How to Grow Hass Avocado Trees to Get Perfect Avocados Every Time

Hass avocado trees are best known for their edible fruits with bumpy, dark skin and pale green, creamy flesh. First established in California, this cultivar is believed to be a hybrid of Mexican and Guatemalan avocado varieties.

Beyond fruit cultivation, you might grow a Hass avocado tree for its attractive leafy green foliage and conical growth habit.

This self-fertile fruit tree grows best with at least six hours of full sun, well-draining, acidic soil, and warm daytime temperatures with moderate evening temperatures. All parts of the Hass avocado tree, including the foliage, fruit, seed, and bark are considered toxic to pets.

Hass Avocado Tree Care

If you want to grow a Hass avocado tree, here are the care requirements you need to know.

• Plant in loose, well-draining soil.

• Choose a location that receives bright, indirect light.

• Water thoroughly, but not to the point of oversaturation.

• Feed during the spring, summer, and fall months.

Light

For a lush, leafy canopy and bloom production, Hass avocado trees should receive at least six hours of bright, indirect sunlight. These trees can tolerate light shade, too, but too much and the tree’s foliage growth will be hindered.

Soil

The soil for growing a Hass avocado tree should be loose and well-draining. Loamy or sandy soil will support healthy root growth but heavy clay soil should be avoided because of poor drainage.

Water

Hass avocado trees require regular watering. Once per week is a good baseline for mature trees, but take into account recent rainfall or humidity levels.

The top inch or so of soil should be dry before watering again. Water to restore soil moisture but don’t allow the soil to become drenched and soggy.

Temperature and Humidity

The Hass avocado tree is mainly considered hardy in USDA growing zones 9 to 11. It does best with moderately warm and humid temperatures; between 60°F and 85°F with average-to-high humidity is considered ideal.

The tree won’t tolerate freezing temperatures so in climates that see temperatures dip below freezing, the best option is to grow the tree as a container plant that can be sheltered indoors in the winter.

Fertilizer

Hass avocado trees are heavy feeders. Plan on fertilizing trees during the spring, summer, and fall with a well-balanced NPK formula applied to the soil.

In addition, apply a foliar fertilizer to the leaves in the spring. Zinc and nitrogen should be applied to the soil in spring, summer, and fall, plus a foliar fertilizer application of zinc in the spring.

Pruning

In general, avocado trees don’t require much pruning and Hass avocado trees aren’t any different. You should avoid over- or under-pruning the tree.

To do that, prune to remove dead wood and maintain a conical shape that allows easy access to the tree’s branches and sufficient light penetration and airflow.

Propagating a Hass Avocado Tree

As a cultivar, a Hass avocado tree can only be propagated through grafting and it’s best done in the spring. If you have the skills and tools to graft a tree—including a healthy rootstock specimen—here’s how to do it:

1. Gather the following supplies: sharp snips, a sharp knife, and something to cover the grafted area, such as grafting tape.

2. Select a section of new growth between 5 and 6 inches long with several unopened leaf buds.

3. Using the snips, cut the new growth branch at a 45-degree angle.

4. Remove the tip of the cutting, along with any leaves that are present.

5. On the tree you’ll be grafting onto, wound the tree by removing a section of the bark.

6. Take the cutting and position it onto the grafting site, with the cambium of the cutting and the cambium of the grafted tree making contact.

7. Use grafting tape to secure the cutting to the graft tree, covering all exposed areas.

8. After several weeks, the grafted branch and the main tree should be fused together.
   

Potting and Repotting a Hass Avocado Tree

Like other types of avocado trees, you can grow a Hass avocado tree in a pot and this is especially recommended if you live in USDA hardiness zones 8 or below.

In zone 8, you may be able to overwinter the tree outdoors. Beyond that, you’ll need to grow the avocado tree indoors or be prepared to move it inside during cold weather months.

Hass avocado trees grown indoors usually mature to a height of 5 to 7 feet. For store-bought trees that are already several feet tall, you should choose a large container. Pick a pot with drainage holes to prevent the soil from becoming waterlogged, which can lead to root rot. Fill the container with a loose soil mix; cactus or succulent soil mix works well. Plant the tree—covering the root ball—and water thoroughly.

Depending on how large of a container you choose, you may not need to replant the tree for several years.

Overwintering

Hass avocado trees grown in USDA zones 9 to 11 will require no special accommodations since the year-round temperatures remain well above freezing.

If you plan to grow this type of tree in USDA zone 8, you’ll need to provide the tree with some additional protection during the colder months of the year. If temperatures are forecasted to drop below freezing, cover the base of the tree with a frost blanket.

It’s also helpful if the tree has been planted beneath an overhang or with a south-facing orientation in the shelter of a nearby building. If your Hass avocado tree is grown in a container, you can move it to a protected location when cold weather is imminent.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Like other types of avocado trees, Hass avocado trees are susceptible to attack by pests including several types of mites, along with thrips, caterpillars, borers, and lace bugs, which live in colonies on the leaves of the trees.

Fungal diseases, like canker and root rot, can also cause damage to the roots, branches, and foliage of the tree.

How to Get a Hass Avocado Tree to Bloom

Although the Hass avocado tree is best known for its fruit, the flowers are an integral part of the fruiting process. Here’s what to know about how to encourage your Hass avocado tree to bloom.

Bloom Months

Hass avocado trees typically bloom between March and May, although the specific growing environment may skew this timeframe slightly earlier or later.

In tropical climates, flower production is usually greatly reduced. This is because Hass avocado trees depend on a period of cool temperatures (under 45°F to jumpstart flower production.

How Long Do Hass Avocado Trees Bloom?

You can expect Hass avocado trees to bloom for a period of about six weeks, although each individual flower only blooms for two days.

How to Encourage More Blooms

If you have the right environmental conditions for a Hass avocado tree to bloom but still see no flowers and you have a mature tree (it can take up to 4 years for a grafted tree to produce blooms), then you might need to fertilize the tree with the proper nutrients to support foliar growth.

In addition, your tree may not be receiving sufficient sunshine to promote bloom development. You might need to transplant the tree to a suitable site that receives at least six hours of light each day.

Common Problems With Hass Avocado Trees

The Hass avocado tree is prone to a few pests and problems. Here are the most common warning signs to look for and what to do to improve the health of your tree if you notice these symptoms.

Leaves With Yellow Spots

If you notice yellow spots appearing on the leaves of the tree, it could be a sign of lace bugs. Closely inspect the underside of the leaves for visual signs of an infestation; you may see black specks of feces. In small numbers, no corrective action may be required for lace bugs.

However, if you need to intervene, neem oil is the best option for treatment.

When the yellow of the leaves is also accompanied by undersized foliage or the leaves are turning brown at the tips, you may be seeing evidence of root rot.

Examine the soil for signs of oversaturation. You should extend the period between watering sessions and amend the soil if necessary to provide sufficient drainage.

Discolored or Scarred Fruit

Sunblotch is a disease that affects avocado trees and results in discoloration or visible scars on the skin of the avocado fruit. Unfortunately, there’s no cure for sunblotch and the tree should be removed.

Thrips can also cause discoloration of Hass avocado fruit, usually appearing as dull, brown patches on the skin of the fruit. To treat a thrips infestation, use a neem oil spray.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take for a Hass avocado tree to bear fruit?

When grown in the right climate conditions, a Hass avocado tree will bear fruit in three to five years. Growing the fruit to maturation takes about a year from the time of bloom pollination to harvest.

Are Hass avocado trees Type A or B?

Since the flowers of Hass avocado trees open as female flowers in the morning of Day 1 and reopen as male flowers in the afternoon of Day 2, it’s considered a Type A flower. This is in contrast to other varieties of avocado trees that have flowers that open first as a male flower on the afternoon of Day 1 and then as a female flower on the morning of Day 2—the definition of a Type B flower.

Will a potted avocado tree bear fruit?

Yes, potted avocado trees can bear fruit. Like Hass avocado trees planted in the ground, the key is to provide the tree with the right balance of sunlight, water, and nutrients.

Read the original article on The Spruce.