Triple Hass Avocado tree: advice needed

last year

The original tree is the small stem in the picture, which was planted about 5 years ago. It's probably about 8 feet high and producing avocados for the second year in a row. The two other trunks shot up next to it and are huge (maybe 25+ feet high) and have lots of healthy leaves, but they have only grown avocado buds that shrivel up and fall to the ground.

I'm wondering if the big two will ever produce avocados, and if I should try to remove one or both of them to allow the original tree to better flourish (it has been cramped for space by the other two). This is in the San Fernando Valley in So Cal.

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Comments (4)

Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
last year
I would imagine the larger two trunks are rootstock and should have been removed a long time ago. Honestly, if you like the fruit from the smaller trunk (you say that's the original variety?), then keep only that one.
simonsez23 thanked Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
simonsez23
Original Author
last year
Thank you! Do you think it's okay to just cut away those trunks from the rootstock as low as I can (probably a little below ground level)? I want to make sure that wouldn't have a bad effect on the small trunk/tree.
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Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
last year
Cut them wherever you can. But just be careful not to damage the trunk of the good variety! You can start by cutting up a little higher for now. Then, over time, cut lower as you have time and access. It will continue to try to regrow though, because it has a lot of mass.
Tim Walker
last month
Before i cut them out i would try and graft them. i second the motion they are from the rootstock and should have been cut out years ago. still, try a series of grafts on each trunk and you may get fruit. cutting them off would set you back a number of years when grafting them could result in fruit.