How to Grow an Avocado Tree Indoors, According to Horticulturists

There’s nothing better than freshly prepared guacamole—especially when it's made with perfectly ripe avocados. In fact, you can even grow these delicious fruits indoors, whether it's in your living room or your sunroom. However, before you start growing an avocado tree inside, it's worth taking note of a few special care instructions. Here, we spoke to experts about the ideal soil and containers, as well as some best practices for watering and fertilizing your new avocado tree.

Suggested Varieties 

It might sound fun to grow an avocado tree from the pit of a store-bought fruit, but this isn't your best bet for indoor environments. "These will be huge, harder to manage, and may never fruit indoors," warns Raffaele Di Lallo, founder of Ohio Tropics.

Instead, he recommends the "Day" variety. "It will start fruiting in as little as two years," Di Lallo adds. "You can prune to keep it a manageable size for an indoor space—as long as you have plenty of sun.”

Soil and Container Recommendations

For avocado trees, Di Lallo recommends a typical houseplant potting soil with some added perlite or pumice to promote aeration. When it comes to the perfect container, an unglazed terracotta pot will go a long way in maintaining a healthy root system. 

“These plants can be sensitive to root rot indoors, and terracotta breathes,” Di Lallo says. “The weight of the pot will also help keep the plant stable. Keep in mind that terracotta pots will dry out more and require more frequent watering.”

Lisa Eldred Steinkopf, founder of The Houseplant Guru, always chooses a container with holes and also adds small orchid bark for better drainage.

“As your tree grows and fills the pot with roots, keep moving it up a pot size,” she says. “Don’t up-pot too quickly. You need to make sure your plant isn’t in a pot too large for its root system, because if there's too much wet potting mix around the roots, it will rot.” 

How Often Should You Water?

The typical rule of thumb for watering most houseplants will also apply to your avocado tree. “Allow the top inch or two to dry out,” Di Lallo advises. “Use your finger—not a moisture meter, as they can be misleading and faulty. Simply drench the soil thoroughly until water escapes the drainage hole, then discard any excess water that collects below.”

Sunlight Is Key

The importance of direct sunlight cannot be overstressed. “Without enough light, your plant will fail to flower and bear fruit,” Di Lallo says. “With enough light, younger plants can flower—but may not be strong enough to support fruit.” 

If your climate supports it, Steinkopf suggests bringing your tree outside. “I would take it out for the summer and bring it in for the winter to help it grow to its best potential,” she says.

Fertilizers

Fertilization is important for an avocado tree. If you don't want to have to remember to fertilize, then Di Lallo recommends a slow-release fertilizer that will continually feed the plant little by little over time.

“Dr. Earth Natural Wonder Fruit Tree Fertilizer would be a great choice for this purpose,” he says. “SUPERthrive Grow is a fantastic liquid fertilizer.”

Steinkopf recommends choosing an organic fertilizer if your avocado tree is at the point where it can possibly fruit. 

Pruning Needs

Only prune when needed to contain the size of your tree. “Never trim more than one-third of the plant so that it isn’t too stressed,” warns Steinkopft.

If you decide to prune, Di Lallo suggests doing so in the spring. “Your avocado plant, once it is mature enough, will form flower buds on new growth,” he says. “So make sure you don't prune after early summer because you may be compromising the number of flowers that your plant produces.”

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When to Expect a Harvest

Di Lallo says the avocado tree "Day" should produce fruit after two or three years. However, other varieties may take as long as 10 years before they are mature enough to produce fruit.

“You'll gradually up-pot until your plant is in a 14- or 16-inch pot and should be around 5 or 6 feet tall,” he says. “The bigger the pot, the bigger the plant will grow.” 

As for harvesting, a personal avocado tree allows you to leave the fruit on your plant until it's ripe.

“You can still pick it beforehand—similar to what you pick up at the grocery store—and then let them sit on your kitchen counter to ripen,” he says. “Ripening will generally occur anywhere from July to September for avocado 'Day.' You'll know it's ripe when you press on the fruit and it starts to give a little.”