Avacado tree help

[leatherback]

They really are not worth the effort for bonsai. Had one when I just started with bonsai, as the pits germinate just looking at them, and they popped in our compost pile. Spent 3 years on one, and realized: Will never become a convincing bonsai without a decade of ground-growing to get a decent trunk.

 

[Harewood Hobbyist]

I agree that it will never be a "convincing" bonsai if the goal is to create nature (or industrial agriculture) in miniature.

However, I am feeling optimistic that avocados can be an interesting, twisty plant in a shallow pot.

 

[leatherback]

However, I am feeling optimistic that avocados can be an interesting, twisty plant in a shallow pot.

Sure. But that just put it in the domain of potted plants. This forum focusses primarely on bonsai though

 

[Potawatomi13]

Sure. But that just put it in the domain of potted plants. This forum focusses primarely on bonsai though

Yadda, yadda, yadda. So negative.

 

[leatherback]

Yadda, yadda, yadda. So negative.

Thank you. Always great and deep content contributions.

 

[Harewood Hobbyist]

Well, my glib point was that nature in miniature, plant in shallow pot, and bonsai are pretty much synonyms.

I guess a coppiced stump is probably the most authenticly scaled down and naturalesque outcome for avocado to be a bonsai. And I have enough that I will try this as well as unnaturally twisted.

 

[Crazy Diamond]

I agree that avocados are not worth it but a lot of species arent very worthy anyways and a lot of people try them, I dont see anything wrong in learning by try and error, just use it to learn basics and if you kill the tree so bad get other better species

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Avocado, is in the same class of trees as the Eastern White Pine. Not all trees make passable bonsai. There is nothing wrong with trying bonsai techniques on an Avocado, who knows? Maybe you will get lucky, like Vance Hanna who has "the only EWP that looks good as a bonsai". Maybe one in ten thousand EWP end up making decent bonsai. Who knows, you might end up being the first to have a decent Avocado bonsai.

So keep trying.

But do yourself a favor, get a Pomegranate, or a Shimpaku juniper, or a Chinese elm, and work these trees alongside your Avocado. Put the same effort into these other species as you put into the Avocado. Time will quickly reveal which is easier and quicker, and more responsive to work with as bonsai. Avocado just doesn't work well as bonsai. But you might get lucky.

 

[BonsaiPoppie]

Welcome to Crazy!

I got an avocado from work last spring, 6ft tall, 1 1/2in trunk.

I don't know how in the hell the lady grew it so big in an apartment in the first place....with just sunlight!

But it didn't put much more trunk on when it was outside last year, and with no good place to put it inside, it has been failing inside all winter.

It'll live....

But to get the 1ft or so wide trunk you need to make it a convincing bonsai.....

It will never happen for me!

I wonder if Cali dudes haven't chopped back a real big old one?

Sorce

The groves out here stump their Avocado trees and they grow back. As a Bonsai, I wouldn't do it. They are kind of an ugly tree.