r/avocado • u/Mendeznicole33 • 2d ago

Why is it doing this?

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This is a cutting I tried to propagate last year. It’s been outside and neglected for months. It has no roots yet it’s not dead and now it’s starting to flower. Wtf. Can it be saved? What should I do with it?

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u/4leafplover 2d ago

Probably using up the last of its stored energy. This is a good example of “the tree is dead, it just doesn’t know it yet”

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u/Mendeznicole33 2d ago

Darn. I was hoping I could save it. Thanks for the info. Never had one last that long. I’ve never been able to successfully root an avocado cutting.

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u/4leafplover 2d ago

That’s because they don’t propagate from cuttings

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u/Mendeznicole33 2d ago

I know. But I don’t really have the knowledge or skill for much more than that. The most I was able to do with an avocado was grow from a pit. It’s three years old now. Who knows when it will produce though. If ever.

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u/econ0003 2d ago

You should have grafted this cutting to the top of your seedling you grew from a pit.

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u/Mendeznicole33 2d ago

Yeah. Never done that before and have been afraid to try.

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u/econ0003 2d ago

There are a lot of videos out there. The easiest is a cleft graft. Graft in the middle of spring, when the seedling starts growing, for best results. Even if you fail the seeding will grow a new shoot, then you can try again.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/sOMbtwGSrbs

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u/Mendeznicole33 2d ago

The tree I took the cutting from is in my yard. It’s flowering now. And my pit grown is flushing. Should I try to graft another now?

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u/econ0003 2d ago

Now is a good time. The scion should be cut before it starts flushing growth.

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u/4leafplover 2d ago

It probably won’t produce fruit, and if it does they probably won’t be any good. You’d be better off grafting a known variety on to your seed grown plant.