How to prune bacon avocado

After harvest — Bacon is an early-season variety (November–March in California), so prune in late winter to early spring. Thin the upper canopy to let light reach inner branches. Remove dead, diseased, and strongly vertical shoots. Because Bacon is naturally upright, encourage lateral spread by cutting back dominant vertical leaders to outward-facing laterals. Avoid hard pruning in cold spells as Bacon, though hardier than most avocados, can suffer frost damage on fresh wounds.

Annually, post-harvest. Bacon Avocado is a cold-hardy Mexican-type cultivar with an upright, moderately vigorous growth habit. It benefits from annual light pruning after harvest to manage height and improve canopy light. Bacon is often used as a polliniser for Hass and similar cultivars; standard post-harvest maintenance pruning applies without disrupting its Type-B flowering role.

Thin the upper canopy to let light reach inner branches. Remove dead, diseased, and strongly vertical shoots. Because Bacon is naturally upright, encourage lateral spread by cutting back dominant vertical leaders to outward-facing laterals. Avoid hard pruning in cold spells as Bacon, though hardier than most avocados, can suffer frost damage on fresh wounds.