The avocado bonsai is a popular plant in many homes, but did you know that it can also be grown as an indoor tree? Growing your own avocado bonsai can take some patience and care, but the plants are so beautiful when they grow to full size. Here are 11 steps to help you grow your own avocado bonsai.
Growing avocado bonsai is an interesting hobby that has become more popular in recent years because of the health benefits. Avocados contain high levels of potassium, which help to reduce blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels. They are also full with monounsaturated fat, which can be beneficial for heart health!
Can I Bonsai an Avocado Plant?
You can bonsai, an avocado plant. It just might take some time to get the tree into a more perfect situation by pruning away some excess. Seedling trees are perfectly fine to add.
Nurseries may even offer your tree with this option already done for you with a seedling, or allow you to choose from their available stock of seedlings. You will have an easier time of it if starting with a smaller branch and then shaping it as needed at regular intervals. When you are starting to shape the trunk of your tree, it is best not to remove too much, because then the tree will be too small.
How to Grow an Avocado Bonsai?
Avocado trees are easy to grow. These trees can be grown indoors, outdoors or in a greenhouse, and they will flourish all year long if well-tended.
Here’s what you need to grow an avocado bonsai: avocado tree, potting mix for avocados; pruning shears; wire brush/scrubber
Selecting Your Avocado Tree
Avocado trees are usually sold as seedlings. The easiest way to select a tree is from the avocado seeds they have available on site or order online.
A smaller branch will be easier for you to shape, but it can be more challenging if starting with a larger one and shaping at regular intervals. As you’re developing the trunk of your tree, don’t take too much off, because then your bonsai may become too small.
When selecting an avocado tree, make sure that there’s plenty of leaves left on them, preferably with no browning or yellowing present in the foliage.
Make sure not let your avocado grow into full maturity before pruning back some branches (about half) so that it has room to grow.
Remove the avocado tree from the current pot and clean the roots of soil
Remove the plant from the current pot
Clean the roots of soil and remove most of them before repotting. Do not break steam when removing it, this will cause damage to the plant.
Prune the roots of your avocado tree
After you have cleaned and removed most of the soil from around them, prune back some branches (about half).
If there’s not enough room to grow in the pot, consider repotting into a larger one.
It can be hard to find an avocado with plenty of leaves left on it that hasn’t begun maturing yet. If this is true for yours, then remove branches as necessary so that they don’t begin growing too large.
Select a pot for your avocado bonsai
Choose a container with drainage holes to plant your avocado tree.
The pot should be at least two inches wider than the root ball of the avocados, and deep enough for it to grow up to a foot tall.
If you are planting an avocado bonsai from seedling, choose a pot that can accommodate three years growth. If starting with already-done-for-you branch, then select a small pot or else transplant into a bigger size when needed.
Prepare the pot for avocado bonsai
Grow the avocado tree in a pot. You will need to prepare the pot for avocado bonsai. Use coarse-grain soil at the bottom of your pot. This type of soil drains water well and keeps the roots dry, which is good for an avocado tree that grows in tropical climates with wet and dry seasons.
Use a good quality soil that drains water well at the top layer of your pot. Leave enough space on the top to cover the root of your avocado tree when you plant it into this layer. You can use the same type of soil as at the bottom, or use a lighter-colored, sandier sort.
Mix this with compost to provide nutrients for your avocado bonsai.
Pot the tree
Put the avocado bonsai in the pot. The height of your tree should be about one-half to two-thirds as tall as the container is deep.
Poke holes in the bottom layer of soil and push them outwards, so they are at least an inch from each other all around where you plan to plant your avocado bonsai. This will allow for better drainage when watering.
Fill these holes with water and let any excess drain away; then put some compost into these holes too. Plant your avocado tree up to its lowest roots level firmly in this moistened soil mix.
Taking care of your avocado bonsai tree
1. Place your bonsai tree in a pot that is the right size for it.
2. Water your bonsai tree regularly and make sure to keep the soil moist.
3. Feed your avocado bonsai with fertilizer every other week, making sure to water the plant afterwards.
4. Prune branches back as they grow larger than you want them to be.
5. Give your avocado bonsai some sun occasionally – but not too much! It needs shade sometimes too!
6. Never put anything toxic on or near an avocado bonsai tree (like insecticides) because it will kill it!
How to grow avocado bonsai from seedling?
1. Plant your seedling in a pot with well-draining soil.
2. Place the plant in a shady spot that doesn’t get direct sunlight.
3. Water it regularly and fertilize monthly
4. Prune off any dead leaves or branches as needed.
5. Be patient – bonsai take years to grow fully, so be prepared to wait!
6. Keep an eye on your plants – if they are getting too big for their pots, transplant them into larger ones before the roots start growing out of control and damaging the root system, which will kill your plant!
Conclusion
The avocado bonsai (any kind of bonsai) is a challenging plant to grow in the first place, and requires delicate care. If you’re considering growing an avocado tree as a houseplant or just for fun, remember that it needs plenty of sunshine and humidity to thrive. It also won’t survive outdoors if temperatures drop below too much! But with proper care, your little avocado can become something spectacular in no time at all.
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Hi, I am Rahat Rubayet. I am an entrepreneur and A gardener by Hobby. I created This website to help people like you, who want to make the world greener and want to leave it as a better place for our next generation.