Avocado Tree as Indoor Bonsai?

[garmy yo]

Updates:
1st project: The leaves are getting bigger since adding soil on the bottom and giving the roots more room to grow in. But I'm OK with that for now. There is still a defoliage in the future, maybe the fall. The tree overall is vigorous but I haven't been cutting her back lately, just letting her grow.


2nd project: Recovering from a cat taste testing.


3rd project: Instead of ROR, I am growing the avocado in a reenforced paper towel tube filled with rocks and soil. I am hoping the tap root will wind it's way around the rocks, then I will slowly expose the roots from the top down.

[garmy yo]

Hard to believe a whole month has gone by since my last post. Not much has happened with the avocados. It's been a cold and cloudy spring for the most part. Soon I will be able to put them outside for good. Then they should really take off.

[rainbowgardener]

You are doing things I wouldn't have thought possible. I have told people here that avocado isn't suitable for bonsai due to the huge leaves. I will never say that again! Just point people to this thread... They are beautiful!

[applestar]

This is so much fun!

I have two new sprouted avocado seeds -- dilemma deciding what to do with them....

[Lindsaylew82]

OMG! This is so COOL! I can't wait to see those roots!!!

[Asica]

It is really cool project. Thank you for sharing with us.

[sjors]

Hi,

I have been following your project for a while, I think it's time for an update!
I am trying to bonsai an avocado too, it is working realy well ! I'll try to post a picture soon!

[garmy yo]

Update photos:
Thanks for all the comments and interest!

[rainbowgardener]

These continue to be beautiful. The one in the tea cup, the leaves are now starting to get disproportionate to the teacup/ plant size. Will you try to do anything about that or just let it be what it is?

[garmy yo]

Hi rg,
I am hoping that once the seed is no longer feeding energy into the plant, the leaves will reduce in size. The next time the buds start another round of growth, I am going to cut it back quite a bit. That should use up some of that energy too.

[Asica]

This is so cool. You take great pictures too. The one with the tube around the roots. Will it be able to stand with its roots expose? How do you water it?

[garmy yo]

I had to do an emergency re-pot on the twisted trunk avocado. The original pot did not have a flat bottom and water was able to pool in the low spots. I believe that caused one of the three to die. But that might be a good thing. I will stick a new sprouted seed in place of the dead one, and leave the dead trunk as a feature.
I started a Root Over Rock a month or so ago. There is a big quartz and granite stone under all that foil and soil.

[AnnaIkona]

So amazing!

what soil did you use? I'm guessing potting soil (or maybe Bonsai Soil)?
Also, what are you watering it with? Plain tap water? Or dechlorinated water?

[garmy yo]

what soil did you use? I'm guessing potting soil (or maybe Bonsai Soil)?
Also, what are you watering it with? Plain tap water? Or dechlorinated water?

Hi Annalkona,
I mostly use potting soil mixed with perlite. And for water I fill a bucket of tap water and let it sit over night, then add 1/2 strength miracle grow.

[AnnaIkona]

Thank you for the information! Your baby bonsai trees look amazing. Wishing you best of luck!

[garmy yo]

update photos:

[AnnaIkona]

So beautiful!
Are you thinkin' of removing the pit?

[garmy yo]

So beautiful!
Are you thinkin' of removing the pit?

Thanks, Annalkona!
Eventually, they will fall off on their own. I don't know how long that will take though.

[sjors]

How is your avocado bonsai in the tea cup right now? I am trying te create a avocado bonsai aswell, I'll post a picture of it tonight!

[garmy yo]

How is your avocado bonsai in the tea cup right now? I am trying te create a avocado bonsai aswell, I'll post a picture of it tonight!

Hi sjors,
Here is how she looks now. Just quietly doing her thing..
Yeah, I'd love to see a picture of how your avocado bonsai project is coming!
Cheers!

[rainbowgardener]

Lovely! Leaf size is much reduced on the teacup one, since we last saw it. How did you do that?

[ElizabethB]

Garmy Yo - your avocado is adorable. I am not a Bonsai expert. I have just played around with it. I would not leave the wire on. The look is not at all pleasing. That is the purpose of Bonsai - pleasing to look at and contemplate.

Knowing the very basics of Bonsai and the growth habits of an Avocado I wish you well. I look forward to progress reports.

Good luck!

e

[garmy yo]

Update photos: exposed root and root-over-rock

[Lindsaylew82]

I have an ever increasing crush on avocado bonsai!

[hpontes]

Loved your bonsai, please don't give up the tea cup experiment and keep showing us pictures of these bonsais.
I'm thinking about keeping my avocado seedling as bonsai, so your tips are very welcome.

[garmy yo]

Update:
I re-potted the exposed root avocado after bare-rooting her and removing all the paper, plastic and wood. Same with the root over rock avocado; I removed all the foil and tape, trimmed up the roots, and raised her up in the pot.

[sjors]

This was my avocado plant a month ago, just a young plant.

[sjors]

now I went to asia for a month and I totally exploded..!! don't know what to do with it anymore, any suggestions?

[sjors]

I bought a bottle of wine and went totally bananas with it! its on a big trunk now, hided under the soile. lets hope somthing good will happen with it. don't know yet if it will still be a bonsai. at least I topped it again and I will try to keep it small.

[garmy yo]

Hi sjors,
She is looking good. I like the trunk you planted it on. Don't be afraid to cut it way back when it gets too tall. As long as the seed is still there it will have energy to come back.

[sjors]

I might do that when she recovers, now she is kinda struggling to keep the leaves nog hanging, gave her a little fertilizer en some extra water. do I need to cover the ground on the trunk with some plastic or something? or is it fine like this for the roots?

thanks for your answer! looking forward to your next post

[garmy yo]

What may be the worst pairing between a plant and a pot, ever. Good thing it is only temporary. But then again, considering it is an avocado on a rock, maybe it is perfect..

[rainbowgardener]

yeah, the pot is pretty awful. But what you do with avocado seedlings is just amazing!

[Asica]

I love y
What you did with those trees. My favorite has to be the avocado in a black cup. I love that combination.

[hacosaw]

can you post updated photo of the avocado in tea cup? its pretty awesome, I started my own bonsai avocado after I fell in love with that one.

here is mine, its still small didnt had to trim it yet, gonna let it get little bit highers before doing that. u can also notice I broke the pit to half, it fell and broke but didnt die

capture

[sjors]

The avocado on the rock still looks beautifull!
I am also looking forward to new update pictures

[garmy yo]

A couple updates:
I am considering changing the angle of the teacup avocado once the seed falls off.
I made a rather drastic change to the bare root avocado. I like it much better this way.

[hacosaw]

This is art, I really love what your'e doing. Now I'm sprouting litchi seeds gonna try my own exposed root over rock, thx for the update keep them coming!

[Nyrm]

Registered on the forum just to be able to reply to this thread. Garmy yo, that's some amazing art!

I'd love to hear some details on how you've treated the plants. Did you plant the pits directly into the soil? How long did you keep the foil over the rock and roots before uncovering? Been doing anything in particular with the roots on either of the trees?

[102christa]

I am so inspired right now, I managed to sprout some avo's last year but unfortunately they didn't survive the winter. I didn't know you could keep them indoors, but I'm definitely trying that braided look!