Q: I’ve been growing an avocado plant over the summer. I was advised to prune the original plant. Once I did, the stem stopped growing. The leafy branch pictured grew out of the original stalk after I pruned it. Should I prune the original back further or leave it alone?

A: This time, instead of clipping the stem, use a thumbnail to pinch out the growing tip at the end of the leafy branch. This is what you should have done when the original vertical sprout reached 12 inches…..but no harm has been done. Unless you see swollen buds on the old brown stem above the new sprout, you can remove it…it’s not going to produce any more sprouts.

Once you pinch the growing tip, a couple of new sprouts will grow. When they are 8″ long, pinch them. Before long, the avocado will become an attractive houseplant which you can take outdoors to a bright shady spot each summer. Don’t expect to harvesy avocados though…it will never get big/mature enough to bloom.

Give it as much light as possible while it’s indoors each winter and enjoy your success!

avocado