Avocado Tree

by Diana Greenwood Mead

Welcome to our gardening feature where Diana Greenwood Mead, our gardening expert answers your questions every week.

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This week we have a question for Diana from another Diana who also lives in England and writes:
I have an 8 by 3 feet tall Bougainvillea outside here in London - I was amazed that someone else had one outside! I love tropical plants and also have grown a 9 by 4 feet Avocado tree as well.
I seem to have lost the top of it to frost 3 months ago during the strong winds. I had wrapped it in fleece, but the layers were too thin and the winds got the better of it.
I have tried protecting its roots with paper shreds well bagged in white plastic. It has lost a lot of its leaves but the branches are green if you cut through it. I check it weekly to ensure it is not rotting due to moisture and remove some of the old leaves that fall off at the base.
I plan to prune it when the weather is warmer and uncover it from the quadrupled layers of fleece that it is wrapped in. It continues to thrive in the pot and I find this amazing for a plant that really should be kept in a conservatory.
I am so afraid to do the wrong thing; I just hope it will flower again in the summer. If you should have any additions I would be entirely grateful.
Kind Regards,
Diana

Hi Diana,
The exotic partnership of Avocado and Bougainvillea sounds terrific.
Any plant which is in a pot is more stressed than one in the ground – its roots are more vulnerable to heat and cold, so insulation inside and outside the pot is a big help.
When potting any tender plant, line the pot with pieces of bubble wrap or foam sheeting, then, in winter, add padding consisting of paper shreds or straw around the outside. (To make this easy I cut the bottom off a big dustbin bag, put it over the pot and then fill it).
Don't over-water when the plant is dormant, just keep the soil slightly damp and there should be no problems with rotting roots.
As for wind or frost damage - and again this applies to many of your shrubs and climbers - wait until you see leaves sprouting and then you will also see where you have die-back. Simply cut the dead stems away cleanly, at the point where they have died off, or just below.
You may get further die-back (as you do with roses when you have to prune them) but once the plant is growing happily again just remove anything dead and all should be well. A dose of rose feed once the plant is leafing up should encourage it to do its best.

By the way if you haven't tried it – planting an avocado pit will eventually give you the most elegant house or patio plant. Just wash the avocado pit in water, put in a 4 or 5" pot in potting soil and water it sparingly.
Then put in a medium sized polythene bag and close this firmly, leaving the pot on a warm windowsill for a couple of months until the pit begins to sprout long delicate green leaves. If you are in a warm climate you might actually see an avocado fruit eventually!

Happy Horticulture!
Diana

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