The process of growing an avocado from seed starts with sprouting. You’ll need to be patient to allow the avocado seed to crack because it takes around eight weeks for sprouting to take place. Various research studies have shown that it takes anywhere from two to six weeks for an avocado seed to become a seedling. In most geographical areas, it takes a lot of time. Therefore, before we share the steps that you need to take to grow an avocado, you must have the right mindset to avoid throwing in the towel too soon. Growing an avocado tree is easy because you already have everything you need in your environment. Follow these tips to grow an avocado tree from a seed.
Prepare your avocado seed
You need to remove the pit from an avocado gently and carefully. Rinse the seed to remove the green flesh. If you notice bits of fruits have stuck to the seed, soak it for a few minutes to soften it. Avoid scrubbing it hard as this can damage the brown covering of the seed.
Grab toothpicks
You need to look at the seed to find the end that goes up. This is the area where the stem will sprout. Roots usually grow from the seed’s bottom. The top end is pointed while the bottom is flat. How the seed is arranged inside the fruit will help you find the top and bottom. The top is close to the stem end. After figuring out the top and bottom, insert four toothpicks near the outer edge of the seed. The toothpicks are going to suspend the seed in water. Insert them and angle downward slightly.
Bring on water
To ensure that the bottom of avocado sprouts, you need to keep it moist. You should do this by inserting the seed into the top of a small-mouthed jar. Use the toothpicks to hold the seed on top of the container. And add water for it to cover the seed’s bottom half. The bottom of the seed needs to stay moist to grow roots. Therefore, add water when needed to the jar to ensure that the roots grow.
Patience
Place your seed in a bright and warm spot. But not in direct sunlight. Change water in the jar frequently or when it starts becoming cloudy. Before the seed begins to sprout, its top will dry out and the brown covering will fall off. It will also split open from the top. A number of roots will emerge from the bottom. The root will grow first and the shoot will appear later from the top. After the root forms, you shouldn’t allow the level of water to drop. For roots to survive, they need to submerge.
Prune and plant the seedling
Once the avocado stem is seven inches tall, cut it to half to boost the growth of branches and become bushy. The roots will thicken as more leaves start appearing. Once the plant grows to six inches again, plant the seed in a wide pot with potting soil. The bottom half of the seed needs to be buried and the top half should stick out.
Grow and pinch
Place your avocado near a sunny window. Once the stem grows to twelve inches, cut them to six inches to enhance branching. Follow this pattern every time the stem grows by six inches. Keep the soil moist by watering it frequently. Don’t allow the plant to dry out as the leaves will wilt. Move the plant outdoors in summer for extra sunlight. And bring it back inside before autumn.
Are the leaves turning yellow?
If you notice that the leaves are turning yellow, chances are, you are overwatering. The soil needs to dry before you water again to avoid drowning the plant in water. Be on the lookout for aphids. Remove them from the leaves of your plant using water. And spray neem oil to prevent them from returning.
Caring for Avocado Trees
While avocado trees have low maintenance costs, proper care will prepare them for a vibrant life. Your plant will need to be watered frequently. This should happen at least once or twice a week. Allow enough time between the watering sessions for the soil to dry out. Avocado trees do not require a lot of work because you’ll only need to prune them during early spring or late winter. To maintain a specific height, you need to trim your tree lightly by cutting the tallest branch.
As we said earlier, one of the advantages of avocado trees is that they can grow in the ground or a container. If you’ve been thinking of planting in a container, ensure that you place the pot in an area that has at least six hours of sunlight. The best place is in front of a large window. If you want to plant it in the ground, you need to choose an area in your home that has well-drained soil.
Tree pollination
During the flowering season, your mature tree will grow hundreds of green flower clusters that have both male and female organs. However, the male and female clusters never work simultaneously.
Harvesting avocados
Finally, it’s time to reap the fruits of your labor. Harvest months tend to be the most exciting time to have fruits grown at home. Avocados should always be harvested by hand. If you fail to pick the fruit, it will never fall off the tree or ripen. You can use your avocado trees as a storage unit for almost eight months. Keep in mind that avocados that stay on the tree longer tend to have a richer taste. Therefore, don’t be in a hurry to pick and don’t leave them there for a long time. Moderation is key here.
Conclusion
As you’ve seen, planting and caring for an avocado plant is quite easy. Don’t throw away that avocado pit every time you consume the fruit. You can use it to make a beautiful houseplant that will pay back in spades in the future.
Author Bio:
Charles Normandin is a copywriter from Goodlett (Texas). He loves to visit exhibitions, meet new people and talk about new ways of expressing himself through art. Meet him on Twitter @Charles60104524.