Indoor avocado tree

[greenpea21]

I have an avocado tree in a pot that my mom found growing in her compost pile. I live in CT and obviously can't plant it outside and know that it won't ever grow fruit, but it's such a beautiful tree. It's probably 6 or 7 years old and maybe 3 feet tall. It has a lot of lush green leaves, but the truck doesn't seem to be thickening up. It's probably a little thicker than a Sharpie marker and seems like it's been that thick for several years. I pruned the top off at the suggestion of a nursery last year and it did grow out some new branches but is now looking a little top heavy.

Any suggestions or information on why the trunk isn't getting any thicker???

[!potatoes!]

if it's inside, the lack of moving air or wind might mean it's not having to thicken up in order to deal with it...that sentence is a bit of a mess, but I think you can see what I mean.

[greenpea21]

thank you for the response. is there anything I can do to fix that? set up a fan or put it outside during the summer? or is it a lost cause at this point given it's age, and doomed to be lanky?

[!potatoes!]

seems like going outside for the summer's a reasonable idea.

[rainbowgardener]

Definitely keep it outdoors whenever it's warm enough. In the meantime, they recommend shaking your indoor trees -- just grab the trunk and shake. Helps make them stronger.

[applestar]

Avocados respond tremendously to spending the summer outdoors. If it's pot-bound, repot when you start setting them outside -- either trim roots and put back in the same pot with fresh soil mix or uppot. Be sure to acclimate to the sunlight gradually. I usually start in the dappled shade of a plum tree after all danger of frost is over. They get more and more sun until they're in as sunny a spot as I can give them -- some mid-day shade -- prime spots are taken by the veggie garden . Note that younger seedlings prefer more shaded locations, older trees can handle more sun. I remove the saucer or whatever drip tray and place the containers directly on the grass (I prefer grassy areas which provide bit of a buffer to help keep the containers from drying out). Earthworms move in shortly thereafter and help to fertilize the avocados with their casting. Pick up and inspect the underside and drain holes occasionally for slugs.

I start acclimating them to less light about a month before they will come inside. I generally wait until the last minute, but bring them in when temps dip to below 40ºF/upper 30's. They spend the winter upstairs where the temperature is a few degrees warmer than downstairs in the sunniest windows I have. This past winter, I've started adding supplemental light with clamp-on utility lights fitted with CFL 100W equivalent daylight bulb.

[greenpea21]

thank you so much everyone for your suggestions, not quite warm enough here in CT but I'll start acclimating it outside soon!!!!

[greenpea21]

oh wait, one more question!!!!

how do you treat it before it comes back in in the fall, to prevent bringing bugs in? I'm really not a fan of any kind of chemicals so looking for some safe alternative?????

[applestar]

I'm not the right one to reply because I tolerate most bugs and I WANT the earthworms and centipedes -- earthworms to feed the plant through the winter and centipedes to eat the pest bugs. I find giving the pot a soak -- thoroughly water sitting in a saucer or tub -- brings out the ants if they've moved in. Let them swarm out and carry their eggs and larvae away -- give them a way to get out onto the ground, then move the pot to drain in another spot. Repeat next time the plants needs to be watered in case there were stragglers/they didn't evacuate the queen. Check the drip tray in case the earthworm tried to crawl out and is drowning in the water (I pick it up and put it back in the pot ).

[greenpea21]

ok thanks, I'll try that! I don't mind most bugs either, especially not the earth worms I'm just worried about other kinds of bugs infesting all my houseplants that are right near the avocado when it's indoors.
thanks for your input!!