Waiting for your avocado tree to fruit can be frustrating, especially if you’ve spent so much time caring for it.
If you started from a seed, it could take over a decade to see results. Meanwhile, grafted avocado trees usually fruit much sooner.
But if you think your avocado tree should be fruiting by now, don’t give up — there are ways to give it a nudge.
First, you need to make sure pollination is happening. Fertilising and pruning matter a lot, too.
Keep reading to learn what can delay fruiting and how to make an avocado tree bear fruit faster!
Tree Maturity | Boosting Pollination | Growing Conditions | Fertilising | Pruning | Extra Tips
Why Do Avocados Take So Long to Fruit?
Avocado trees can bear fruit for 20–30 years. But sometimes, it can take a while before they get to that point.
Here are some of the most common reasons why your avocado tree isn’t producing fruit:
STARTING FROM A SEED: Seed-grown avocado trees take about a decade to mature and produce fruit.
POLLINATION ISSUES: Avocados have a complex flowering behaviour. For successful pollination, you need a second avocado tree growing nearby.
POOR GROWING CONDITIONS: Lack of sunlight, compacted soil, and irregular watering can prevent fruiting.
PLANT STRESS: Extreme temperatures and over-pruning can slow avocado tree fruit production.
TREE HEALTH ISSUES: Nutrient deficiencies can divert the avocado tree’s energy into survival instead of growing fruit.
Is Your Avocado Tree Old Enough to Fruit?
If you’re wondering why your avocado isn’t fruiting, the first things to check are the tree’s age and how it was grown.
Avocado trees grown from a pit can take 10–15 years to bear fruit. Sometimes, they might not fruit at all!
That’s why we always recommend starting with grafted trees. You can purchase them from a local nursery or garden centre.
They usually start producing avocados within 3–4 years. Plus, their fruits usually taste better than those from seed-grown trees.
Boost Pollination for Successful Avocado Fruit Set
Now, if your avocado tree is mature but it’s still not bearing fruit? Inadequate pollination might be the problem.
Without proper pollination, the flowers won’t turn into fruit, no matter how mature the tree is.
You can make sure pollination happens by:
- Planting another avo tree nearby
- Attracting pollinators to the garden
- Pollinating avocado flowers by hand
Plant a second avocado tree for cross-pollination
Every avocado grower should know that avocado trees aren’t great at self-pollinating.
They can sometimes fruit on their own, especially with a bit of help from pollinators and the wind.
But if you want your tree to bear more fruit, it needs a cross-pollination partner.
This is because avocado flowers have a unique, hermaphroditic behaviour.
The flowers’ reproductive cycle happens over two days and just once in their lifespan.
Each flower opens as female (to receive pollen) on the first day. Then, it opens as male (to release pollen) on the second day.
Avocado varieties are grouped into Type A and Type B based on when their flowers are female and when they’re male.
| Avocado Types | Female Phase (Receptive to Pollen) | Male Phase (Pollen Release) |
|---|---|---|
| Type A | Morning of Day 1 | Afternoon of Day 2 |
| Type B | Afternoon of Day 1 | Morning of Day 2 |
To pollinate more flowers successfully, plant one Type A and one Type B avocado tree within 5–10m of each other.
This way, when one tree’s flowers are ready to receive pollen, the flowers from the other tree are releasing it!
Attract more pollinators to your garden
To help your avocado tree produce fruit, you need pollinators like bees, butterflies, and wasps in your garden.
One way to attract them is to grow fragrant herbs and colourful flowers near your avocado tree.
Herbs like basil and coriander are wonderful avocado companions that can attract pollinators.
You can also grow flowering plants like marigolds and sunflowers.
Try pollinating avocado flowers by hand
In most cases, having two avocado trees of different types is enough for pollination.
But if you don’t have room for two trees, you might need to give nature a hand.
This means moving pollen from a male flower to a female flower from the same tree, by yourself (also called hand pollination).
Just a heads-up: this method can be time-consuming, and it doesn’t always work!
Also, timing is crucial. Aim to do it around mid-day, when the male and female avocado flowers might be open at the same time.
To start, you have to identify the male and female flowers on your avocado tree.
Male avocado flowers have several upright parts called anthers. Meanwhile, female flowers have a single stigma standing in the centre.
To hand-pollinate, lightly touch the male flower to the female flower’s stigma. Be careful not to damage the flowers!
Alternatively, you can use a cotton tip or a small makeup brush to collect pollen from the male flower. Then, gently brush it onto the stigma of the female flower.
Provide Your Avocado Tree’s Growing Needs
Grow avocado trees in ideal conditions to keep them healthy and encourage fruiting!
CLIMATE: Avocados grow best in tropical or warm climates. For cool or temperate climates, it’s best to grow cold-hardy avocado varieties.
COLD PROTECTION: If the temperature drops below 0°C, use a frost cloth to protect avocado trees. You can also grow a dwarf variety in a pot and bring the tree indoors.
SOIL: Avocados prefer well-draining soil like sandy loam. Soil that holds too much moisture can cause root rot, which can hinder fruiting.
SUNLIGHT: Your avocado tree will struggle to bear fruit if it’s grown in a shady area. Make sure that the entire tree gets 6–8 hours of full sun daily.
WATERING: Water deeply but not too often. If a ball of soil under the avocado tree crumbles in your hand, it’s time to water!
Still unsure how to care for your avocado tree? Consult a plant care specialist to get the best advice!
Fertilise Your Avocado Tree for Healthy Fruiting
Proper fertilisation can support an avocado tree’s ability to produce healthy fruit!
A lack of essential nutrients can weaken the tree, reduce flowering, and cause premature fruit drop.
Key nutrients for avocado fruit production
Avocado trees need a range of nutrients to produce healthy fruit. These include:
- Zinc (Zn)
- Boron (B)
- Calcium (Ca)
- Nitrogen (N)
- Potassium (K)
- Phosphorus (P)
- Magnesium (Mg)
Do a soil test before fertilising
We recommend starting with a soil test so you can identify the specific nutrient deficiencies in the soil.
This will help you choose the right fertiliser for your avocado tree.
You can buy a soil test kit online or at your local garden centre. Be sure to follow the instructions on the packaging to get accurate results.
Keep in mind that most test kits sold online only check for basic nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
If you want a more detailed analysis, you can send a soil sample to a specialised soil testing laboratory.
Use the right fertiliser to boost fruiting
Generally, a balanced, slow-release NPK fertiliser is best to help avocados bear fruit. Look for one that’s specially formulated for fruit trees.
Avoid fertilisers that are too high in nitrogen compared to phosphorus and potassium. These types can redirect the tree’s energy to leaf growth instead of fruiting!
For young avocado trees, fertilise up to 3–4 times throughout the growing season (spring, summer, and early autumn).
Mature trees need fertilising 2–3 times a year, during these phases:
- As the tree starts flowering (spring)
- As the tree develops fruit (summer)
- After the main harvest season
You can also supply micronutrients like boron and zinc during flowering to help with fruit set. These can be applied as foliar sprays.
Keep in mind that fruiting and harvest seasons can vary by variety, so adjust your fertilising schedule accordingly.
Always check the product label for specific application instructions and the correct amount of fertiliser to use.
Prune Your Avocado Tree Lightly
Pruning your avocado tree lets in more sunlight into the canopy, which is important for fruit development.
Just remember — heavy pruning can stress avocado trees! Do not remove more than one-third of the tree’s height or canopy to avoid shocking your tree.
The trick is to prune lightly, just enough to let sunlight reach the inner branches and leaves.
Pruning tips for young avocado trees
For young trees, trim the tips of the main upright shoots. Do this for the first 2–3 years of your avocado tree until it develops strong main branches.
When you see the tips growing a prominent bud at the very end (called the terminal bud), it’s time to pinch it off.
This helps the tree grow sideways instead of straight up and encourages it to produce fruit lower down, where it’s easier to pick.
You may need to do this several times a year, depending on how fast the avocado tree is growing.
Pruning tips for mature avocado trees
For mature trees, focus on removing:
- Branches that cross or rub against each other
- Low-hanging branches, especially ones close to the ground
- Interior branches (to open up the canopy and let in more light)
Make clean cuts back to the trunk or a strong side branch.
You can also do a renewal pruning for older trees. Avocados grow fruit on new wood, and some branches can become less productive over time.
Every 2–3 years, remove one or two of the older, dormant limbs to encourage new growth closer to the trunk.
More Tips to Help Your Avocado Tree Bear Fruit
First, it helps to know the exact avocado variety you have.
Knowing the specific variety will help you understand your tree’s lifecycle, including when to expect the fruiting and harvest seasons.
Next, keep an eye out for avocado pests and diseases, which can weaken the tree and interfere with fruit production.
Check your avocado tree regularly for any problems so you can address them before they get out of hand.
Also, avoid using pesticides during flowering. These can drive pollinators away from your garden.
Finally, try not to disturb the roots — especially for young avocado trees — to keep them intact and healthy!
