Growing Avocado in Kerala

Though Avocado is native to the Americas with Mexico being the world’s leading producer, it can also be grown in Kerala as well as most of the Southern States. There is some difference in the oil content between the local varieties and the Mexican varieties with the latter having more fat. Some say 12% vs 18%.

Avocado plants can be grown from seeds or saplings. While growing from saplings, long duration for fruiting should be known. Plant grown from seeds typically takes about ten years to produce fruits. A grafted plant can produce fruits earlier, by about 4-6 years. Here is a plant started from sapling brought from elsewhere.

Here is how it has grown after a few weeks. Then there was a bit of stagnation of growth when it was very sunny. The plant was growing in a place without irrigation facility. Avocado plants need a regular supply of water, though over watering and water stagnation has to be avoided.

Started growing again with new leaves when there were some showers of rain in summer. Seedlings grown for about one year can be grafted from fruit bearing plants to produce the grafted variety for early fruiting. That will ensure earlier fruit production as well as an assurance on the type of fruits.

Some grow Avocado as a houseplant as well. But they will not bear fruits unless they get ample sunlight and growing as houseplant is mostly for the decorative purpose. A special method of germinating Avocado seeds in which it is punctured with 4 toothpicks and hung halfway inside a glass of water has been described.

Pruning of Avocado may be necessary for various reasons. Damaged and drying twigs have to be definitely pruned off. Proper pruning might also help proper light penetration to all parts of the plant. My reason for pruning is different. I do not want the plant to grow very tall by the time it produces fruits. That is my personal preference for ease of plucking fruits without the aid of ladders. As this plant was grown from a sapling and has not been grafted yet, there will a long waiting period of nearly a decade for it to produce fruits.