Why do avocados ripen off the tree?
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Answer: Tree hormones block ripening
Gravity affects ripening — Wrong. Gravity doesn't affect ripening. Avocados don't ripen on trees because tree hormones suppress ethylene production needed for ripening.
Sunlight prevents ripening — Wrong. Sunlight doesn't prevent ripening. The tree produces hormones that inhibit ethylene—the ripening hormone. Only after picking do avocados produce ethylene and ripen.
Tree hormones block ripening ✓ — Correct! Avocados are climacteric fruits that produce ethylene gas to ripen. But while attached, the tree produces auxin hormone that suppresses ethylene production. When picked, auxin supply stops, avocados start producing ethylene, and ripening begins. This strategy lets the tree control timing—all fruits ripen together after falling/picking!