{"id":17754,"date":"2023-07-07T16:33:01","date_gmt":"2023-07-07T23:33:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/?p=17754"},"modified":"2025-11-03T10:50:35","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T18:50:35","slug":"girdling-avocado-trees-for-consistent-fruiting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/girdling-avocado-trees-for-consistent-fruiting\/","title":{"rendered":"Girdling avocado trees for consistent fruiting"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The ideal avocado tree fruits every year, and it makes approximately the same quantity of fruit every year. Alas, this ideal avocado tree is only a dream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nevertheless,&nbsp;there is a technique that can be used to manipulate an avocado tree into fruiting consistently: girdling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Avocado growers in California have experimented with girdling in order to increase fruit production for more than 100 years. (See&nbsp;this article from the 1920-21 California Avocado Society Yearbook titled, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.avocadosource.com\/CAS_Yearbooks\/CAS_06_1920\/CAS_1920-21_PG_69-70.pdf\">&#8220;The Effect of Girdling the Avocado.&#8221;<\/a>) But only more recently have growers girdled with the aim of getting a tree to fruit consistently. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;ll share some of the experiences of those&nbsp;growers who have used girdling to this end, and I&#8217;ll also share some of my own&nbsp;experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What is girdling?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Girdling is cutting into a branch down to the wood, but not into the wood, in a circle all the way around. Your aim is to interrupt the flow of sap down the branch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/healed-girdle-20-months.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/healed-girdle-20-months.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17761\" style=\"width:527px;height:395px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/healed-girdle-20-months.jpg 800w, https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/healed-girdle-20-months-480x360.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 800px, 100vw\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Girdle I did 20 months prior, now fully healed.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What does girdling do to the tree?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When the sap flow is stopped with a girdle at the correct time, the branch will flower heavily the following spring and likely set a lot of avocados.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/DSC00964.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"549\" src=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/DSC00964.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17772\" style=\"width:664px;height:405px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/DSC00964.jpg 900w, https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/DSC00964-480x293.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 900px, 100vw\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fruitset on girdled limb of my Hass tree, 2023.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>When to girdle?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have found that girdling&nbsp;near Halloween is effective, at least for a Hass tree in my location (Ramona, San Diego County). Others in California have also found this an effective time, but some girdle successfully in September or&nbsp;November too. Every California grower that I know who girdles does so in September, October, or November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How to girdle?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have made girdling cuts with various saws, but my favorite saws for girdling currently are these:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/girdling-sawzall-blades.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"472\" src=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/girdling-sawzall-blades.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-24596\" style=\"width:597px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/girdling-sawzall-blades.png 900w, https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/girdling-sawzall-blades-480x252.png 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 900px, 100vw\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>They are Sawzall blades, with larger teeth for larger branches. (Note the branch diameters I wrote on each blade.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I started using these saws after hearing a talk from Sam Garibay of Brokaw Nursery, who has lots of experience. Here is a demonstration by Sam of his girdling technique at a meeting of the California Avocado Society:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"odysee-iframe\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/odysee.com\/$\/embed\/@GregAlder:6\/avocado-girdling-demo-by-sam-garibay,:3?r=HJYybPpruRgdFoPoTwFLhZmq3E9orRRP\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p>In the following video, I show how I made girdling cuts on Halloween 2025:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How I girdle avocado trees\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ANtWp69xnvs?feature=oembed\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>To emphasize, however, that special saws or tools for girdling are not necessary, I&#8217;ll add that I&#8217;ve done effective cuts with a number of other types of saws, including the compact hacksaw with a 10-inch blade shown below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/hacksaw-for-girdling-avocados.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"468\" src=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/hacksaw-for-girdling-avocados.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17767\" style=\"width:598px;height:350px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/hacksaw-for-girdling-avocados.jpg 800w, https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/hacksaw-for-girdling-avocados-480x281.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 800px, 100vw\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I made two cuts with this hacksaw, about one-quarter inch apart, to get a successful girdle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/avocado-girdle-half-inch.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"659\" src=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/avocado-girdle-half-inch.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17758\" style=\"width:419px;height:394px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/avocado-girdle-half-inch.jpg 700w, https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/avocado-girdle-half-inch-480x452.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 700px, 100vw\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The key to a successful girdling cut is proper depth. You must cut down through the sap-conducting layer called the phloem. If you don&#8217;t, then the sap flow is not interrupted. Additionally, you must make the cut all the way around the branch circumference. If you don&#8217;t, then likewise the sap flow is not interrupted. However, you don&#8217;t want to cut so deep that you go into the inner layers of the branch because that is unnecessary and it will weaken the branch, making it susceptible to breaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The inner layers of the branch are harder so you can feel when you reach them, especially after some experience. To check your girdle&#8217;s depth, you can cut a window or tab and see how it peels. The bark and sap layer should peel off cleanly if you&#8217;ve cut deep enough (as shown in the two videos above).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How to use girdling to achieve consistent fruiting?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Girdling is used on avocado trees to achieve various goals, but here I&#8217;m talking only about using girdling to achieve consistent fruiting in a single tree, as avocado trees left to themselves will tend to have heavy crops followed by light crops followed by heavy crops. But wouldn&#8217;t it be nice to have a medium crop every year instead?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I first encountered the idea of using girdling to get a single avocado tree to yield a more consistent crop each year through an article from the 2010 California Avocado Society Yearbook by Reuben Hofshi, Mauricio Tapia, and Mary Lu Arpaia&nbsp;titled,&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.avocadosource.com\/CAS_Yearbooks\/CAS_93_2010\/CAS_2010_V93_PG_051-071.pdf\">&#8220;Stump and Topwork &#8211;&nbsp; a Technique for Rejuvenating Mature Avocado Trees,&#8221;<\/a>&nbsp;specifically,&nbsp;the section titled,&nbsp;&#8220;Develop a two-leader tree.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The authors recommend forming a tree with two leaders (main branches) and girdling one each fall. In this way, the tree forms fruit on about half of its canopy each year. In effect, they propose forming a single tree with two personalities. One side of the tree fruits one year, then the other side fruits the next year, back and forth, back and forth, forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you started this process on a Hass tree this year, here is what the calendar would look like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>October&nbsp;2023, girdle one half of canopy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>April 2024, girdled branch flowers heavily and sets fruit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>October 2024, girdle other half of canopy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>April 2025, harvest fruit from branches girdled first, in October 2023; branches girdled in October 2024 now flower heavily and set fruit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>October 2025, girdle again the first half of canopy, the half that was girdled in October 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If a tree that is 15-feet tall is capable of carrying 200 avocados in a good year and you girdle half of it, you are aiming for 100 avocados from that half, thereby getting 100 avocados every year rather than 200 avocados every other year (and near zero every other year).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Hass-avocado-tree-girdled-left-half.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"716\" src=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Hass-avocado-tree-girdled-left-half.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17770\" style=\"width:536px;height:426px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Hass-avocado-tree-girdled-left-half.jpg 900w, https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Hass-avocado-tree-girdled-left-half-480x382.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 900px, 100vw\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">My Hass tree, July 2023. Right half had been girdled November 2021; fruit picked spring 2023. Left half girdled November 2022; fruit set spring 2023 for harvest 2024.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Note that when you girdle one half of a tree, you force that half to flower, but the ungirdled half compensates by doing almost no flowering. Therefore, you&#8217;re not girdling in order to get more overall fruit from a tree. You&#8217;re controlling where and when the fruit is produced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Girdling can increase overall fruit production in avocados in some situations though. See, for example, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.avocadosource.com\/Journals\/SAAGA\/SAAGA_1992\/SAAGA_1992_PG_68.pdf\">&#8220;Increased yield through girdling of young Hass trees prior to thinning&#8221;<\/a> by J.S. Koehne of South Africa.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Does girdling really work in the&nbsp;long term?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have only been girdling various avocado trees in my yard for a handful of years. The technique is still experimental for me. While I have seen it work to achieve consistent fruiting on my Hass tree for a couple years in a row, I don&#8217;t have any further firsthand experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But I have visited other groves where girdling has been practiced for many years, and for those farmers it does bring&nbsp;consistent fruiting year after year, where each individual tree has fruit on about half of its canopy every&nbsp;year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/avocado-branches-girdled-many-times.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/avocado-branches-girdled-many-times.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17763\" style=\"width:312px;height:416px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/avocado-branches-girdled-many-times.jpg 600w, https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/avocado-branches-girdled-many-times-480x640.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 600px, 100vw\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hass avocado tree girdled many times over many years on a farm in Somis, Ventura County.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Varietal differences<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Farmers I know who girdle their Hass trees for consistent fruiting do not girdle other varieties that they grow, such as Reed, Lamb, and GEM. They say that these varieties are not vigorous enough to handle the stress of girdled limbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Note that girdling stresses a tree of any variety, and it should not be done on any tree that isn&#8217;t in prime health.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I am curious to try it on Fuerte. Girdling Fuerte for increased overall production has been tried by many others in the past. Frank Koch, who wrote the <em>Avocado Grower&#8217;s Handbook&nbsp;<\/em>back in 1983, said that he got such good production girdling Fuerte trees over the course of nine years that it caused him to become &#8220;a true believer.&#8221; And an avocado grower in Israel in the 1990s increased his production by girdling a different branch on each of his Fuerte trees each year. (See <a href=\"http:\/\/www.avocadosource.com\/CAS_Yearbooks\/CAS_75_1991\/CAS_1991_101.pdf\">&#8220;The Israeli Ways,&#8221; by H.L. Francis<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This video shows results of girdling some non-Hass avocado varieties in my yard in the 2023-2024 season:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe id=\"odysee-iframe\" style=\"width:100%; aspect-ratio:16 \/ 9;\" src=\"https:\/\/odysee.com\/$\/embed\/@GregAlder:6\/results-of-girdling-non-hass-avocado:9?r=HJYybPpruRgdFoPoTwFLhZmq3E9orRRP\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p>(See <a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/girdling-lamb-avocado-trees-to-get-fruit-every-year\/\">this 2025 post for my results with girdling the Lamb variety<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Further learning<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is a lot more to girdling in order to get consistent fruiting than what I&#8217;ve written above. There is the question of which limbs to girdle, whether and where to prune a girdled limb after the fruit has been harvested, and more. Fortunately, some seasoned avocado growers and girdlers have made excellent presentations&nbsp;about the practice, which you should soak up&nbsp;before you venture into girdling your own trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;Girdling in Avocados&#8221;<\/em> by Consuelo Fernandez and Samuel Garibay of Brokaw Nursery (<a href=\"http:\/\/indexfresh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/girdle-notes_FINAL.pdf\">here are the slides only<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/showcase\/11797557?video=210682931\">Consuelo&#8217;s video<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/showcase\/11797557?video=210683887\">Samuel&#8217;s video<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>&#8220;High Density Pruning and Girdling&#8221;<\/em> by Paul Nurre of Oro Del Norte Ranch (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.indexfresh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Paul-Nurre-High-Density-Pruning-Girdling-Seminar-Presentation_LR.pdf\">slides<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/showcase\/11797557?video=264681310\">video presentation<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Video<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I made this video showing my girdling process for a Hass tree:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"odysee-iframe\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/odysee.com\/$\/embed\/@GregAlder:6\/girdling-avocado-trees-for-consistent:8?r=BDahi4KzMi7VCpHiUV5H65V8391nAJAW\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>And here is a video update of the same tree in March 2024:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe id=\"odysee-iframe\" style=\"width:100%; aspect-ratio:16 \/ 9;\" src=\"https:\/\/odysee.com\/$\/embed\/@GregAlder:6\/girdling-avocado-trees-for-consistent-2:8?r=HJYybPpruRgdFoPoTwFLhZmq3E9orRRP\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>There are hundreds more Yard Posts to enjoy&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/list-of-yard-posts\/\">HERE<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I love making these Yard Posts for you. I don&#8217;t put ads all over them because I want you to have the most pleasurable reading experience. Only your <a href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/supporting-the-yard-posts\/\"><strong>support<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;allows me to do this. Thank you!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The ideal avocado tree fruits every year, and it makes approximately the same quantity of fruit every year. Alas, this ideal avocado tree is only a dream. Nevertheless,&nbsp;there is a technique that can be used to manipulate an avocado tree into fruiting consistently: girdling. Avocado growers in California have experimented with girdling in order to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17756,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[89],"tags":[4],"class_list":["post-17754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avocados","tag-avocados"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Girdling avocado trees for consistent fruiting - Greg Alder&#039;s Yard Posts: Southern California food gardening<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How to girdle avocado trees in order to get them to fruit every year rather than have ON and OFF years.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gregalder.com\/yardposts\/girdling-avocado-trees-for-consistent-fruiting\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Girdling avocado trees for consistent fruiting - 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