If you are thinking of planting exotic fruit trees that will benefit you in the kitchen and in your diet, guacamole is undoubtedly one of the best positioned on the list of garden foods that are interesting for our health. They are healthy, allow us to prepare delicious recipes and are not as difficult to grow as you might think a priori. Do you want to know more about guacamole? What care does avocado need?In this article we are going to show them to you.
Avocados are one of the most wonderful fruits we can eat, because they are very healthy and, although not everyone is convinced by their taste, there are some recipes that manage to give an exquisite touch to such a healthy and nutritious food. From the famous Mexican guacamole, whose consumption has already spread throughout the world, to stuffed avocado, in salads or spread on a slice of bread. Because we are dealing with an exotic fruit that contains a high index of fats, but they are healthy fats that are even accepted by nutritionists.
One thing to add to this is that avocados are not exactly cheap. Therefore, if you grow them yourself, you will have an advantage, because they will be in your pantry, ready to eat whenever you want and without spending money on their purchase. You will save money and continue to enjoy a first-class food more than ever.
How to care for your avocado tree
At caring for your avocado tree There are a number of factors that you need to take into account. First of all, you need to know where you will plant your avocado. Because, as you might imagine, avocados need a specific climate, typical of a tropical and exotic species such as this. But let's look at these key factors one by one to consider with your avocado.
Sunny place
If there is a fruit that needs the sun, it is definitely the avocado. This fruit will hardly be able to develop in a cold climate. Place the crop where it receives at least 6 hours of sunlight every day.
Drained soil
El soil for planting avocados You have to have the Proper pH, to be slightly acidic and has sufficient drainage. What would be perfect? A clay floor or sand would be the perfect terrain for this type of trees.
Excess water, on the other hand, will damage the tree's roots, causing the avocado to have a short life and be riddled with diseases.
If your land happens to be lacking, this does not mean that you have to give up planting avocados, because you can prepare the soil and transform it into an optimal one for your garden, simply by adding organic matter or sand and mixing to create the ideal field.
Taking care of irrigation
Irrigation is another delicate point when it comes to avocados. There are two phases in the cultivation of this type of fruit, the first corresponds to the first years of life of the specimens, during which you will have to Water frequently but in small doses of water, with the aim of ensuring that the tree takes hold.
Later, when the tree is strong and grown, the frequency of watering will be reduced. In any case, watering once a week will be sufficient. However, in hot weather or if you are going through a period of drought, it may be necessary to increase watering.
How do you know if you are getting the frequency or amount of water right? There are clues that will answer this question. If you notice that there is yellowing or wilting leaves on your avocado tree, this may indicate that you are overwateringIf, on the other hand, the leaves look like they are about to break or are dry, it is because they lack water.
A solution to avoid this type of inconvenience is to install a drip irrigation systemThis way, it will receive the optimal amount of water, no more, no less, little by little, so that it is never dry or receives too much water.
Extra nutrients for your avocado
Growing is not just sowing, watering and harvesting, but also involves observing and providing all kinds of nutrients to help the fruit or vegetable, flower or plant in question to grow healthy, strong and beautiful. In this sense, it can be very good add fertilizer When appropriate. If you add fertilizer to your young avocado tree, less than two years old, every two months, you will notice the difference. When the tree approaches three years, reduce fertilization to just three times a year. Early spring, late spring and early fall are the ideal times to add this extra nutrient.
In any case, avoid overusing fertilizer because, although it may seem like an excellent idea, it is harmful if used in excess.
Want more fruit? Prune your avocado tree
Pruning helps a tree to produce more fruit. It stimulates production and prevents the loss of nutrients and oxygen. Old, redundant and damaged leaves only get in the way. They also make the tree look ugly.
The perfect time to pruning the avocado It's spring, when the frost has already gone.
Risk of avocado diseases and pests
Unfortunately, the avocado is not exempt from suffering. diseases and pests. But there are effective and biological solutions to solve these problems. For example, neem oil it is effective for eliminate mites or other beings like the cochineal or whitefly. If this fails, you can resort to potassium soap.
As for diseases, root rot It is the most abundant. But you can avoid it if you water moderately and provide drainage to the soil.
How to harvest avocados
After all the care, the time has finally come to harvest your fruits. You can start Harvest avocados after about 6 to 18 months after planting the treeBe careful because these fruits do not ripen on the tree, but you will have to pick them while still green.
Once they are off the tree, after a maximum of a week, you can eat them. Don't leave them for too long either, because they can go bad and that would be a shame.
These are the Care that avocado needs And, knowing how to give them to them, all you have to do is start preparing your land for their cultivation. Although, by the way, you can also grow them in pots.