Beware of falling avocado tree's branches?

Question

Recently our 3-stories tall avocado tree with tons of heavy, unripe fruits (green, smooth glossy skin) has been falling immature avocados. And within the past week, two arm size branches has fallen down, hit the root and bended the gutter a bit.

As I was cleaning the up the mess, I noticed the wood are extremely easy to break without any tools.

So my concern is...

1) Shall I have it professional pruned ASAP because I am afraid that someone might get hurt from it?

2) I have at least 10 lbs of unripe avocados "harvest" from the recent fall... what else can I do with them besides tossing them in the yard waste bin?

Thanks in advance!
Wendy
San Gabriel Valley, Southern California

Answer 1

Are you sure they won't ripen? They may take several days or even a couple weeks. Mine never fall ripe.

I would consult a tree arborist. You can find tree trimmers anywhere but you won't know for sure if they know what is best for the tree. You don't want to prune more than 1/3rd of the growth at one time.

And try to at least donate the avocados. Local food bank. It's not as if there is a shortage of homeless in L.A. Or sell them to the mexican restaurants - or exchange for credit if you like their food.

Call an arborist.

Answer 2

1) Yes, have a professional come out to take care of it. FYI, my understanding is that avocados ripen best if the branches bend to touch the ground when the fruits get heavy. I recently drove thru the Morro Bay/San Luis Obispo area, and all of the avocado trees there touched the ground. You might want to have the arborist cut the tree so that it's not so tall.

2) Let them ripen, then mash them as you would with guacamole. This can then be frozen, and used for guacamole or sauces for about six months. 10 pounds may be more than any normal human can handle, though, so you might want to share with your neighbors!

Answer 3

I would consult with your homeowners about this. They may pay for having the tree cut. They may also pay for the repair of your gutter. I also agree with the suggestion of donating the avocodas to the food bank or even a mexican restaurant. There may be some issue with that though as everyone wants to sue these days. Possibly blend them up and use them as a fertilizer for your soil. They also I believe make a useful facial treatment.

Answer 4

seems to me it has decided to prune itself.
2 make the biggest amount of guacom
you have ever seen