Does your avocado tree keep growing upwards and leggy, and you are looking for how to make the avocado tree bushy?
A bushy avocado tree provides adequate shade in your backyard, and you will enjoy more fruits from each branch.
The best part is if you begin the maintenance practices when the plant is still young, you won’t have a hard time encouraging lateral growth.
Please don’t make the tree bushy for the inner branches to access sunlight which keeps them from dying early.
Stick on as we discover some practices that will keep your tree bushy.
1. Pinching
Pinching the tip of new branches when your plant is 6 to 8 inches encourages the sprouting of new branches that increase the volume of your plant. Remember to pinch the newly growing branches until your plant is compact.
If your young plant is growing to an undesirable height making it leggy, it’s time you trim the central stem up to half its height. The plant will branch out soon and develop new leaves that you can trip the tips when it’s 30cm tall.
2. Splitting
You can cut at 2 to 4 inches to give your avocado a desirable character. At first, the stem may seem brown and withering, but it will eventually sprout two branches that will grow larger with time.
Use the spitting at 2 inches method on another branch for more branching and a bushier avocado tree.
3. Pruning
Pruning helps increase the volume of your avocado tree, and with the correct practices and maintenance, you will enjoy a bumper harvest of yummy avocados.
If you have an avocado tree as a house plant, I am sure you wouldn’t want it to grow tall and interfere with the indoor environment. Most indoor avocado trees should grow at a manageable height for easier harvesting and ensuring they get enough sunlight from outside for stronger branches.
Tip: You can wear protective garments when pruning your tree, such as strong clothing, to prevent injury when pruning mature trees.
How to Prune an Avocado Tree to Make it Bushy?
You can’t pick the shears and start pruning your tree anyhow since that may affect its growth. Remember, the best time to prune your tree is in early summer or spring, after harvesting all your fruits.
First, disinfect your tools to avoid infecting your avocado tree with dirt or rust. The tools should be sharp for clean cuts. Use the pruner to make cuttingS on small and thin brunches, and if you want to remove thicker branches, you can use loppers.
When heavy pruning, cut the tallest branches and trim the top part slowly. Keeping the branches short in young plants prevents the roots from straining and causing damage.
Remove the branches on each side carefully as you note the branches you have pruned to avoid repetitive pruning. Symmetrical shapes and identical cuts will help the branches stand even when the plant bears fruits, plus it will withstand strong winds.
Remember to remove the dead branches and twigs that link to the trunk since they use nutrients that could go to the healthy parts, not forgetting that they could attract diseases.
Avoid over-pruning your avocado tree since it may alter the plants blooming ability since you may remove bud-forming branches.
Can I Cut the Top of My Avocado Tree?
Yes. You can pinch your tree at 12 weeks to encourage the growth of new branches. You can also split it up to 6 inches and continue with trimming when it achieves the original height.
You can also cut the top of your mature tree through pruning and start with the overgrown branches.
How do I Make my Avocado Stem Thicker?
Splitting helps keep your tree stem thicker; you should start thinking of making the stem thicker before your tree is fully developed. Repeat the splitting when the plant achieves new height to make the stem stronger, and it will hold the bushy branches.
How Many Times Should I Trim my Avocado Tree?
If it’s heavy trimming, wait until the onset of spring and late winter to avoid exposing your tree leaves to frosting; the regrowth rate is fast since it’s before the active season. You can do light pruning anytime you see the inner branches need access to sunlight.
What Will Happen If I Don’t Prune My Avocado Tree?
The tree will grow upright and have a single trunk until 6 weeks when it develops into an oval form. The tree will have fewer leaves than a pruned one affecting production, and harvest time will be tough since avocados don’t get ripe while on the tree.
Final Thoughts
A bushy avocado tree adds to your backyard’s serene environment and increases the yummy fruit’s production. When pruning your tree, you have a chance to give it your desired shape and check the progress of the inner branches.
Don’t hesitate to pinch the top part of your tree to enhance branching.
The splitting is necessary for a strong stem to hold your branches well. Use the right cutting and pruning tools to keep your plant healthy.
