In this month’s Food Gardening Magazine, you get everything you need to know about growing avocados at home—this fruit just keeps gaining in popularity, and no wonder, with how delicious it is! Learn about five of the most popular varieties of avocado trees, so you can narrow down your choices to an avocado tree (or two) that will fit in with your landscape and bring you lots of luscious avocados just ready for picking! Soil and climate are key, so let us help you pick the best avocado trees to plant on your property.

You get all the tips, techniques, and advice about how to start and maintain an awesome avocado tree, including steps for growing an avocado tree that bears fruit and the best place to plant your avocado tree. We’ve got you covered when it comes to growing avocados!

Plus, you get specific advice about how to care for your avocado plant—including when to plant your avocado tree, determining how big your avocado tree will get, general avocado plant care to prevent or treat diseases and pests, and your options for growing avocados indoors.

You’ve probably wondered whether you can grow an avocado tree from a pit; we’ll talk about the results of planting avocado pits and what you can expect. And get the lowdown on how to tell if an avocado is ripe.

This gardening guide about avocados is your #1 guide for being the best avocado tree grower you can be! You should refer to this gardening guide whenever you have questions about avocado tree care—from planning to planting and from maintaining and nurturing to harvesting and reaping the rewards in your kitchen.

First, you get a complete Introduction to Avocados—including some history and basics about avocados. Did you know that the avocado is technically a fruit? Botanically, it’s a berry—a very big berry! Avocados are popular now, but did you know that they didn’t become a commercial crop in the U.S. until the early 1900s? And they didn’t catch on nationwide until the 1950s, when salads across the country included shiny wedges of green.

There’s a little good news/bad news on the avocado farming front: you can really only grow avocado trees in seriously warm, tropical regions—unless you have access to a greenhouse. But if you’re in the right place, plan to plant two trees—both for their beauty and for the boost in the harvest. We’ll also tell you about the avocado’s unusual cross-pollination practice. Find out why the “avocado” isn’t actually an avocado, and the “happy accident” that led to our most popular type of avocado.

Then, you get Feature Articles about Avocados that include:

• Types of Avocado Plants—learn the differences between the three races of avocados. Learn about the unusual pollination process of avocados, called “synchronous dichogamy.” And learn about the different ripening schedules of avocado varieties. Read all about it now in this article.
• Choosing to Grow Avocados from Seeds or Seedlings—we’ve all done it: put the toothpicks in the avocado pit and suspended it over a glass of water. Will it sprout? Yes. Should you plant it to get your own avocados? Read on to discover the answer.
• Choosing a Site for Your Avocado Tree—learn about the best soil and sun situation to give your avocado tree the best chance to flourish.
• Planting Your Avocado Trees—timing and placement are everything. Make sure you prepare your tree’s planting area for optimal sun, soil, and water.
• Watering, Fertilizing, and Pruning Your Avocados—you need just the right level of TLC to ensure that your avocado trees get the right balance of water and fertilizer. And learn what kind of pruning is the most beneficial for your growing avocado trees.
• Harvesting your Avocados—this, of course, is what we all look forward to; the harvest. Find out how to tell when your avocados are ready to leave the tree and head for the kitchen.
• How to Spot, Treat, and Prevent Avocado Diseases—learn how vigilance will pay off when it comes to keeping your avocado trees healthy and productive. From tree cankers to root rot, we’ll walk you through the process of keeping your avocado trees healthy.
• What to Do About Pests that Can Harm Your Avocado Trees—check out our natural tips for dealing with pests. In some cases, all you need is water. Learn when stronger responses are in order.
• Essential Tools and Equipment for Growing Avocados—get the full list of essential gardening tools and equipment for growing and enjoying avocados … and for almost all of your gardening needs.

Next, this premium gardening guide highlights five popular avocado varieties to help you choose the varieties you want to grow—this is just a sampling of the many varieties available:

• Hass Avocados
• Bacon Avocados
• Lamb Hass Avocados
• Sir Prize Avocados
• Fuerte Avocados

And all your avocado-growing efforts are more satisfying when you have quick and easy-to-make recipes, to ensure your harvest is enjoyed by everyone you serve at your home. Food Gardening Network is all about providing delicious recipes for making yummy dishes. Try these recipes and enjoy your avocado harvest:

• Avocado Toast
• Avocado Pickles
• Baked Avocado Boats
• Bacon-Avocado Fries
• BLT Guacamole
• Guacamole-Stuffed Chicken
• Keto Avocado Pops

Next, you’ll learn all about the health benefits of avocados with Nutrition Facts about Avocados and Home Remedies & Health Benefits of Avocados. Learn about all the wonderful and beneficial attributes of avocados—including skin health, cough relief, headache relief, and reducing the appearance of stretch marks.

And to be sure you have everything you need to grow your own avocados, we’ve included a Resources about Avocados section—so that you can easily find additional tools and information about avocados.

Finally, our Avocado Glossary section gives you the explanation of key avocado-gardening terms and concepts—so, you’re up to date about important avocado-growing ideas.

Check out this premium gardening guide now—All About Avocados—Everything There Is to Know About This Trendy, Tasty Fruit—from Planting to Eating—and you’ll learn everything you need to know about avocados!

Mary Van Doren, Norann Oleson, Victoria Arnold, and Samantha Pulcherz contributed to the creation of this gardening guide.