How to Grow Avocados Until Harvest

Plant young trees 23 to 30 feet away from buildings in a location with full sun that is free from shade. Avoid flood-prone sections of the yard, but make sure soil is well-draining with a pH somewhere near 6.0 to 6.5. Best results can be achieved by planting in spring or summer, using healthy nursery-grown stock and providing plenty of water prior to transplanting.

Fertilize the tree with a balanced fertilizer of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus that contains zinc. Once the tree reaches four years of age, it needs about 1/2 to 1 pound of fertilizer each year. When the tree begins flowering, provide lower quantities of nitrogen and fertilizer. Provide fertilizer with higher levels of potassium to encourage fruiting.

Water two times or less per week, with more water in hot weather and less during cold and rainy seasons. Avocados have shallow roots and do not need to be watered for a long period. Avoid water stress or drying out during fruiting period.

Provide a supplemental spray containing copper, zinc, boron and manganese for the first five years of the tree's life, and apply it three or four times during spring and summer. Switch to applications of zinc, manganese and boron thereafter.

Prune in late winter or early spring, after frost risk is past. Remove down-turned branches near the ground and shorten shoots that are growing upward. Keep the center of the tree open to sunlight to encourage even fruit development.

Pick and test fruit to determine the appropriate time to harvest. Trees begin producing after a few years of development. Since fruit does not ripen on the tree, you can test the fruit by placing an avocado on a counter, ideally in a temperature of 60 to 75 Fahrenheit. If it is ready, it should ripen within two to eight days. Picking time may last for several months.