How to Pollinate Avocado

(Persea americana)

Avocado, also known as Alligator pear

Avocado boasts a unique pollination mechanism where bees serve as its primary pollinators. Adorned with greenish flowers, avocado tantalizes bees with its inviting allure. The pollination process unfolds during the day, operating through a remarkable alternating male and female phase system. This intriguing method ensures that avocado maintains a flourishing population, ensuring its survival and propagation.

Which Pollinators are Suitable for Avocado?

Bloom Time

Spring

Primary pollinators

Bees

Potential pollinators

Wind, Birds

How Does Pollination Occur in Avocado?

Avocado flowers are perfect (containing both male and female reproductive parts), small, and greenish-yellow. Notably, they exhibit a unique trait called protogyny, where flowers open as female, then close and reopen as male.

Pollination in avocado typically occurs via cross pollination due to different opening times of male and female flowers. Self-pollination is rare but can occur under certain conditions.

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How Can You Enhance the Pollination of Avocado?

Plant Variety

Consider planting flowering plants that are known to attract bees and birds. These can include lavender, sunflowers, and sage. This not only provides a food source for your primary and secondary pollinators, but also promotes biodiversity in your garden or farm.

Water Sources

Bees and birds need clean, fresh water for drinking and bathing. Providing a shallow birdbath with stones for perching or a small dish of water can attract these pollinators and encourage them to stay.

Pesticide Use

Avoid or limit the use of pesticides, especially during flowering, as they can harm pollinators. Organic and integrated pest management strategies could be considered as alternatives.

Shelter

Create habitats for bees and birds to encourage nesting and breeding on your farm. For bees, this could involve keeping a pile of twigs, leaves, and hollow stems. For birds, consider installing birdhouses or keeping tall trees and shrubs.

How Can You Determine if Avocado has Been Pollinated?

Flower Color Change

Color changes in avocado's flower signify successful pollination. Flowers turn from light green to dark brown, indicating seed development.

Fruit Formation

Once pollinated, avocado's flowers will develop into small fruits that mature over several months. A formation of fruit indicates successful pollination.

Decreased Flower Drop

Pollinated avocado exhibit less flower drop. If fewer flowers are falling, pollination is likely successful.

Understanding Hand-Pollination in Avocado

Difficulty

Normal

Duration

15 - 30 mins

What Tools are Necessary for Hand-Pollinating Avocado?

Paintbrush

A small, soft paintbrush is typically used to collect and distribute the pollen.

Masking Tape

A tape is used to mark the hand-pollinated flowers to identify them during the fruit-bearing phase.

What is the Optimal Time for Hand-Pollinating Avocado?

The best time to attempt hand-pollination in avocado is in the morning when the pollen is most viable. Typically, during the spring season when the plant exhibits maximum flowering is the best period in the plant's growth cycle for the process.

Steps to Hand-Pollinate Avocado

Step1: Gather Pollen

Using your soft paintbrush, gently sweep across the anthers of the flower to collect pollen. Avocado flowers open as male in the morning of the first day and shed pollen late in the afternoon of the following day, ensure to collect it at this time.

Step2: Transfer Pollen

Identify the flowers that are in their female phase, which is typically the afternoon of the first day when flowers open. Gently touch the stigma (central part of the flower) with the pollen-covered paintbrush. Do not force the transfer of pollen, just lightly touch the stigma.

Step3: Mark the Flower

After successful pollination, mark the hand-pollinated flower with a piece of masking tape. This will help to identify these flowers in future.

Step4: Monitor

Keep an eye on the pollination process. If the hand-pollination is successful, the flower will develop into a small avocado in a matter of weeks.

Why Aren't There Fruits on Avocado Despite the Presence of Flowers?

Low Pollinator Activity

Boost pollinator attractivity by planting diverse plants nearby. Also, limit usage of insecticides that could harm potential pollinator insects.

Poor Weather Conditions

During cool, rainy or windy weather, manual pollination with a small brush can assist avocado in its pollination process.

Sparse Blooming

Pruning avocado correctly will promote more blooms and therefore higher chances of pollination.

Non-fruiting

Even if flowers are present, avocado may not fruit due to lack of pollination. Cross-pollination with another variety could increase pollination success.