How to plant an avocado seed at home. My homemade avocado: growing experience and care tips

Avocado is a well-known fruit that came to us from tropical countries. Many lovers of exotic flora dream of getting this capricious guest on their windowsill. Growing an avocado from a seed at home is not difficult at all. But in order for the tree to grow in the future and become a real decoration of your interior, you will have to learn several rules for caring for it.

What are the chances of growing avocados at home?

Avocados are easy to propagate, so growing them indoors from store-bought fruit is not difficult. The fastest growth of avocados is observed in the spring.. But this culture will most likely serve only a decorative function. Avocados growing in the natural environment reach a height of 18–20 meters. The size of a tree grown at home will not exceed 2.5 m. Moreover, such a plant does not always bear fruit. But thanks to the lush crown, the avocado looks attractive even without flowers and fruits. This tree is also useful because it effectively purifies the air.

Avocado grows well at home, but rarely bears fruit.

Important! Choose only ripe fruit in the store, without visible damage or signs of wilting.

How to germinate a seed: two ways

Work must begin with the preparation of planting material. The bone should be easily removed from the pulp, have a textured surface and be the size of a large quail egg. You can get a suitable option only from a ripe fruit. The ripeness of a fruit can be determined by the dark color of the peel and elastic pulp.

Before planting, the seed must be removed and germinated.

Important! Press lightly on the fruit: if it regains its shape, the seed is suitable for planting.

You can also buy unripe avocados if there are no others on sale. But you will first need to put it in a paper bag along with ripe apples, tomatoes, or store it at a temperature of 18–23 °C for 1–2 days, avoiding direct sunlight. Ripe fruits contain a high concentration of ethylene - a gas that accelerates the ripening of fruits, which will help your avocado reach the desired condition.

The next step is to remove the planting material. Cut the avocado in half, turn the flesh out and remove the pit.

You can germinate it in two ways:

• closed;
• open.

Important! Avocado seeds contain persin, a toxic substance that can cause disruption of the digestive system and severe allergic reactions. Therefore, it is better to carry out work wearing protective gloves.

The closed method involves planting the seed directly into the soil.. To do this we will need to do the following:

1. Prepare the pot, place a drainage layer 1.5–2 cm thick on the bottom. Expanded clay or small pebbles are suitable for this purpose.

   In pots, be sure to add a drainage layer.

2. To prepare a nutrient mixture, combine sand, humus and garden soil in equal proportions.. You can also use ready-made soil mixture, but keep in mind that it must be loose and well-drained. Fill the pot with this mixture, not reaching 1–1.5 cm to the top edge.

   Pour loose, light soil onto the drainage layer.

3. Place the pit with the blunt end to a depth of 3 cm. Water.
   

   Bury the avocado seeds 3 cm into the soil and water

4. Place the pot in a warm and well-lit place, such as a windowsill. After 20–30 days, the seed usually germinates. Make sure the soil is moist at all times and do not allow it to dry out.
   

   Avocados germinate within 20–30 days

The open method involves germinating the seed in water.. For this you will need a glass or other suitable container. Your actions will be as follows:

1. Make 3 holes in the center of the bone. Then insert toothpicks 3-5 mm into each of them.

   Insert toothpicks into the bone

2. In this form, place the bone with the blunt end in a container filled with cold water. Adjust the water level so that only a third of the planting material is immersed in the liquid.

   Dip the bone into a glass of water by a third

3. Monitor the water level, you need it not to change. You can replant the avocado into the ground after the roots have grown 3–4 cm. Root formation takes 1–6 weeks depending on the time of year.

   We wait for the seed to produce a root 3–4 cm long

Home conditions for active tree growth

At home, it is difficult to get avocados to bear fruit. The plant produces a harvest only 5% of the time. If you are lucky, your tree will begin to bear fruit at 3–7 years of age, and these fruits will be quite suitable for consumption, although, as a rule, they are inferior in taste to store-bought ones. Also, with this method of growing, the avocado will not reach its natural size; its growth will stop within 2–2.5 m.

For avocados, you need to provide a number of necessary conditions, then your tree can grow up to 2.5 meters

For the successful growth of this crop, the following series of conditions must be met.

1. Regular watering. The plant requires watering as the soil dries out. As a rule, 1-2 times a week is enough. To maintain optimal soil moisture in the cold season, the crop is watered limitedly - only 2–3 days after the soil has completely dried.
   

   Important! If the tree's leaves turn yellow, this indicates overwatering.

2. Scattered light. Avocado is a light-loving plant, but it must be protected from direct sunlight to prevent burns on the leaves. The culture is placed on the south, east or west window.
3. Wet air. This plant does not tolerate dry air well. There are several ways to maintain humidity levels at the required level:
   • the simplest, but most troublesome way is to hang towels soaked in water around the room;
   • It is advisable to install plants next to the avocado that have large leaves that evaporate a lot of moisture;
   • it is necessary to spray avocado leaves up to 5 times a day from a fine spray bottle;
   • In summer and during the heating season, you need to place the pot with the tree on a tray with wet sand or expanded clay.
4. Long daylight hours. In autumn and winter, the plant is illuminated using fluorescent lamps or phytolamps for 12 hours a day, and during the flowering period it is provided with 15 hours of daylight.
5. Maintaining temperature conditions during growth and dormancy. The temperature in the room is set within 16–20 °C. During winter, avocados often go into a dormant stage and shed their leaves. In this case, the temperature is reduced to 10–12 °C. At higher rates, the leaves of the plant dry out and fall off, but the avocado usually does not die.
6. Fertilizer. You also need to take care of feeding. The regularity of fertilizing depends on the time of year. In spring and summer, avocados are fed 2-3 times a month, in autumn and winter once. Mixtures are used as fertilizers for ornamental flowering plants. For example, Biochelate (10 ml per 2 liters of water) is suitable.
7. Timely transplant. As the plant grows, it is transplanted into a larger pot. The first time this procedure is carried out when the avocado reaches 15 cm in height. In the future, transplantation is carried out annually. In this case, the same soil composition is used that was used during planting. The most suitable time for transplantation is spring.
   

   Each time they select a pot with a diameter 5 cm larger than the previous one.

8. Formative pruning. To increase the decorative properties of avocados, pruning is carried out. Otherwise, the tree will only grow in height. Pruning is done in March. In the first year, the top is shortened after 7–8 leaves, the side shoots after 5–6 leaves. In the future, maintain the height at the desired level. The formation of the crown should be carried out annually in the spring.

Table: possible growing problems and methods for eliminating them

Video: how to care for an avocado tree

The exotic avocado plant grows naturally in warm countries. Is it possible to grow avocados from seeds at home? Will a plant planted from a seed bloom and bear fruit? If you're wondering how to grow this plant, welcome to our step-by-step guide. Find out how to plant an avocado correctly, and whether you can succeed in growing the plant at home.

Description of the plant and its fruits

Avocado (Latin name Persea americana) is a plant that is very valuable, especially in its countries of origin. This is an evergreen tree from the laurel family. The plant's name comes from the Aztec word ahuacatl. The Spaniards, according to folk etymology, gave this name the more familiar sound of “avocado”. The plant is also known as "alligator pear" .

This small tree produces delicious, unique fruit. The plant is native to the warm and humid tropical forests of Central America. Today, more than 400 varieties are grown in South Africa, Israel, California, Chile, Peru, Australia, New Zealand, and Spain. The plant appeared in the Mediterranean at the beginning of the 20th century.

The avocado fruit is a single-seeded, pear-shaped berry, but there are round, ovoid varieties. The fruit has a smooth, wrinkled or leathery shell in green, dark green, dark red, purple and black colors. Inside there is a large seed, the size of a golf ball, weighing 13-18% of the weight of the fruit.

Because of the consistency of the flesh, the plant was sometimes called "butter pear" or "butter fruit." The fruit has a slightly nutty, mild taste (in cooking, the taste is emphasized with salt, lemon juice or garlic). The harvest takes a long time to ripen on the trees - several months. The fruits imported into our country are hard; they ripen after picking, like apples, tomatoes, and plums. You need to “feel” by touch the moment when the avocado is best suited for consumption.

The pulp of the fruit is added to salads, pastas, and vegetarian sushi. You can simply sprinkle the avocado with salt and black pepper, sprinkle with lemon juice or soy sauce and eat it on sandwiches for breakfast. Although fruits contain a lot of calories, they are great for weight loss because they quickly make you feel full and improve metabolism.

Avocado in its homeland of origin (in America) is a dense, spreading, low tree.

Fruits in nature do not ripen completely on the tree. Hard, “green” they fall to the ground and quickly become soft. Plantations are harvested when the fruits reach commercial size. Avocados of the popular Fuerte type usually weigh 250-450 g. Fruits of varieties grown in the tropics are heavier: 500-900 g.

In some countries (USA, France), the Hass variety, obtained as a result of a random mutation, dominates. Californian Rudolf Hass found an avocado tree in his garden in the 1930s that was different from the others. All of today's Hass avocado trees grown in Israel, California, Chile, and Australia are derived from this specimen. The fruits of the Hass variety are smaller than Fuerte, have a round shape, and a thick, warty skin. Their maturity is recognized by the change in color of the shell to dark purple. Fruit weight of the Hass variety: 140-400 g.

A special type is the seedless avocado, called avocadito, cocktail avocado or mini avocado. This form is created from unpollinated flowers, mainly from the Fuerte variety. Previously, such fruits were considered as a loss of harvest, and attempts were made to avoid this. Now seedless fruits are grown specially. The fruits are 5-8 cm in diameter, with a thin skin, and can be spread on bread like a paste. They are imported mainly from California, Israel, and South Africa.

Can I grow it at home in a pot?

This exotic species can be grown as a houseplant, although the chances of it flowering and fruiting are negligible. We will advise you on how to grow avocados at home in a pot.

Avocados can be grown at home using seeds from purchased fruits. The plant will be miniature compared to specimens growing in the natural environment, but thanks to the dense shape of the tree and leathery leaves (10-15 cm long), it will become an unusual interior decoration. In good conditions, the plant can bloom (the inflorescences are not very attractive yellow-green panicles) and even bear fruit, although fruiting is quite rare. The plant begins to bear fruit 6-8 years after planting in a pot.

Sprouting seeds, planting in a pot

Avocado seeds are removed from the fruit, thoroughly cleaned of any remaining pulp and can be used.

Advice. When choosing fruits in the store, you should choose a large avocado, with beautiful green skin, without brown spots. When pressed lightly, the fruit should be slightly soft.

There are two ways to germinate a seed:

1. immersion in water,
2. plant directly in a pot with soil.

Germination in water

The avocado pit, peeled from pulp, should be placed in water so that 2/3 of its surface is covered with water. This can be achieved by inserting (lightly!) toothpicks into the pit on three sides. Then the bone placed in the jar will not drown.

Photo. Germinating an avocado seed in water

How to replant an avocado in a pot? When the roots and above-ground part (at least its rudiments) appear, the seed can be transplanted into a pot. The procedure is performed carefully, trying not to damage the delicate roots. The pot is chosen to be small in size. After placing the seed with the sprout in the ground, carefully sprinkle it with soil and water it.

The method of piercing avocado seeds with three toothpicks and hanging them in water is often practiced and is effective, but has several disadvantages:

1. The seed is damaged (there is a danger of mold).
2. The fruit does not germinate better in water than in soil.
3. It is difficult to maintain a constant water level in the container.
4. The water quickly begins to smell rotten and needs to be changed systematically.
5. When planting a sprouted seed, there is a risk of damaging the delicate, barely developed roots.

If you need to germinate avocados in water, it is better to choose a larger container to avoid rapid changes in the level due to evaporation.

Planting directly into the ground

It is very convenient to place avocado seeds in a home pot and place it in the ground under a bush in the garden.

What kind of pot does an avocado need? Since the seed is prone to fungal diseases, it is important to maintain optimal humidity. To do this, choose a small pot. If the pot is too large, the avocado may become affected by mold and fungi. As the plant grows, it is regularly replanted.

You can plant the seeds between two geranium bushes in a container on the terrace. Under bushes, in the shade, the ground remains moist longer. All that remains is to wait for the young shoot to appear.

The seed is placed in the ground so that its sharper end is approximately 2-5 cm below the soil surface and points upward.

If planted directly into the ground, it is important to be careful when watering the plant. If you water too much, the seed may begin to rot.

When an avocado sprout with four leaves appears, its growing point must be removed. Otherwise, one long, thin shoot will form, which will branch only at high altitudes. Cutting off the upper buds can be repeated when new shoots appear for better branching.

Growing and care

For successful cultivation, a number of necessary conditions must be observed and proper care must be provided.

Priming

Plants develop better in an environment close to their natural environment. Therefore, to plant avocados, you need to choose peat or universal soil (for indoor plants).

The substrate must be completely permeable. Sandy soils are optimal. You can mix the soil with sand (in a ratio of 2:1) or perlite. It is important to provide a good drainage layer.

Lighting

Young seedlings should be well lit throughout the year, but not in direct sunlight. Direct sunlight can cause burns and other damage. In winter, you should make sure that the light is bright, but the pot is not placed near a hot radiator.

Young plants must gradually get used to the sun, old plants need full light to grow well. The pot should be placed in a sunny place - a window sill with exposure is better:

• southern - on hot days it is worth covering the plant, for example, with paper screens;
• western.

Temperature

The plant is extremely heat-loving; it is necessary to maintain a certain temperature regime.

Young plants can be grown in pots all year round in a warm, bright room. Old avocados should be placed in a warm, light place in the summer. At temperatures around 5 degrees Celsius, the pots must be moved to a warm room for wintering. Fairly young plants can easily tolerate night temperatures of around 0 ºC as long as they warm up again during the day. Therefore, you can keep the tree outdoors for a relatively long time, until the first frost.

Pests

When growing avocado at home, you should hide it from four-legged animals, especially cats. All parts of the avocado (except the pulp) are poisonous. In some cases, ingestion can result in the death of the animal. However, the plant is no more “harmful” than other poisonous houseplants (nightshade, diefenbachia). Insects rarely attack avocados.

Watering, moistening leaves

It is very important to water the plant correctly. Watering should be done frequently, especially on sunny summer days. It is worth using soft, purified water.

Attention! The roots should not constantly stand in very wet soil.

The plant loves slightly moist soil and is sensitive to dry soil. Even short-term water deficiency leads to leaf curling. To reduce the risk of drying out, place the pot on flat stones placed in a plate and pour water into the plate. All kinds of technologies that allow you to retain moisture in the soil are also useful:

• hydrogels;
• hydroboxes;
• glass beads with water;
• pots with automatic watering system.

Moist air is an important condition for successful growing. Avocados should be regularly irrigated with a spray bottle. The procedure is especially useful in winter, when, thanks to central heating, indoor air humidity decreases.

Fertilizer

Young avocado seedlings do not require fertilizing; they take nutrients from the seed. After about 4 months, they begin to lightly fertilize the plants with liquid formulations. This also applies to the winter period, as long as the plant remains in a warm, bright place.

Feeding a grown avocado grown in a pot is carried out every 2-3 weeks. A positive effect can be obtained by using fertilizers with an increased amount of potassium, which improve the tillering of plants.

Trimming

Avocados develop quite quickly after germination and achieve enormous growth in a few months.

Later, its development slows down somewhat. To make the bush denser, it needs to be pruned.

Pruning is usually carried out only once, when the avocado reaches several tens of centimeters. From this moment on, the plant begins to grow more slowly and will expand beautifully, the leaves will become denser and larger.

Transfer

The plant quickly develops not only the above-ground parts, but also the root system. Avocados are transplanted into a larger pot once a year for the first few years. Then it should be replanted every 2-3 years. Choose a pot 2 cm larger in diameter.

An indicator of the need for replanting is the overgrowing of roots in the openings of the pot.

Problems in growing

When the leaves begin to turn yellow or wilt, it means that you have been overwatering, then stop watering for a few days to allow the soil to dry out.

When spraying plants, it is not advisable to use tap water. If you use untreated water, a white residue will form on the leaves, which can cause fungal diseases.

What are the benefits of avocados?

Avocado is not only delicious, but thanks to its valuable ingredients, it supports and protects our health and beauty. These creamy fruits are available in supermarkets all year round. They have some unusual properties and should be included in the diet as often as possible. Why are they so useful?

Cardiovascular diseases

Atherosclerosis is a common disease. The early development of this syndrome is associated with inflammatory changes in the blood vessels. Very often these changes are facilitated by chemically processed fats and oils. Avocado is a source of healthy fats. Research has shown that unsaturated fatty acids reduce “bad” cholesterol while increasing “good” cholesterol. Avocados also contain many important health ingredients:

• vitamin E,
• folic acid,
• calcium,
• phytosterols,
• cellulose.

Beautiful skin

The simple unsaturated acids found in avocados help maintain beautiful skin. They are essential for maintaining smooth, healthy skin. Omega-9 fatty acids help soften skin discoloration and irritation and play an important role in cell regeneration.

Weight loss

Avocado supports weight loss. Although the fruits have a relatively high proportion of fat, they can help you lose weight. According to research, the simple unsaturated acids contained in avocados serve as a long-term source of energy and do not accumulate in fatty tissue. Thanks to this, after eating an avocado, the feeling of fullness lasts longer, which means your appetite decreases.

Fight diabetes

This fruit is rich in simple unsaturated acids, reduces triglyceride levels and supports insulin function, thereby improving blood sugar levels.

Arthritis

Painful arthritis affects many people. Some foods - corn, milk, sugar - increase the symptoms of this disease, while others have a positive effect. Avocado is an anti-inflammatory food and contains a number of ingredients that help prevent arthritis.

Home-grown avocados are the latest hit in growing exotic plants. This unique plant, whose fruits are becoming popular in the wake of healthy eating fashion, works great as indoor gardening. With a little patience, you can grow a miniature avocado from seeds in a pot. It is quite unlikely that an avocado will bear fruit in an apartment (at the earliest, in 6-8 years), but its original appearance will become an interesting decoration.

Avocado is a tropical plant, an exotic fruit tree, common in the USA, Brazil, Africa and Israel. Avocado fruits can be found on store shelves all year round; they are rich in oils and fatty acids. Keen gardeners have repeatedly attempted to grow avocados on their own plots, encountering difficulties characteristic of crops in tropical countries. If it turned out to be extremely difficult to grow avocados in open ground, then planting and growing avocados at home was not difficult even for a beginner in gardening. I’ll tell you about the secrets of growing avocados from seeds today, in this article.

Features of growing avocados

An avocado tree grown at home has a number of features compared to a plant grown in natural conditions. It is better to learn about these features before boarding, so as not to be disappointed after.

• Under natural conditions, the culture grows greatly. An avocado tree can reach a height of 20-25 m, while at home the tree will not be able to overcome the barrier of 3 m. It is important to understand that the plant cannot even reach a three-meter height in an ordinary apartment with a ceiling height of about 2 m. even the height of the ceiling, since overall crowding slows down growth processes.

• Fruiting of avocados grown at home is almost impossible. Even getting a crop to bloom can be extremely difficult. In most cases, avocados are grown at home as a green ornamental shrub.
• With a certain amount of luck, it is still possible to achieve the appearance of fruits, although this happens extremely rarely. The tree is capable of bearing fruit at the age of 3-5 years. The fruits collected from homemade avocados are edible, although the taste of homemade avocados will surprise true connoisseurs of the culture.

• Avocado leaves have an extraordinary feature: they purify the air around them. In addition, the tree looks cozy, adding comfort to the room in which it is located. But it is important to know that a young tree is very unattractive: a mop of leaves rests on a thin and unformed stem. Don’t let this first impression scare you; very soon the plant will take shape into a real tree in miniature.
• Avocado is a demanding crop; adherence to agricultural technology is an essential aspect of successfully growing a tree.

Avocado planting

Avocado is grown from the seed of a ripe fruit. For successful germination, it is important to choose the right fruits, since they are often imported into our country unripe, or, conversely, having lost their usefulness. Choose an avocado based on its appearance; the fruit should be elastic to the touch; with light pressure, the flesh is pressed and restored. If the pulp gives in easily to pressure, the fruit is overripe. In addition to choosing the right fruit for planting, it is equally important to correctly remove the avocado seed without damaging the integrity of the outer shell. You can do this quickly and easily:

1. Cut the avocado in a circle, not deeply, carefully touching the pit with the knife.
2. Grab the two avocado halves and twist them in opposite directions. In your hands you will have half of the fruit with a seed, and the other half without it.
3. Using a tablespoon, carefully remove the pit from the avocado. Rinse and dry it. The seed is ready for planting.

Sprouting Avocado Seeds

There are two ways to germinate an avocado seed. The first is traditional, for which you will need the seed itself, an avocado pot with a drainage hole, drainage and a small amount of fertile soil. Pour the drainage into the pot, with a layer of soil on top. Place the avocado pit in the ground with the blunt end, deepening it by 2 cm, the sharp tip should protrude above the ground level. With proper care, which we will talk about a little later, the seed will take root and sprout in a month. This method is called - closed germination of avocado.

Second way open germination of avocados, interesting to observe, and also simple.

1. Make 3 or 4 holes in the avocado pit, evenly spaced around the thickest part of the pit.
2. Place toothpicks or matches in the holes to serve as a support.
3. Place the seed in a glass of water. The supports will help keep the bone suspended. It is important to control the constant presence of water; it should cover the bone halfway.
4. After 3-4 weeks, the seed will burst and the first root will appear from it, after a while a sprout will appear.
5. The seed is ready for transplanting into the ground when the formed root grows to 5 cm in length.
6. Loosen the soil in the pot thoroughly and do not compact it. Carefully plant the seed, do not press hard so as not to damage the root. Planting depth is one third of the seed.

Avocado care

When the avocado planting is completed, it is time for care procedures. And the first thing you need to do is create comfortable conditions for growing avocados at home.

Conditions for growing avocados

In spring, summer and autumn, avocados feel great at home; difficulties begin in winter. Let's figure out how to overcome them.

• Place for avocado. Avocados require sufficient lighting, although experts say that even in the shade the plant can develop. But it is impossible not to note the slow growth and dullness of the leaves of such specimens. It is also better to avoid direct sunlight. The window sill of a western window is ideal for a young planting.

• Air temperature for avocado. As a representative of tropical countries, avocados love the warm air around them. In an apartment, the plant will be comfortable, but a draft or a sharp drop in temperature will cause the leaves to drop. Therefore, even in warm summers, it is not recommended to take avocados to the balcony, where it will be difficult to control the temperature. In winter, the optimal temperature will be a slight decrease to 20 degrees, however, gardening experts say that for the fruit to appear, the tree needs a period of hibernation. To do this, the air temperature must be gradually lowered to 12 degrees. The choice whether to reduce or not reduce the temperature is up to every gardener.
• Air humidity for avocados. The problem with moisture is that dry air is contraindicated for the plant, and moisture on the leaves can cause avocado diseases and even burns. Therefore, it is necessary to spray the air around the avocado daily, or place a container with damp moss or expanded clay nearby.

Avocado care

Avocado care is represented by traditional actions, however, it has some peculiarities.

• Watering the avocado. The tree needs to be watered abundantly and regularly, but not often. Focus on the top layer of soil, but after it dries, before watering, wait 2-3 days so that the soil inside the pot has time to dry, because excessive moisture is detrimental to the avocado root system.
• Avocado feeding. In the autumn-winter period, trees are not required, even if you choose to grow without a hibernation period. From March until the onset of autumn, apply complex fertilizers to the soil once a month. Special fertilizers for citrus crops are also suitable.

• Avocado transplant. The culture grows very quickly in the first few years. Carry out the first transplant when the tree reaches a height of 15 cm. Then, until the age of 3-4 years, replant the tree annually in the spring. An adult plant needs to be replanted no more than once every 3 years. The preferred method of replanting avocados is transshipment.
• Avocado trimming. In addition to forming the avocado in the spring, it is necessary to regularly pinch the avocado, starting from the top after reaching the age of 8 leaves. Another interesting way to form a beautiful tree is to plant 3 seeds in one pot, and when the trees grow up, but the stem is still flexible, intertwine them with a pigtail.
• Avocado problems. Avocado diseases are associated with violation of care rules. Avoid drafts, water properly and protect the plant from direct sunlight.

Planting avocados in open ground

When the tree reaches a height of 40 cm, it becomes possible to plant the avocado in open ground, moving the tree to the site. But it is important to remember a few rules for maintaining the health of the plant:

1. You need to get used to fresh air gradually. Harden avocados every day during the warmer months of the day and year.
2. Gardeners from the southern regions have a greater chance of successful transplantation.
3. Overwintering avocados is possible with high-quality polycarbonate shelter, wooden flooring, hilling, etc.
4. If the main goal is to grow avocados at home for transfer to open ground, initially purchase avocados of the Mexican race, they can withstand frosts down to -6 degrees. How to ensure such a temperature for the tree is your task.

Growing an avocado from a seed is a fascinating and even exotic process that will interest not only experienced gardeners, but also your children. And the resulting decorative tree will bring comfort to your home.

Not so long ago, avocado was considered an outlandish tropical delicacy, but today it is often used in the preparation of salads and main courses. This is a nourishing and healthy fruit that can be easily purchased in almost any grocery supermarket. It has an oblong, egg-shaped shape and a dark green color; inside there is a massive brown pit, similar to an apricot, but much larger. With a little effort, it is quite possible to grow such a unique tropical plant from it.

Brief description of avocado

Before you start germinating a dry and seemingly completely lifeless pit, it’s worth learning a little about what an avocado is and how it grows in natural conditions.

Despite the almost complete absence of a sweetish taste, this fruit is considered a fruit. The plant belongs to the genus “Perseus” and represents the extensive laurel family. For those who are far from botany, this seems strange, since at first glance there is nothing in common between laurel and avocado.

The fruits of this plant have different names: “alligator” pear, agacat or butter pear. On average, one fruit weighs 100-150 grams, although there are cases when green “ears” reached 1 kilogram of weight. From one tree you can harvest up to 200 kilograms. Of course, when growing at home, there is no need to talk about anything like this, but even without fruiting, a miniature tree in a pot looks attractive enough to become a real interior decoration.

How to grow an avocado has its own peculiarities. You need not only to choose the right fruit from the seed of which you will “reproduce” the plant, but also to strictly follow the basic recommendations.

How to grow avocados at home

Fans of tropical “greenhouses” think that there is nothing difficult about growing avocados. The plant is truly unpretentious; in its homeland, South America, it is one of the most popular garden crops. However, if you do not observe the climate regime and do not properly water the seed during germination, you cannot even dream of the appearance of a tree in the near future.

Selecting fruit and preparing for planting

The success of avocado germination largely depends on the correct choice of fruit. In stores you can find 2 types of fruits:

• Smooth, large, with a massive bone.
• Rough, small, with a skin in small folds and a bone of miniature size.

Rough fruits are better suited for eating, but large avocado seeds with smooth skin still grow better. The fruit must be completely ripe, but without signs of rot or spoilage. Feel the green “pear”. Fresh fruits are hard, elastic, and pressing on their surface with your fingers leaves no traces.

When you bring home an avocado, you need to cut it lengthwise, and then turn its 2 halves in opposite directions - this is the easiest way to remove the drupe. It is with this that all further landing manipulations will take place.

Landing in the ground

This option of “reproducing” a plant from a seed is considered traditional. For it you need to prepare a small container with soil, and then place the fruit “core” inside. Avocado is not particularly demanding on the composition of the soil, so you can buy a regular soil mixture for indoor plants at a flower shop (Universal is suitable), the main thing is that it is loose and moderately moist. Alternatively, you can prepare the soil yourself. To do this, garden soil is mixed in equal proportions with sand and humus, and a little peat and charcoal are added (optional, but desirable).

A layer of pebbles or expanded clay (1-2 centimeters thick) is placed on the bottom of a clay or plastic pot - this will be drainage. Then the container is filled with soil.

The bone is immersed in the hole to a depth of 2-3 centimeters, no more. You need to place it in the ground so that the blunt end “looks” down. After filling with soil, you should lightly compact everything that is filled with the pot and water it. The container with the future plant is placed in a warm place, away from drafts. You will need to monitor the condition of the soil and, if necessary, periodically moisten it. Just don’t overdo it, otherwise the drupe will rot instead of “coming to life” and sprouting.

Alternatively, you can bury the seed into the soil not completely, but 2/3, but always with the blunt end down. Two or three times a week, the “core” along with the soil in which it “sits” should be sprayed with water from a spray bottle. It is advisable to keep the container in a moderately lit, warm place (after all, avocado is a tropical “resident”).

Open germination method

Growing an avocado from a seed by planting it in the ground is considered to be a closed method. There is also an open one, it is considered more effective and faster, but requires special care in execution.

The stone removed from the fruit must be pierced on 4 sides with toothpicks, deepening them into the shell of the drupe no more than 4 millimeters, and then the resulting structure must be placed on top of a container of water. It turns out that approximately half of the “core” is immersed in liquid. In this state, the planting material is left until the first sprouts and roots appear. As a rule, this takes 2.5-3 weeks. It is necessary to ensure that the water level in the container for sprouting avocados does not change. If you do not add liquid in time, the seed will dry out instead of germinating. It is advisable to change the water once a week or a little more often, rinsing the glass or other container used from the inside. A drupe sitting in stagnant or rotten water has no chance of becoming a tree.

For open germination, it is most convenient to take a transparent container in order to notice the appearance of roots in time. The top of the bone will gradually wrinkle and perhaps even begin to peel off. The part that is in the water, on the contrary, will swell and increase in volume over time. As soon as the roots appear, you must immediately place the sprouted fruit “core” in the soil, otherwise it will disappear. The roots will either dry out or rot (avocados do not like excessive moisture).

You can germinate avocados at any time of the year, but this affects the germination time. If in the summer the drupe “wakes up” and sprouts within 3 weeks from the moment it is immersed in water or in the ground, then in the winter it may well “sit” for a couple of months before it produces roots and stalks.

In order for a sprouted avocado to turn into a strong and healthy tree, you need to fertilize it with mineral compounds once a month. Do not forget that this is a tropical plant, so it tolerates temperatures below 16 degrees extremely poorly (the leaves may turn yellow and fall off). The optimal air humidity level for avocados is 50-70 degrees. It is advisable to place the plant in the brightest place in the room.

A grown exotic cutting must be replanted before its roots emerge from the ground. The best time for transshipment is considered to be the end of February or the beginning of March. In April, the plant will enter an active growth phase.

Growing a tropical avocado plant from a seed is not particularly difficult, but it is not a quick process that requires compliance with all the rules.

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Instructions for growing avocado from seed.

Many of us prefer avocados. This fruit has an unusual oily taste, so it can be added to both salty and fruit salads. But what should he do with the seed, which makes up half the mass of the entire fruit? In this article we will tell you what to do with the seed and how to grow an avocado tree with its help.

When is the best time to germinate and plant an avocado seed in the ground: timing.

For these purposes, you need to purchase ripe fruit. Unripe fruits are not suitable, since you will not be able to grow a crop from such a seed. It is worth understanding that the thickness of the peel is quite decent, so you need to initially germinate it in order to then plant it in the soil.

Drop off times may vary. When it’s convenient for you, because at home the temperature conditions are almost always the same. As for seed germination, usually the sprout can be seen after 3 weeks or 3 months. Yes, indeed, the sprout takes a long time to germinate.

Sprout and plant an avocado seed

Which side to plant an avocado seed?

It is worth noting that it is not enough to simply immerse the seed in the ground and water it. Because the peel is quite strong and does not break easily. Therefore, the ideal option is to drill small holes in the bark, insert toothpicks into them, and immerse the avocado pit with the blunt side down. You can simply put a bone at the bottom of the glass and wait for it to hatch.

Avocados need to be planted in the soil with the blunt side down, this is where the sprout is located, which will quickly emerge and break through the shell of the pit.

How to germinate an avocado seed in a pot of soil: description

You can germinate an avocado seed not only with a glass of water, but also with soil.

Instructions:

• To do this, you need to take soil that allows water to pass through well. It is best to use peat or turf.
• Next, you need to moisten the soil well and bury the seed, but not completely. It is necessary that the third part of the bone looks out on the surface.
• And it was not covered with earth. You need to water the soil once every 3-5 days. The germination process can take up to three months, so be patient and do not rush to throw away the seed.

What kind of water should you put the avocado seed in, which end?

There are three ways to germinate a plant.

Instructions:

• To do this, you need to place the seed in a glass a third of the way, with the blunt side down, and wait for germination. Or in a hanging state, using a prick on a toothpick. You need to insert toothpicks shallowly into the crust and use these supports to place them on a glass of water.
• The blunt side needs to be in the water. This way you can watch the roots appear. First, the top seed will begin to peel off, and then you will see the first roots.
• It is best to use clean water for germination. Under no circumstances should it be boiled. The ideal option would be filtered water or melt water. It contains a minimum of bacteria. Therefore, such water will not rot and bloom.
• You won't have to change the water very often. You need to lower the avocado into the water with the blunt end of the pit.

Avocado seed: how many days does it take to germinate?

Regarding the germination period, you need to be patient. Because some online publications write that the period is 4 weeks. But in practice, the seed can germinate after 3 months. It all depends on the density of the seed crust, as well as on the strength of the sprout and germination conditions.

Why the avocado seed does not germinate: reasons, what to do?

There are several reasons why an avocado seed does not germinate:

• First of all, this is the wrong fruit. If you choose a green avocado, then nothing will work, because the seed is unripe.
• Failure to comply with disembarkation rules. Perhaps the soil in which you planted the seed is dry or insufficiently supplied with minerals. Perhaps it simply does not pass water well and the bone dries out.

An avocado seed has sprouted: what to do next, how to plant a sprouted avocado seed in the ground, save the seed when replanting, or remove it?

The sprouted seed is transplanted into a pot after the roots are 3 cm long. A sprout may also hatch.

Instructions:

• For replanting, select a plastic pot with a large number of holes for water drainage. The soil is watered abundantly and the seed is immersed 1/3 of the way into the soil. There is no need to completely bury the bone; it will soon become some kind of decoration.
• After planting the seed, you need to place the pot in a warm place and water it often. Typically, watering is carried out in a tray, that is, a container that is placed under the pot and through a hole in the pot, water is absorbed by the soil. The plant itself will take as much moisture as it needs.
• Under no circumstances should you break off or remove the bone. This way you can damage the roots and sprout. The whole thing will go down the drain, the bone serves as a kind of decoration. Don't worry that it looks unsightly now.
• After some time, it will turn from cracked and rough to smooth and beautiful, pink. Its size will increase, it will serve as a kind of decoration for the avocado tree.

Avocado tree from seed: care

Caring for the plant is quite simple. It does not need additional lighting. You just need to put it on a windowsill on the south side, where there is a lot of sun.

Instructions:

• It is necessary to water frequently. The avocado is replanted when it grows to a level of 15 cm. Many people recommend cutting it off after the plant reaches this height. Leave only 8 cm of stem.
• This will stimulate the plant's growth and make it appear bushier, as well as encourage additional side shoots to grow. In addition, it is necessary to sometimes spray the avocado leaves and water them with mineral fertilizers.
• For planting, it is best to use mixed loose soil or you can prepare it yourself. By mixing one part peat, one part river sand, and one part garden soil.

Avocado from the pit: will it bloom?

Avocados grown from seed at home rarely bloom and bear fruit. Because plants such as oranges, tangerines and persimmons need to be grafted. In almost 95-99% of cases, you will not get any flowers or fruits if you do not graft the plant. You can initially buy an already grafted plant.

Will an avocado from the seed bear fruit?

Typically, an avocado tree is grown not for the purpose of producing fruit, but in order to admire the ornamental plant. After all, this is a rather unusual culture that looks interesting and unusual.

What does an avocado tree look like at home: photo

The appearance of the tree directly depends on how to care for it. Therefore, if you spend little time on your tree, it will most likely wither and not grow. With constant, good care, you can get a healthy, strong tree that will decorate your windowsill. Below are photos that show what a home-grown avocado tree looks like.

You should not expect the tree to grow 2 m tall, as happens in nature. Because the conditions at home are different from those in the open ground. If you want to get an exotic plant, you can grow an avocado tree from a seed.

VIDEO: Avocado from the pit

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