Dwarf Avocado Tree?    Is it possible?   You bet it is!
Many people steer away from growing avocados in small places and that’s no surprise.   You’ve seen how big those trees can grow!   Even with a full size garden they seem to take up the whole yard.

There is an answer. You can grow a dwarf species, or prune your bigger variety tree to stay at 2 meters high.  Yes, and still grow fruit.    Many farmers now keep their avocado tree small as it means they can walk through their plantation and pick that scrumptious fruit by hand.
Specialist avocado growers use this technique and so can you!   The key is to keep the tree shaped like a Christmas tree.
Difficult, you say? Well, today we are here to help you learn how to grow your Dwarf Avocado Tree!
So let’s get to it!

As long as you live in a temperate climate you can grow an Avocado tree.   If you live in a slightly cooler climate you can also try growing a Bacon Avocado tree.  These guys can withstand cooler weather.
I must admit the humble Avocado tree likes to be fussed over.   It needs more attention than, say, citrus trees do.   But it’s well worth that attention and effort.   Avocados are packed full of nutrition.  Yep, and they taste pretty good, too.
Today there is a wide range of species available, and it is recommended you have a couple of varieties.   This helps with an optimum fruit set.   Therefore it is suggested that you have two varieties.  They are called Type A and Type B
Below is a list of avocado trees and all of these can be purchased as a dwarf specimen?
Secondo - type A (This tree is known to set fruit with no type B Avocado tree around)
Wurtz - type A
Sharwill - type B
Fuerte - type B
Hass – type A
Reed - type A
Pinkerton - type A

The Avocado is semi hardy and freezes at minus 5 to 5 degrees Celsius depending on the variety. Both winter flowers and small fruit are damaged by frosts.  Also, your tree will need protection from strong winds.
In cooler regions you can also grow your Avocado tree next to a brick wall, preferably painted flat white to reflect the light. Stone or brick walls absorb the daily sunshine and through the night slowly cool down releasing the heat back onto the tree.
Provide mulch over the tender feeder roots, and fertilize with a soluble liquid seaweed fertilizer regularly when growing in a container. Fertilize once a fortnight in the slow-growth period,  and once a week during fruit set.
Watering with liquid seaweed helps the tree ward off disease.  It  also helps the fruit to become sweeter.
Grow in a high quality premium organic potting mix containing blood and bone and compost for optimum growth,  and don’t let the roots sit in water at the bottom of the container.
What Container size?
The larger the better. 60cm 24” is recommended.
You will need to change the container every second year and increase fertilization in the second year,  as the potting mix loses vital nutrients.

PHOTO ABOVE: Yes, this is my first Avocado from the same tree on your top left!  It has grown up!   I am definitely looking forward to eating this once its ready!

"If you want to grow a Dwarf Avocado it is highly recommended that you purchase your dwarf fruit tree from a specialist grower."   This way you will receive the very best advice.  Also, a quality grafted Avocado dwarf fruit tree.

Wurtz - A small tree that is suitable for backyards as it’s especially suited to size-reduction.  The Wurtz Avocado tree is a moderate cropper that has a medium-sized, high quality, pear-shaped fruit.

Sharwill – The fruit on this one fruit resembles the Fuerte.  It has a rough textured skin that peels away easily. Also the Sharwill is known to have excellent flavour with medium oil content. The Sharwill has a spreading habit and is highly productive. Also, the Sharwill Avocado tree is fairly frost resistant once established.
Fuerte - A small to medium sized pear shaped fruit with a thick skin that is rough in texture. The Fuerte is regarded for its buttery texture. Similar to the Sharwill, it has a spreading habit.
Hass- Commonly seen in supermarkets and fruit shops.  It has the tendency to turn black when ripe.   This stops the buyer from continually squeezing the fruit checking for ripeness. The fruit has a nutty flavor and creamy texture that is loved by many.
Reed - Thick skinned,  making it slightly resistant to fruit fly. The fruit is large, smooth and round.   The Reed Avocado  has an excellent storage ability once cut and kept in the fridge. Many choose the Reed to place in salads,  as it has the tendency not to go soggy compared to other Avocado varieties.
Pinkerton - Medium size leathery skinned fruit with a very smooth texture. This fruit is also very high in oil content and has a great flavour. The Pinkerton is preferred in cooler regions and is also a very heavy cropper.

More Avocado Information

The Avocado fruit is highly regarded by nutritionists and if you are limited in space,  it is wise to grow a Dwarf Avocado tree in a container or in the ground.
The Avocado is nutrient dense and very low in sugar.  It contains fibre and is salt free.
Moreover, they contain 100g -11% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin A, 11% of Thiamine, 19 % of Riboflavin, 21% of Niacin, 42 % of vitamin C AND 13% of Magnesium.

Avocado is Brilliant for your skin!

Eating 190g of Avocados  provides you with 30.9mg of vitamin E which is 39% of the recommended daily intake.
Not only is it a fantastic antioxidant and fantastic for your skin, vitamins consumed prior to alcohol, inhibits the ability of alcohol to cause fatty liver.  So there’s a great reason to grow a dwarf avocado tree and to consume this fruit readily when it’s in season.   Hmm... Maybe some home grown Avocado dip with your wine?
Avocado is great for maintaining a healthy weight
The body needs fats, as they are vital for all round good health. The Avocado does contain fat, yes - the healthy fat.   60% of the fruit contains mono-unsaturated fats, 20% is polyunsaturated and only 20% is saturated.
A 100 gram serving of Avocado contains 9.8g of the beneficial mono-unsaturated fat. Try substituting high saturated fats like butter with Avocado to help reduce fat cravings.   It does the trick, and is much healthier for you.

If you want even more information about growing Dwarf Avocados please visit my Blog Post Dwarf Avocado Trees!

Reference dwarf Avocado tree