growth results with Fuerte, Carmen, Nabal, Lamb, etc.

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Thanks Pat! Your trees look great.

[@SVmathfarmer]

@@AJTheGraftMan great to see you spreading Nimlioh love 😍. Greg alder just did a Nimlioh profile video if you haven’t seen

[@johnsonrobbins]

Excellent video thanks

[@segapena5033]

I use red lava sand fines instead of dg. I like it holds just enough moisture while draining really well.

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Lava fines are great. I can’t find them in my area. I would use it too if I could find some

[@RareAvoTrees]

I have worse clay my soil 90 percent clay, the key to clay is go much higher no less than a 2 foot tall mound above soil grade, put large boulders in hole in clay and pour sand or dg on top of boulders then mix 50 percent sand and high grade top soil above grade to make the mound.

[@daggius]

Why didn’t u fill in the sides of the mound more with dg before adding the mulch?

[@AJTheGraftMan]

That’s an available option

[@user-hz3xj4jj6i]

Great tips on planting avocados and I've been using DG as well, need to know if both avocados that you replanted survived? Thank you

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Thanks. They’re still alive, so far

[@calebsun7909]

How long does it take for avocado grafts to fruit after grafting

[@jamestnguyen2165]

great vidieo..how about planting the seeds in those spot and let it sprout from the clayish soil?

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Thanks. Yes that can work too

[@rakeshuniyal9021]

Thanks for this video ! Can I put DG in a container growing avocado as well ? Is it ok for cold regions ? We get frost for some days here.

[@AJTheGraftMan]

I’ve done a few videos about DG in containers. Check them out on my channel!

[@MaMaMae_]

Great tip! Ive lost two avocado trees and one mango in the clay soil here in norcal. Where can you buy DG? And where do you initially get your scions? Im looking for Keitt, Joey, Reed and mango scions that tend to be more cold hardy for zone 9B!

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Thanks! I’ve done videos about your questions on my channel. Check them out!

[@yusufnoorzayee6898]

❤❤❤❤

[@sggaming1450]

Hi i have a question. So for example with gary's top pot mix recipe, do you measure by weight or by volume? So like if it ask 10% sand and you making 25l of potting mix. Do you do 2.5kg worth of sand or do you pour the sand in a measuring jug and measure 2.5l?

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Volume… handfuls

[@user-pg4ib4ef4u]

I like your videos a lot. I’m looking for reed and naval trees where can I get them. Any place you recommend. Thanks, and keep posting those videos they help a lot.

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Thanks. I have both of those available for sale. Email me [e-mail]

[@JuanMiro507]

That ain't clay soil. That looks quite fine despite being a bit hard.... the clay soil we have down here in the tropics (central america) is mostly red or yellow and IMPENETRABLE... Now, what you just did with that tree combined with heavy raining is a recipe for disaster, hence why we mound high AF on this type of soil... i'm talking about almost a meter of mound!

[@daggius]

I got the nasty orange clay in San Diego that murders avocado trees left and right. Ima be dropping a fugload of DG

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Do trees get mounded in nature? I don’t think so. Avocado trees have been growing in your area for millions of years without any mounding, so there’s more than one way to plant them

[@JuanMiro507]

@@AJTheGraftMan well your comment is not accurate in the sense that you are missing two FUNDAMENTAL things: 1. Distinction between Wild and Grafted avocados... I'm pretty sure you know grafted trees have a quite delicate root system that is prone to Phytophthora cinnamomi (root rot). That being said no avocado producer/ farmer from the tropics, who happens to have soils with above 40% of clay in it, plants grafted avocados without proper measures like mounding.... 2. Wild avocados that have been growing from thousands of years are located in areas mostly composed of either sandy loam with volcanic properties and extremely fertile humus... Where i live (central america) you won't find wild avocados in our clay dry forests... you will find them at higher elevations in areas of dense cloudy forest where the soils are pitch perfect for avocados... deep black soils full with life, easier to dig with your hands

[@AJTheGraftMan]

@@JuanMiro507 😂

[@miett49]

Ola meu irmão Aj. Em Portugal é mais fácil é só por na terra e regar! Um grande abraço we are back in NJ already😀

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Meu Irmão! Time flies, welcome back

[@thehuntfortruth]

Accidental gravel is the key to success

[@kallahcilliers1556]

Please if you have any info on the LINDA variety can you post? I have three trees that have been in the ground for 2 years only (bought them 5gal) and they are covered in flowers! Hoping to sample a fruit! Have no idea what to expect! Not much video out there on taste etc…

[@AJTheGraftMan]

I don’t grow this variety but I’ll try to do a video about it

[@aegarden6006]

Do you have the Green Gold Variety avocado tree? I yet to see a video of a full grown one with fruit. Thanks.

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Yes. It’s grafted to one of my mature trees

[@Arcanhael]

Isn't your avocado planted too close to the wall? Will it damage your concrete later on? I am the Mexican sunflower believer. I have a jungle of it in southern California.

[@growyourownavocados]

I grow in clay too. Interesting that in Popeno's journal he says that the avocados in Guatemala are growing in clay.

[@AJTheGraftMan]

They seem to grow fine in clay, as long as some easy adjustments are made

[@growyourownavocados]

​@AJTheGraftMan I agree.

[@gilbertcuellar7387]

I had a mexicola grance that died down to the ground, but pushed up root suckers. Should I plant a new tree, or graft to a root sucker?

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Graft

[@RareAvoTrees]

You have wonderful compared to mine , my clay is nothing you've ever seen come up and visit my farm in Fresno county foothills.

[@ppkgaming210]

Isn't the DG going to make the water stay in the hole longer because it's like sand?

[@AJTheGraftMan]

It drains pretty well

[@matthewking2209]

I live in Georgia zone 8. I have a Joey and fantastic/Pryor in containers I think they are cold hardy to 18F. They are grafted but I don't know what seedling rootstock they used. I have been trying to do some air layers but that seems difficult with avocados. They were also struggling in the soil they came in but I was scared to change it at first. I did change it and they do look happier now. I want to graft them over onto a cold hardy rootstock but all I can find is Zutano. I think it is good to 25F which might work if I protect the graft with deep mulch. Do you have any advice?

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Look for Aravaipa seeds to use as rootstock

[@matthewking2209]

@@AJTheGraftMan Thank you do you have any or know who might?

[@AJTheGraftMan]

I don’t have any. Maybe try contacting someone in Arizona?

[@matthewking2209]

@@AJTheGraftMan Thank you.

[@hasnainshakir387]

Sir I want to talk to you and I've send emails and msgs to you on Instagram also

[@kylediffusion9879]

Won't that mulch suck up the nitrogen when it decomposes?

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Only temporarily

[@ramonalvarado9503]

I know planting should be not complicated...BUT.... don{t they need some kind of feed or food or fertilizer ?

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Mulch is the food

[@miguelsamaniego1656]

By any chance do you have a small mango tree for sell? I'm looking for a Alphonso variety. Please let me know I live in Chula Vista thanks.

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Yes sure. I don’t have that one but I do have others. Email me

[@miguelsamaniego1656]

@@AJTheGraftMan sorry I took me this long to reply, I’ve been busy. I’ll email you in the next two weeks, I’m in the process to move to another house.

[@AJTheGraftMan]

@@miguelsamaniego1656 no problem. Thanks

[@djdimsum852]

Will this work for orange trees?

[@AJTheGraftMan]

I’ve never tried this with citrus

[@candy553]

I need trees.

[@thehuntfortruth]

Trees need you

[@Ftoyou2]

Update on this tree?

[@AJTheGraftMan]

Doing well. Growing fine

[@user-pg4ib4ef4u]

I like your videos a lot. I’m looking for reed and naval trees where can I get them. Any place you recommend. Thanks, and keep posting those videos they help a lot.

[@ivanguajardo7111]

If you're in San Diego north county area try Clausen in Vista, or Atkins in Fallbrook. Clausen tends to be the better with quality and pricing. Both are best first half of the year with quality options. Also, if in Fallbrook, try subtropica. In all cases call first for availability.

[@SVmathfarmer]

maddock ranch Fallbrook. They are the best growers in San Diego county, I have bought many Reed and Nabal trees from Them and have had excellent results. Mr. Clausen who I know very well gets his trees from Maddock Ranch. Go to the source you won’t be disappointed