How to Grow Avocado in Arizona | Expert Tips for Success

Avocados are one of the beloved fruits in everyone’s kitchens due to their creamy and rich flavour. It can be challenging but not impossible if you live in Arizona and want to grow avocados in that hot and harsh climate.

Care and technique are the keys to growing avocados in the desert of Arizona. You need to carefully choose the right variety, apply proper watering, and ensure it gets the right amount of sun.

The article below explains how to grow an avocado tree in Arizona from our personal experience. We explain every possible step in complete detail. So, let’s get to it without wasting any time.

Understanding the Climate of Arizona:

In order to answer the question can you grow avocado in Arizona? you need first to understand the climate of Arizona. Well Arizona is a big state, and its climate is different across its different regions. The summers are hot, and have mild winters. As for avocado trees, it is a subtropical plant, which means it need high humidity with moderate temperature. With little care and focus, you can grow avocadoes in Arizona.

Choosing Variety of Avocados:

There are different types of avocados with different characteristics. You need to choose the one that can withstand the hot summer of Arizona. Below, we have some of the suitable avocado varieties for Arizona.

Mexicola: This variety is known for its rich flavour. It is a good choice for growing in Arizona because it ideal temperatures are 50 to 85°F (10-29°C).

Bacon: It is another great variety of avocados that can adapt to different soil types and produce medium-sized, rich-in-flavor avocados.

Fuerte: It is a hybrid of Guatemalan and Mexican varieties known for its texture and sweet taste. It’s also suitable for Arizona because of its cold and hot tolerance.

Aravaipa: Aravaipa, which is also called the Unicorn of Desert, is perfect for Arizona because its ancestors are from Arizona Canyon. It produces some of the best-ripened avocadoes that have a smooth creamy texture.

Also Read: Growth Cycle of FIG Tree.

Selection Location:

The next step in the process of growing avocado in Arizona is to select a plant location for your avocado. Avocados need sun, but not too much, so you should plant them where they get the morning sun but under shade during noon to prevent them from Arizona’s extreme heat. I would suggest planting it on the west side of your garden under a plant where it gets the morning sun but under a shade during noon. I done the same myself.

You can also manage a cloth shade if you don’t have another option. Arrange it in a way to protect it from mid-day hot, scorching sun.

Soil Preparation:

Just like other subtropical plants, avocado needs well-drained soil. You need to have properly amended soil with a pH of 6 to 6.5 because avocades are slightly acidic soil. The soil should also have a proper drainage mechanism.

When to Plant:

The best time to plant avocado in Arizona is in the mid-spring season when the snow from winter just melts. You can also plant it at the beginning of fall when the temperatures are mild.

How to Plant an Avocado:

After selecting a place, it’s time to start planting your avocado plant.

• First of all, dig a hole as big and as deep as the root ball of the avocado plant.
• Now, put the avocado plant into the hole, but keep the top of the root ball at the level of the surface.
• Now start filling the hole with soil, gently tamp it, and fix the plant in its place.
• Now water it properly to settle that soil.

This was the method to plant your avocado tree.

Watering Requirements:

Normally, an avocado plant needs regular water, especially in Arizona’s hot and dry climate. The newly planted trees need frequent watering to establish their roots. You need to water your avocado plant every five days. If the temperature is hot, then you can water it every three days. during fall, you should water it every 2 to 3 weeks.

Soil Management:

In soil management, you have to focus on one thing, and that is nutrients. Avocados normally need a balanced supply of nutrients, which include nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and other micronutrients like iron and zinc.

Other than that, you have to provide fertilization regularly. If the plant is young, then you should fertilize it every 4 to 6 weeks, but if the plant is mature, then you should fertilize it 2 to 3 times a year. You can choose any fertilizer, but I personally use organic fertilizer, and I really recommend it to use it.

Training and Pruning:

Every plant needs pruning and training to improve air circulation, get proper light, and improve plant structure. During the pruning, you need to remove crossing and weak branches; for mature avocado plants, you need to cut the dead and diseased branches.

Training of plants is a method of shaping the plant structure. During training, you should cut unnecessary branches to leave space for new branches.

Here is a video guide to growing avocados in Arizona.

Conclusion:

Growing and having avocado in Arizona can be a very rewarding experience. Most people think it is impossible, but with the right approach and proper planning and preparation, it can be done. If you follow the above process, you can grow avocados if you live in Arizona or any other hot climate area.

I hope you understand the above process, but if you have questions in the process, then ask in the comment section, and I will get back to you as soon as possible.