Avocado Tree - Trunk is too thin - Knowledgebase Question

Hollywood, Fl
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Question by acarman
September 6, 2009
My avocado tree was bought in a nursery, I planted it 2 years ago, and it is about 13 feet tall. There are quite a few branches on the tree, and it produces healthy fruit. However, the trunk is too thin. It only had 6 avocadoes this year, yet it became so top heavy that the tree top bent all the way down to the ground... A heavier post was needed - but next time trunk may break. What can be done


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Answer from NGA
September 6, 2009
Your tree is still young enough to do some training. To make the trunk grow thick enough to support branches you simply need to prune the branches back so they are not so long. Cut them back by one third to one half and they will branch out and thicken the canopy. Each time you "head back" the branches they will become thicker and sturdier - and so will the trunk as it matures. In a few years your tree should have a nicely shaped crown and the trunk will be sturdy enough to hold up the branches, even when they are thick with fruit.

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