HOW TO GROW AVOCADO FROM SEED

Avocados are one of the wonderful fruits of summer. High in nutrition and flavor, nothing signals the start of summer like a zesty lime guacamole dip with tortilla chips. The next time you’re making guacamole or slicing an avocado for a salad, try saving your pits to grow into avocado trees.

If you’ve been trying to root avocado seeds by suspending them over a glass of water with toothpicks, there is an easier way. I’ll show you a no-fuss way to root avocado pits to create new houseplants. It’s surprisingly easy to grow your own avocado tree from seed, and it makes a great educational project for homes and classrooms. 

HOW TO GROW AVOCADO FROM SEED

I recommend this method because it takes little effort and shows you exactly which seeds will germinate before planting them in pots.

Growing an avocado from a pit starts with sprouting. The only skill you need to coax that hard avocado seed (aka the pit) to crack is patience — because it usually takes six to eight weeks to get a sprout.

REMOVE & CLEAN PIT

You’ll need to start by removing the pit from the avocado carefully (without cutting it), and then washing it clean of all the avocado fruit (often it helps to soak the pit in some water for a few minutes and then scrub all the remaining fruit off). Be careful not to remove the brown skin on the pit – that is the seed cover.

Prep Your Avocado Seed

Carefully remove the pit from the avocado. Gently rinse the seed to remove any remaining green flesh. If bits of fruit are sticking to the seed, soak it for 10 minutes or so to soften the flesh. Don’t scrub so hard that you damage the brown seed covering.

LOCATE WHICH END IS "UP" AND WHICH END IS "DOWN"

Some avocado pits are slightly oblong, whereas others are shaped almost like perfect spheres – but all avocado pits have a 'bottom' (from where the roots will grow), and a 'top' (from which the sprout will grow). The slightly pointier end is the top, and the flat end is the bottom.

In order to get your pit to sprout, you will need to place the bottom root end in water, so it's very important to figure out which end is the 'top' and which is the 'bottom' before you go piercing it with toothpicks.

Grab Some Toothpicks

Look at the seed to figure out which end goes up. This is the end where the stem will emerge. Roots grow from the bottom of the seed. The top end is slightly pointier, while the bottom is flatter. The way the seed is arranged inside the fruit gives you a good clue to the top and bottom. The top is near the stem end of the fruit. Once you’ve solved the top vs. bottom issue, insert three to four toothpicks around the outer edges of the seed. These toothpicks are going to suspend your seed in a glass of water. Insert them firmly, angling slightly downward.

PLACE SEED HALF-SUBMERGED IN A GLASS OF WATER

The trick to getting an avocado seed to sprout is keeping the bottom of the seed moist. To do this, insert the seed into the top of a drinking glass or small-mouthed jar. Use the toothpicks as a scaffold to hold the seed in the top of the container. Add water so that it covers the bottom half of the seed. The bottom of the seed must stay moist to produce roots, so add water as needed to replenish the reservoir.

WAIT FOR AVOCADO SEED TO SPROUT!

Many online guides I have read say that sprouting can take anywhere from 2-4 weeks, but in my experience, it usually takes at least 8 weeks to get a sprout, so be patient. Here is the process you will witness:

  • The top of the avocado pit will dry out and form a crack, and the outer brown seed skin will slough off.
  • The crack will extend all the way to the bottom of the avocado pit, and through the crack at the bottom, a tiny taproot will begin to emerge.
  • The taproot will grow longer and longer (and may branch), and eventually a small sprout will peek through the top of the avocado pit.
  • Do not allow your taproot to dry out unsubmerged EVER – doing so will be the death of your plant.

Prune, Then Plant Avocado Seedling

When the avocado stem grows 6 or 7 inches tall, cut it back to 3 inches. This causes the plant to branch and becomes bushy. As new leaves appear, the root will thicken. When the plant is 6 inches tall again, plant the seed in a 10-inch-wide pot with commercial potting soil. Bury the bottom half of the seed; the top half should stick out of the soil. Place on a sunny windowsill. Avocados love the sun – the more sun the better.

WATER AND WATCH IT GROW

Give it frequent waterings with an occasional deep soak. The soil should always be moist, but not saturated. Water frequently enough to keep the soil moist. Don’t allow your avocado to dry out so much that leaves wilt. In summer, move the plant outdoors for brighter light. Bring it indoors before autumn nights drop to 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

Yellowing leaves are a sign of over-watering; let the plant dry out for a few days.

Note:

Keep an eye out for aphids. Remove them from plants with a gentle spray of water (outside or in the sink or shower). Spray insecticidal soap or neem oil to keep aphids from returning.

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