Unless you’ve been stranded on a deserted island for the past couple of years, you’ll have noticed that avocados are everywhere! This little green fruit has been added to meals in almost every restaurant and home recipe possible. In this article, we’ll explore how to grow an avocado tree from seed.
The one downside of the trend is that over the past year, the average price of avocados has gone up by over 25% as grocery stores look to maximize their profits. To save yourself some money and have the opportunity to eat fresh, organic avocados, growing your own avocado tree is a must. The word ‘tree’ may insinuate that you need an enormous amount of space. However, an avocado is a small and easy to grow tree.
If you’re in need of guacamole for your weekend dinner party, don’t wait on your baby avocado tree, however, with some time and love, you could be making home grown organic avocados! So get your gardening gloves at the ready…
Read More: How To Grow Plums From A Seed
Avocado care and information
Avocados, like any plant, have very specific needs. Understanding all there is to know about avocado trees will help ensure that you have a big tree with a bountiful harvest every year! Some general avocado information:
- Latin name: Persea americana
- Other names: Alligator pear
- Native to: Mexico to the Andean region
- Invasiveness: Not invasive
- Sun: Full sun
- Water: 2-3 times per week when first planted
- Soil: Well-aerated, loose soil
- Hardiness zone: 8-11
- Spacing: 25-35 feet
- Plant height: 80 feet
- Container friendly: Mixed. Avocado trees don’t truly thrive in containers
- Fertilizer: 2-1-1
- Toxicity: Edible to humans, toxic to dogs, cats, poultry, and other animals
- Deer resistant: No
- Pest resistant: No
Read More: 5 Reasons Why Cities Should Plant Urban Fruit Trees
How To Grow An Avocado Tree From Seed
Sprouting your avocado pit
Carefully clean the avocado seed and ensure you know which end is top and which is the bottom. Stick four toothpicks into the seed at equal distances apart about halfway down. From there, get a glass of water and set your seed in it, the toothpicks should keep it soaking in an inch of water. You can also purchase a helpful seed sprouting kit to make this step much easier!
The seed should be placed out of direct sunlight but in a warm place until the stem has grown to six inches and the roots are visible. This growth should take between two to six weeks, at which point the stem should be cut back to three inches. Wait for more leaves to grow and for the stem to reach six inches again before planting.
Planting your avocado seedling
Get yourself a large plant pot approximately 10 inches in diameter with a small hole in the bottom for drainage. Fill the pot with nutrient rich soil, leaving a small hole in the top of the compost for your seed to go in. Place the seed in the hole, ensuring that it isn’t too deep and that half of the seed is exposed above the soil. You can also buy an avocado planter.
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Caring for avocado trees
Once the avocado tree is planted, move it into a sunny area of your home. Water the tree generously and regularly, ensuring that the soil remains moist but not saturated.
If the leaves begin to turn brown and dry, it is a clear sign that the plant isn’t getting enough water. To solve this issue, put the pot in your sink, turn the tap on and allow the water to run through the soil for a few moments, ensuring that you drain any excess water before taking the plant out of the sink.
If the leaves begin to turn yellow and droop, you are over watering the plant. To rectify the situation, don’t water the plant for a few days and lower the amount of water you give it in future.
Enjoy!
Keep up regular and caring maintenance of your tree in order for it to flourish. You may well have to wait a couple of years before it first begins to bear fruit, but when it does, you’ll be enjoying your very own fresh and delicious avocados.
Read next: How to grow a peach tree from seed
