How to Grow Avocados in Soil

Select a location to plant avocado trees that has well-draining soil and receives full sunlight. Planting sites in regions where frosts or freezing is possible should be protected from the wind. The south or southeast side of the house is generally the warmest side and due to the large side of the tree it should be planted 8 to 10 feet away from the house and 20 to 25 feet away from other trees.

Choose a grafted tree from West Indian, Guatemalan or Mexican varieties plus all the hybrids between them. Some varieties do well in cold climates or soil with high salinity while others produce substandard fruit no matter where it is grown. Depending upon the area of the country where you live and the condition of the soil in your region, your county extension agent can tell you which variety is best.

Measure a 5-foot radius around from the center of the planting site. Dig up the ground and remove everything except the soil. Build a border of decorative rocks around the perimeter of the planting site.

Place the grafted avocado tree in the center of the circle. Mark an area three times larger than the container and three times as deep.

Remove the avocado tree from the container and very gently rinse off the soil clinging to the root ball.

Plant the tree so that the root ball sits just below ground level, fill in the hole and pat the soil down gently as you do so. If the graft is still above ground level, dig the hole deep enough to cover it when placed in the hole.

Push soil into a mound up around the tree trunk so that the graft is completely covered.

Water the newly planted tree slowly until the soil is moist. Apply water slowly to a depth of 6 inches every other day for the first week and continue twice a week for the next several months.

Fertilize with a 8-3-9-2 fertilizer every two months for the first year. Apply the fertilizer according to manufacturer's recommendations.

Mulch the 5-foot area around the tree within the border of rocks. Use a 4-inch-deep layer of tree bark, straw, plastic or another material that retains moisture and stops the growth of grass and weeds.