How to Graft an Avocado Tree ( Complete Details)

Last Modified

March 13, 2023 by Hirah Ehsan

Producing avocados from seed is not a reliable method. Avocado trees are instead grown from seeds by joining a desired fruit-bearing cultivar to its rootstock. The scion is responsible for forming the tree’s upper branches and producing fruit.

As a tree grows, roots and the lower trunk form the rootstock. A successful avocado tree can be grafted to this new native avocado tree following an existing avocado tree that’s producing fruit reliably.

In a process called top working, after your seedling has grown to about 3 feet tall, you will graft on an avocado tree branch to produce avocado fruit. If the bark of the tree slips off easily, you can start grafting during the spring.

 Ensure that the cambium on both the rootstock and the scion has complete contact with the scion and that the diameter of the scion is the same as the rootstock.

How to Graft an Avocado Tree

If you are grafting, spring or autumn are the best times, as the bark easily pulls back from the cambium during these seasons.

 Information you need to know before grafting an Avocado

Mexico and South America are the native habitats of the avocado tree. Tropical and Mediterranean climates are good for growing them. There is one seed in each large berry, according to botanical definitions.

It is spherical or egg-shaped with green skin and a fleshy body, and it is highly nutritious and flavorful. The avocado tree can propagate itself through its own pollen and grafts. A stem from one avocado variety is grafted onto a stem from another avocado variety.

A quick harvest is achieved with this technique, which maintains disease-resistant and quality fruit. Avocados have thick skins that protect the interior from pesticides. In terms of avocado production volume, California has the largest share (83%) and avocados are naturally cholesterol-free (NASS).

Complete Grafting process of Avocado tree

1. Make sure your tools are sterile

Clean the cutting tools with rubbing alcohol or household cleaners, such as Lysol or Pine-Sol, then let them air dry. Prepare a sturdy rootstock for a grafted avocado tree by wearing safety goggles and gloves.

2. Graft Branches

The avocado tree must bear fruit reliably so that you can eat it. A budwood branch, or a branch that is producing buds, should be chosen from this tree. The best buds are located at the ends of branches with a diameter from 14 inches to 1 inch.

3. Cuttings taken from healthy trees

Use a sterilized knife or pruner to cut six-inch sections of healthy branches with several buds. In order to maintain the cuttings’ cold and moist condition, place them in a bowl of ice, and wrapped them in damp paper towels.

4. How to prepare the site for grafting

 Choose sites for your grafts on the avocado tree’s rootstock. A branch should be located 12 inches away from the trunk at these locations. Each place should be cut into a T-shape.

It is best to make the T about one inch long and parallel with the branch. Once the branch is near all the way through, make the short side cut. Ensure your rootstock branch doesn’t get damaged. After you’ve separated the two cuts with your knife, you must pry the bark away.

5. Removing a bud

You will want to take a closer look at the bud sticks you have placed in the bowl. To cut a healthy bud, cut the stick away from the bud by 1/2 inch underneath it and 3/4 inch above it. Buds should also be attached by bark and by the green layer underneath the bark, called cambium.

6. Graft the Bud

The next step is to graft your bud as soon as it is removed. Remove your removed buds from the rootstock and place them on the graft site.

The long end of the budwood should be placed in the T-shaped cut. In your T-cut on the rootstock, you should place the bud in the intersection. For a successful graft, it is extremely crucial that both bud and rootstock cambium layers touch each other.

7. Protect Your Graft

The next step is ensuring your graft remains in place. Put the graft and bud in wrappers. It would be ideal to use grafting tape that is specifically designed for this purpose, but rubber bands could also be used.

It is not necessary to wrap the bud. Place the individual buds from each branch of your rootstock, repeating steps 2-4 with all the buds you collected from the mature tree.

8. Rubber bands must be removed

Upon opening the buds and healing the unions, the rubber bands should be removed. This must occur within three to four weeks. With the growth and maturation of these branches, avocado fruit will start to develop at these points.

Avogadro Nutrient Information

Minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and zinc, as well as vitamins and minerals like vitamins B5, B6, C, E, and K, are present in the root. Avocados contain 80 calories per 50 grams.

The antioxidants in avocados, such as beta-carotene and lycopene, make these fruits so healthy. It contains antioxidants that aid in reducing cellular damage. These antioxidants are concentrated in the dark green flesh very close to the peel.

Growing avocados from seed

Growing avocado trees from seeds is a wonderful natural method. You must plant avocado seeds in order to grow an avocado tree. Starting with a seed and going to a tree, here are five factors that explain the avocado’s growth.

1. Planting seeds:

Wash and dry avocado seeds. So, you can put the seed in water and insert four toothpicks into it. Avocados cannot absorb water, so they need regular water changes. Following planting, it takes six weeks for a seed to sprout.

2. Soil:

Branches grow 6-8 inches in length and roots are thick. It is best to plant seeds in rich soil, exposing half of their surface to the sun after planting. It is best for avocado plants if the soil is moist, and the pH is between 6.5 and 6.5. Growing a tree is dependent on getting the roots out as soon as possible.

3. Temperature:

The avocado tree grows best in temperatures between 60-85 degrees Fahrenheit and in moderate humidity. Between March and June is the best time to plant the tree. Grow avocados at a temperature below freezing since it will hinder their growth.

4. Water:

You should water your plants about 2-3 times per week. Growing roots in bulk soil permit them to receive more water. Allow the plant to dry for a while after watering. A seedling only needs a few gallons a day, whereas a mature tree requires 20 gallons.

5. Fertilizing:

Avocados require potassium, phosphorus, zinc, and nitrogen in order to grow. Fertilizing nitrogen-deficient trees is unnecessary since soil contains all the required nutrients. Soil can be amended with micronutrients in sulfate forms, such as iron sulfate or zinc sulfate.

Frequently Asked Questions

During which season should avocado trees be grafted?

When bud and grafting trees, the bark can easily be separated from the wood in the spring or fall. In order to ensure a good bud union, it should be done while it is still warm enough for bud union, yet late enough to prevent the bud from growing and callus from developing.

Is there a time limit to the appearance of avocado fruits on an avocado tree?

Grafted trees start producing fruit within three to four years, while avocado trees (ungrafted) require seven to ten years (before they begin producing fruit).

Conclusion

You can use avocados in many dishes, including guacamole because they are such delicious fruit. Among their many health benefits are cholesterol-lowering and improving triglyceride levels, which are two of avocados’ unique benefits. This wonderful food can be grown from the seeds that you would normally discard. After reading this article you can graft an avocado plant like a professional and can save your time and money.