Although avocado seeds take a very long time to germinate and develop shoots - once that happens, avocados are very fast-growing plants. To ensure they thrive, they should be repotted regularly.
How should you properly repot an avocado?
To properly repot an avocado, choose a larger clay pot and a potting soil/peat mix or palm soil. Carefully remove the old pot, clean the root ball, plant the avocado in the new pot and cover it deeper with soil. Spray the plant with room temperature water.
Spring is the optimal time
Basically, an avocado only needs to be repotted once a year. It is high time for a larger planter when the old pot is already completely filled with the root ball and there is hardly any soil left. The optimal time for repotting is spring, when the winter break is over and the plant needs to be prepared for the summer season. You can also use the opportunity to cut back your avocado or cut off any excess shoots.
This is what you need for repotting:
- a larger pot (preferably made of clay)
- fresh soil (ideally potting soil/peat mixture or palm soil)
- nail scissors / rose scissors
- a spray bottle
- stale, room temperature water for spraying
Repotting the avocado properly
Take your avocado carefully out of the old pot, grabbing the plant as far down the trunk as possible. Remove the pot and lightly clean the root ball of old soil residues (€14.00 at Amazon). Now you can place the root ball in the new pot that has already been prepared and fill it with fresh soil. You can remove the remains of the core without worry, as they are no longer important for the plant's supply. Instead, cover your avocado a little deeper with soil to allow new roots to form. Then spray the soil and the leaves of the plant with water.
Tips & Tricks
Take advantage of the opportunity and prune your avocado before repotting. You can cut off the tip and cut back longer, bare shoots. Your avocado will reward these efforts with bushier growth.
