Avocado trees (Persea americana) are shallow-rooted plants that can grow to 35 feet (12 m.) tall. They do best in a sunny, wind protected area. If you are thinking of transplanting avocado trees, the younger the tree, the better your chance of success. For more information on transplanting avocado trees, including tips on how to transplant an avocado, read on.
Can You Move a Mature Avocado Tree?
Sometimes it’s necessary to think about moving an avocado tree. Maybe you planted it in the sun and now it’s become a shady area. Or maybe the tree just grew taller than you thought it would. The tree is mature now though and you’d hate to lose it.
Can you move a mature avocado tree? You can. Avocado transplanting is indisputably easier when the tree is young, but transplanting an avocado tree is possible even if it’s been in the ground for some years.
When to Start Transplanting Avocado Trees
Undertake avocado transplanting in the spring or early summer. You want to get the task of transplanting avocado trees completed while the ground is warm, but the weather isn’t too hot. Since transplanted trees can’t take in water very well for a while, they can be vulnerable to sun damage. That also makes irrigation important.
How to Transplant an Avocado
When you are ready to start moving an avocado tree, the first step is to select a new location. Pick a sunny location a distance from other trees. If you are hoping to grow avocado fruit, you’ll need the tree to get as much sun as possible.
Next, prepare the planting hole. Dig the hole three times as large and deep as the root ball. Once the dirt is dug out, break up the chunks and return it all to the hole. Then dig another hole in the loosened soil about the size of the root ball.
Dig a trench around the mature avocado tree. Keep digging deeper, expanding the hole if necessary to accommodate the entire root ball. When you can slip your shovel under the root ball, remove the tree and place it in a tarp. Get help to lift it if necessary. Moving an avocado tree is sometimes easier with two people.
The next step in avocado transplanting is to transport the tree to the new location and ease the tree’s root ball into the hole. Add native soil to fill in all spaces. Tamp it down, then water deeply.
