How to Manage Pests

Planting avocados

The optimum time for planting containerized avocado trees is after the last frost in spring, giving the plant time to become established before the onset of hot weather.

Trees should be planted at the same depth as they were in the container. If planted too deep, the soil or water tend to stand against the trunk which promotes root and crown rots such as Phytophthora rot or Avocado root rot. If planted too high, the roots will dry out too quickly.

Dig the planting hole so that the root ball sits about 1 inch above the soil line. The width of the hole should be about twice the diameter of the root ball. Make sure the bottom of the planting hole is firm to avoid having the root ball sink. Cleanly remove broken or decayed roots. Backfill the planting hole with native soil and water in thoroughly after planting. Construct a watering basin that is about 1 foot away from the trunk of the tree. Keep the trunk dry as much as possible while irrigating.

If trunks are exposed to sun, it will also be important to protect them from sunburn by painting them with a 50:50 mix of white latex paint and water.

Tree planted too high resulting in dry roots