How to Cut Back an Avocado Tree

Like many fruit trees, avocado trees require pruning to grow well and to produce a quality crop. Since the yield of fruit directly corresponds to the amount of healthy leaves and fruitwood on the tree, learn how to prune to encourage new growth each season. Never prune your avocado trees after midsummer; you expose the new growth to the cold winter, which could harm the tree. When pruning, remove any overgrown sections or dead branches.

Pruning shears
Bleach
Bucket
Ladder

Instructions

- 1
  Combine an equal amount of water and bleach in the bucket to sanitize your pruning shears before you begin cutting back your avocado tree. Sanitized shears stop the spread of bacteria and disease.
- 2
  Prune your tree in the early spring. Remove any dead branches first, cutting them back to where they meet the trunk, above the collar.
- 3
  Trim back any branches that appear overgrown and cause a potential safety concern, including any that get in the way of buildings or obstruct walkways.
- 4
  Maintain a tree height of 10 to 15 feet by pruning. Remove a few upper limbs back to their origin each spring so the sun can reach the lower branches.
- 5
  Remove any small branches protruding from the trunk. These are called suckers and sap the strength and resources of the tree and slow down fruit production.

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