A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Plants and Flowers Forum Shrubs and Trees Avocado tree rookie!

I raised an avocado tree from a seed a few years ago. Its now 4 ft tall and I've replanted it into my front yard of my new home in Clovis (Fresno) CA. I know avocado trees can grow to a decent size by my concern is the root base and what it can do to sidewalks, cement, etc. I have it planted on the 4 ft wide grass strip between the street and sidewalk in front of my house. Is this enough room for the tree's root system as to not destroy the sidewalk or curb? I'm hoping this will be a great home for this cool tree I brought to life. Thoughts? Advice? Thanks!

Welcome to the forum! I've always grown avocados in pots and never in the ground because it gets too cold here. Most trees can reach about 80feet with age. A general rule is that a tree's roots usually spread three times as wide as the canopy of the tree. Reaching (a max of) 80 feet (when mature) I would guess the canopy would be quite large. I don't think 4ft is enough for any tree but maybe if you keep it trimmed it might help. Deep watering will encourage the roots to reach down, but the feeder roots of the tree are just under the soil line (feeder roots are the roots that absorb nutrients and water). I believe avocados have a tap root as well, and when you're planting, you need to mend the soil at least 1m down to help the tap root grow with ease. Don't damage the tap root of any woody plant (unless you're making a bonsai) and try to touch it in the process of planting as little as possible.