Q. I ordered an avocado tree online and followed the directions for care.  I understood it was compatible with the Las Vegas climate but it kept loosing leaves.  New leaves would grow but I finally gave up on it.  Just for fun, I presoaked a pit from a fresh avocado and I planted it outside and it’s doing well.  Now that the weather is cooling down, should I leave it in the ground or transplant it to a pot and bring it inside? What do you recommend I do with it in the spring?  Would it ever bear fruit? Super Avocado weighing in at over 2 lbs. (Photo courtesy Rare Fruit Society of the Philippines) A. A lot of people would really love to grow avocados here but they are very “iffy” in our climate. For the most part, I would discourage most gardeners from planting them. If you could get it to survive here it would bear fruit.             The usual reason for dropping leaves is a watering problem; going from dry to wet and back again. If you are going to experiment with an avocado I would suggest putting down a 4 to 6 inch layer of wood mulch around the trees but keep the mulch a foot away from the trunk in the first five years. I think you will see a big difference. Avocados of Zimbabwe on display at local fair in Harare             If you just HAVE to grow an avocado tree, focus on the more cold hardy types such as the variety ‘Mexicola”. Find a warm spot in the yard out of the wind. Store bought avocado fruit, such as Hass or Fuerte, are not cold hardy varieties. These would be destined as houseplants or grown in greenhouses.             Avocados are really big trees. Another possibility is to try a dwarf avocado and put it in a container. There is one true dwarf avocado called ‘Wurtz’ or marketed sometimes as ‘Little Cado’. This variety does not tolerate any freezing temperatures at all so you must move it into a spot that will not freeze at the first hint of a frost.             If you just want to play around and experiment then by all means do that. Just remember that avocados are typically not tolerant of our winter cold.