Establishing Avocado Orchards

1. Site Selection:
a. Climatic requirements
i. Ideal average daily temperatures should be between 17 - 21 oC with
Min. and Max. daily temperatures not exceeding -2 oC and 35oC;
During flowering (September / October), average daily temperature
over 18 oC, with Max. not exceeding 30oC
Below 13 oC, no pollination / fruit set will take place;
ii. Humidity should not go below RH 50% during flowering and fruit set
(September – November);
iii. Rainfall of 700 - 900mm per year is required – although it can be
supplemented with irrigation. The most critical time of rainfall /
irrigation being August – January (Flowering + Fruit set + Fruit
growth).
iv. Strong wind can cause damage to trees and fruit. (Planting suitable
windbreaks can overcome problems with strong wind.)
v. Areas with a high incidence of hail should be avoided.

b. Soil requirements:
Minimizing the risk of Phytophthora root rot (Pc.) is the main criteria when
selecting avocado soils. Pc. can be minimised by the careful selection of
well-drained soils, without any impervious layers that could result in water
logging.

Physical status of the soil:

i. Fast internal drainage throughout the whole profile, up to a
minimum 2m soil depth
Soil colour should be red to dark-brown. Yellow and grey soils must be
avoided at all cost as these soil colours indicate the presence of
excessive water in the soil. Increased Root rot, Phytophthora
cinnamomi (Pc.), activity will take place in waterlogged soils, leading
to a decline in tree health and vigour, and even dying in the end.) -
more on Pc in “Disease control”
ii. Clay content of the soil should preferably be between 20 – 40%, and
should not increase rapidly with depth.
iii. Growing Avocados outside these parameters is not impossible but
would just require more management input
iv. The soil should preferably not have any strong developed structure.
v. The water table – if present - should never rise to above 1.5m from
the surface
vi. Good soil aeration and high oxygen content
vii. Moderate to high water holding capacity (WHC)
viii. pH (H2O) - 5.8 – 6.5
Exchangeable Sodium (Na) - < 20 ppm
Resistance - > 1000 ohms
Phosphate - 18 – 60
 c. Irrigation water:
Physical:
i. Orchard distance and height from the water source should be
economically viable!
ii. Particles in the water (Sand / Silt / Clay) should be as few as
possible (Clean)

Chemical:
iii. pH 5 – 7;
iv. Salts – conductivity less than 180 m.e. / litre

Other:
Adequate throughout the year?
Assurance of predicted quantities needed by the crop
Rights of other users?
Local law requirements, water permit?
Environmental impact?

2. Soil Preparation
Proper soil preparation of an orchard is a long-term investment, and will
benefit the orchard for the rest of its life.

The main aim of soil preparation is to optimise the chemical, physical, and
biological conditions of the soil, for optimum root growth and development.
The healthier the root system of the plant, the quicker the plant will
become, and stay in optimum production.

Phosphate (P) moves slowly into the soil and should therefore be worked
into the soil before planting – where needed according to your soil sample.
Minjingu may be recommended
Correcting the soil’s pH is achieved by broadcasting lime – according to your
soil analysis – and mixing it into the soil before planting.
If land preparation is to be done by tractor, the soil should be ripped as
deep as possible, at least 60cm deep, and then “cross ripped” – at 60°
Ripping and the incorporation of Minjingu and Lime should be done at least
4 – 6 months before the planned planting date of that orchard.

Marking out of the orchard can now begin – according to your tree spacing.
Mainlines of the irrigation system can be dug and installed in the orchard,
and all relevant piping, and micros/ drippers joined, to ensure the irrigation
system will be up and running well before the trees arrive on the farm

Manual land preparation: Dig holes 60x60x60cm. Backfill with topsoil and
build up a mound with additional soil. No fertiliser or farmyard manure is to
be put in the hole before planting.
3. Planting material (trees)
For which market are you planting + when do you want to be in the that
market.
For export market, Hass variety is recommended
Select good quality trees

4. Preparing planting holes + Planting the trees

Avocado trees are highly susceptible to water logging and this can lead to
ideal conditions for Phytophthora c. (Pc) to infect the roots. Effort should
be made to ensure good water drainage away from the tree.
A 20cm high mound should be made for each tree - to increase soil depth,
and improve drainage. NEVER plant in a hole / hollow.
Alternatively planting can be done on ridges.
1. Dig planting holes:
a. Max. 60 x 60 x 60cm, backfill with topsoil, irrigate and
allow soil to settle (±1 week before planting). Do not
plant the trees while the soil is wet – damp is fine.
Irrigate the nursery trees as well, before planting.
b. Do not add fertiliser, lime, composted manure or into the
hole.
i. Liming is best done beforehand, with the ripping
ii. Fertilisers and manure often burn the roots.
iii. Compost works best if applied on top of the
ground after planting.
2. In the orchard:
Keep the trees upright and out of direct sunlight until
planted in the soil, to prevent sunburn to the leaves,
stems, and roots.
3. Dig a hole slightly bigger and wider than the plant bag
4. Remove the plant from the bag as well as the placing of
the tree in the hole:
a. Remove the bottom of the bag – cut it off.
All cuts made to the bag by pointing the knife’s sharp
edge to the outside, in order not to damage / cut off any
of the roots.
b. Place the tree in the hole and Position it so the top the
potting mix is level with the top of the hole.
c. Turn the tree in such a way that most of the branches and
leaves face ±West - in the direction of the hottest /
afternoon sun – to protect the tree from sunburn.
d. ONLY NOW – Cut the side of the bag and remove it
e. Inspect each tree for a healthy / white / well developed
root system. If the roots are not healthy looking - DO not
plant these trees
5. Fill the hole gradually with top-soil, gently pressing the
soil into contact with the root ball – no stepping around
the tree especially when wet.
a. Care must be taken not to damage any of the roots, as
avocado roots are brittle and can easily break off.
b. Ensure the plant mound has a “flat top” of ±40 – 50cm in
diameter, with gradual sloping sides. If the mound is
made too steep + small, it will erode quickly and / or will
dry out too quickly.
 c. A shallow basin – on top of the mound - can also be made
around each tree to aid with irrigations.
d. Double check the planting depth at this stage
i. Planting too deep will result in collar rot; and
ii. Planting too shallow will expose the roots to
sunburn, and drying out.
6. Irrigate well directly after planting, too further ensure
good contact between the soil and the rooting medium /
root ball
7. Tall thin nursery plants can be tied to a stake to prevent
wind damage and encourage upward growth

6. Care of young orchards:

Get the most out of your new investment by looking after your young trees from day one
after planting. The better you look after your young trees, the quicker the orchard will
come into full production, and will stay in optimum production for longer.

6.1 Irrigation
The irrigation system should already be in place - and working – before planting your
trees. If an irrigation system is not in place a water bowser or hose pipes should be used
provide regular watering of the trees.
Directly after planting, trees should be given ±20 litres (L) of water per tree -, with a
bucket or hose pipe – to ensure the soil settles around the planting / potting medium. Soil
can be pressed down by hand to ensure good contact with the roots and the planting
medium, but do not use your feet to compact the soil around the tree – especially when
the soil is wet – as this will compact the soil around the tree.
The planting medium – at the base of the tree - should be covered by ± 2cm of loose top-
soil to ensure the medium don’t dry out to quickly. (also see Mulching).
Young trees will require a maximum of ± 20 - 40 L of water per week. (Clay soils ± 30 L
once a week, and sandy soils ± 20 L twice a week - maximum).
By over irrigating more harm than good is done. Roots will start dying off / rotting,
the chances of the tree getting Pc. is increased, nutrients are being leached out of the top
soil, “good” microbes will start dying, and water – and money - are being wasted. More
avocado trees are killed annually from over-, rather than under irrigation!
Irrigation frequencies can radically be reduced by using suitable mulches around the tree.
Dry grass, maize trash, wheat straw, rice husks are all suitable mulch. Do not use wood
sawdust.

6.2 Fertilisation
The correct – and easiest - way to rectify low soil Acidity (pH), and soils low in Phosphate
(P), is to rectify these problems 6-12 months BEFORE planting. This can be done by
broadcasting the necessary Lime (if pH is below 6.0), and/or Minjingu (if soil P levels are
below 30), and incorporating it into the soil.
Foliar feeding / booster sprays (with knapsack) can start directly after planting, and can
be followed up every 4 to 8 weeks – right through the year, for the first 2 years . A mix -
that works very well for nutrition, and root health – is made up out of Wuxal ® (30ml / 10L
water), Solubor® (15g / 10L water), Zinc Nitrate (10ml / 10L water), and Aliette ® (30ml /
10 L water). The Aliette (A fungicide that prevents root rot) can be applied at 6 to 8-week
intervals during the rainy season, and should therefore NOT be applied every time you are
doing your nutritional booster sprays.
A suitable fertiliser for small trees is Yara Mila UNIK 17 applied at 25g per tree during the
first year, and 50g per tree during the second year.
Spread the fertiliser evenly around the tree, and avoid direct contact with the stem.

6.3 Mulching
Mulching is very important for small – and big – trees, as it conserves moisture, suppresses
weed growth, and stabilises soil temperatures. Avocado is a forest tree and the feeder
roots grow best in rotting plant material and surface topsoil. Mulches help build up organic
matter and microorganism populations in the soil, this in return lead to less compacted
soils with a better structure. All of the above help to increase your trees root system – and
efficiency thereof, which in turn will lead to a healthier looking tree.
Mulches should ideally consist of stalky grass (e.g. Oats, sugar cane-, or maize trash), rice
husk, or coarse wood chips - NOT wood shavings.
Spread the mulch evenly (5-15cm thick) around the tree – from the stem of the tree up to
±50cm outside of the canopy / drip-line of the tree. Avoid direct contact with the stem as
this can lead to rots, as well as termite damage to the main stem. Follow-up with the
mulching as soon weeds starts pushing through, or the soil stars getting visible under the
tree.
Do not apply the mulches too thick under the trees as firstly this will lead to problems in
getting the irrigation water to reach the soil, and roots. Secondly once the mulch is wet, it
does not dry out quickly, and can lead to anaerobic conditions (no / not enough oxygen
getting to the soil and roots) which encourages Pc, and the roots finally rot away.
Rather apply smaller amounts of mulch but more often.

6.4 Protection of young trees

a. Frost
Frost – or cold temperatures (Below 0°C) can often cause extensive damage to especially
young avocado trees, and it is important to protect the trees during the winter. If the
whole tree cannot be protected then try and at least protect the bottom 50cm of the
tree, – up to just above the graft union of the tree - using either newspaper, or grass to
cover the stem of the tree.
The whole tree can also be covered using either grass or maize trash
These covers should then systematically be taken off the trees during spring – when you
are convinced there will be no more cold snaps. Removing the covers too quickly can often
lead to sunburn damage on newly formed growth.

b. Sunburn
When new trees are planted with “soft leaf flush” on them, these new leaves often get
sun burnt very easily, as the trees have been standing under shade in the nurseries, and
have not been exposed to full sunlight. This is not a serious problem and can be overcome
by asking the nursery to “harden off” the trees for you at the nursery – gradually move
them out into full sunlight – before picking them up from the nursery. Otherwise always
try and plant trees with “hardened-off leaves”, that are less prone to sunburn.

Protecting the branches, and especially the main stem of the tree is the most important
part of the tree to protect against sunburn!!!
This can be done by painting the stem with a mixture of emulsion (white, or any other
light colour) latex-free paint, and some water. It is crucial to cover the area at the base of
the tree trunk, – by removing a bit of the soil at the base of the tree - as well as regularly
“patching up” the paint on these young trees.
It is especially the western side (afternoon sun side) that will be the most at risk to
sunburn. Painting can be stopped as soon as the tree has got a big enough canopy to shade
its own stem.

c. Animals
Animals can cause a lot of damage on small trees in certain areas if not protected
adequately – especially during the winter months, when natural food and water sources
are scarce.
The damage can be anything from eating the new growth and leaves – usually buck of any
size. Buck can also damage the trees by “marking” the trees with their horns – usually only
duiker, this can be quite serious as the tree can be “ring barked” in this manner, and
these trees will then die.
All parts of the Irrigation can be damaged such as holes bitten in the pipes
There are various methods of keeping animals out. These methods include putting poles in
around each tree and then “fencing off each tree” by using something like fertiliser or
maize bags, or fencing the entire orchard. Tall posts in the orchard will allow birds of prey
to perch and keep the rodent population under control

d. Wind
Wind breaks. Maize or sugar cane, Black wattle, Pine, Tasmanian blackwood
Not Eucalyptus or Casuarina. Hakea if tall enough. Plant across the direction of the
prevailing wind

e. Pests
Keep a close watch for pests that may damage the small trees. Seek advice of the
agriculture officer for the correct treatment.

f. Disease
The only disease that is likely to affect young trees is avocado root rot. Prevention
is better than cure: correct soils, healthy nursery plants, proper land preparation
and planting, as well as moderate irrigation

g. Weeds
Keep the root zone weed free and mulched