2nd year in ground hass not flowering. Anyone know if high phosphorus fertilizer will encourage flowering?

[Beabchasingizz]

Tree was put in ground November 2023. It flowered in early 2024 and I kept 2 fruit. The two fruit are still on the tree now. This year my other trees flowered (Pinkerton, fuerte, gem, reed). The hass started to flower in Feb I think but it stopped. It has a flush of new growth. I did use garden tone fertilizer around January.

The tree is around 7 feet tall. I know girdling is an option to encourage flowering but it's currently a central leader so I don't want to girdle the main trunk. I'm thinking about using some 0-10-10 fertilizer to see if it will help. I generally don't think high phosphorus fertilizer will help with flowering unless the soil is deficient in it. Any thoughts?

I've added the picture of the hass.

 

[ktrain]

I'm curious what you mean by girdling helps flowering?
I would think that will kill off anything down stream of the girdle.

I really don't mess with fertilizing in ground trees unless they're showing some form of nutrition deficiency.
Suppose I just tend to let them do what they do and wait for the num nums.

 

[Beabchasingizz]

I'm curious what you mean by girdling helps flowering?
I would think that will kill off anything down stream of the girdle.

I really don't mess with fertilizing in ground trees unless they're showing some form of nutrition deficiency.
Suppose I just tend to let them do what they do and wait for the num nums.

Here's a link for more information about girdling. https://gregalder.com/yardposts/managing-alternate-bearing-in-avocado-trees/
I think it forces the tree to think it's going to die so it's desperate to flower and reproduce.

For fertilization, are you referring to established trees? My ingrown avocados have been in the ground for 1.5 years so they are still growing. I think they will need fertilizer for another year before they are more established. My situation is a bit different, they are in raised bed from retainer walls. Some of them are closed off from expanding past the walls as we have a really heavy clay subsoil. I would consider these trees to be in really large pots (~5x6ft), so I might to have fertilize even when they are established. I'll have to see how they are in the future.

 

[ktrain]

Here's a link for more information about girdling. https://gregalder.com/yardposts/managing-alternate-bearing-in-avocado-trees/
I think it forces the tree to think it's going to die so it's desperate to flower and reproduce.

For fertilization, are you referring to established trees? My ingrown avocados have been in the ground for 1.5 years so they are still growing. I think they will need fertilizer for another year before they are more established. My situation is a bit different, they are in raised bed from retainer walls. Some of them are closed off from expanding past the walls as we have a really heavy clay subsoil. I would consider these trees to be in really large pots (~5x6ft), so I might to have fertilize even when they are established. I'll have to see how they are in the future.

Intersting, it must not be a full girdle...but the pic of the scar looks like it.
I don't grow those.

As for fertilizing in grounds...I plant them with some fertilizer and then water for a while.
But I do not continue to feed them.
Having been told and read that fertilizing trees will or can stop the roots from reaching out for nutrients having it readily close by the trunk.

 

[Beabchasingizz]

Intersting, it must not be a full girdle...but the pic of the scar looks like it.
I don't grow those.

As for fertilizing in grounds...I plant them with some fertilizer and then water for a while.
But I do not continue to feed them.
Having been told and read that fertilizing trees will or can stop the roots from reaching out for nutrients having it readily close by the trunk.

I think it's a full girdle but it heals itself.

Girdling avocado trees for consistent fruiting - Greg Alder's Yard Posts: Southern California food gardening

How to girdle avocado trees in order to get them to fruit every year rather than have ON and OFF years.

gregalder.com

I've always wondered how some trees that get girdled by animals die. But Greg girdles and they heal file. When we air layer, we girdle and they heal fine and the branch doesnt die. I think it has to do with the width of the girdle and how much of the cambium is damaged.

When you fertilize trees, the instructions say to put the fertilizer along the drip line. I think this forces the roots to keep expanding. If you put it near the trunk, the tree might get lazy.

 

[ktrain]

I think it's a full girdle but it heals itself.

Girdling avocado trees for consistent fruiting - Greg Alder's Yard Posts: Southern California food gardening

How to girdle avocado trees in order to get them to fruit every year rather than have ON and OFF years.

gregalder.com

I've always wondered how some trees that get girdled by animals die. But Greg girdles and they heal file. When we air layer, we girdle and they heal fine and the branch doesnt die. I think it has to do with the width of the girdle and how much of the cambium is damaged.

When you fertilize trees, the instructions say to put the fertilizer along the drip line. I think this forces the roots to keep expanding. If you put it near the trunk, the tree might get lazy.

Yeah I used to girdle for my airlayers, but realized it wasn't needed and if it didn't root, it would be too late.
I have seen a tree bounce back from a full girdle...but I'd be freaked out about doing it to promote fruit. lol

As for fertilizing...yes the drip line is where it should be, but they tend to not grow beyond like they would if they were seeking nutrients on their own.

If the soil is lacking then by all means I would put down what it needs.
But if showing no deficiency, I let it go.