Grow Your Own Avocados

Okay, so there are many of us out there who love the avocado fruit, not only for it's healthy benefits but also for it's taste. Growing an avocado tree/bush from the pit of an avocado is not very difficult at all. If you have any children they may also find the process of growing an avocado tree/bush to be fun.

In case any of you don't already know, the reason why avocados are so good for us is because they contain a massive amount of potassium, only five grams of fat per serving, high in fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin E, vitamin C, and finally folate.

To begin our wonderful adventure of growing an avocado tree/bush we'll first need a few materials.

Materials:

1 Ripe Avocado
3 Toothpicks
1 cup or glass
One 6 inch or larger plant pot

*Let's start out with the avocado first. Make sure you choose a ripe avocado, which can be purchased at your local grocery store or farmer's market. A ripe avocado is fairly easy to spot. When the peeling on the outside of it is almost black in color or a dark green that means that the fruit is ripe. However, make sure the fruit is somewhat soft, not too much, but still a little firm as well.

*You'll want to start out by using a pairing knife or regular knife, just make sure it's sharp enough. Carefully cut all the way around the fruit using the knife, making sure to cut through the fruit and to the edge of the pit. Don't worry, you will be able to tell when you hit the pit with your knife. It is a very big pit, around the size of a golf ball. Now, slowly and gently twist each half of the avocado that you have completely cut all the way around, and with gentle care pull the two halves apart from one another. You can then scoop the pit from out of the avocado fruit with a spoon or whatever works best for you. Rinse the pit under some running water in your kitchen sink, wiping away any of the excess fruit that may still be stuck on the pit. When finished pat it dry with either a paper towel or a wash cloth.

*This next step is where the toothpicks come in handy. Gently insert the toothpicks around the widest part of the pit. Try to push the toothpicks half an inch deep into the pit. Fill a glass or cup with water now. Next, place the pit of the avocado on top of the glass or cup. The toothpicks should rest on the rim of the glass or cup, holding the pit in place. Always make sure that the water level in the glass or cup is covering the fat base of the pit below the toothpicks. Add water to the glass or cup when you need to. Place the cup or glass or cup in a bright windowsill so that the pit can get some sunlight. Do not let your pit dry out. In anywhere from three to six weeks the pit will begin to split, and a stem will grow from the top of the pit while roots grow from the bottom of it.

*Once the stem reaches five or six inches you can safely pinch off the top set of leaves. In about the next two or three weeks new leaves and roots will begin to grow as well. Once your plant has grown more you can then plant it safely in a pot.

*You will need to use a six inch or larger pot. Make sure that the soil is a mixture of three parts potting soil and one part sand. Be sure that you keep the soil wet the first week of planting it. After that simply keep an eye on the soil, allowing it to remain most. Be sure to water it once a week or as needed. If you want an avocado tree then simply allow it to grow as is, pinching off any branches that appear to be low to the ground. If you want a bushier plant then just pinch off the top of the plant as well as the tips of any new branches. However, don't pinch off all of the tips of the branches. For example, if the plant grows eight new leaves, only pinch off four. This is allowed so that the plant will produce more branches, making it bushier. Prune it as needed or desired. You may transplant you bush into a larger pot later or you may transplant it into the ground. When it is time to transplant the "tree" simply transplant it into the ground.

Not every single pit that you try growing a bush or tree from will take. Just keep trying and eventually you will get one that works. Also, it normally takes three to four years before an avocado bush or tree will even begin to make fruit.

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Comments avocadogrower last night I made guacamole and instead of trowing the seed away I rinsed it realy good and put it on top of a glass jar filled with water and tooth picks holding it, I left it outside on the porch,this morning I got up kind of late it is saturday and I needed to go to the bank before they closed, they close at twelve,as I was walking past the jar with the avocado I noticed the seed was open on the side so I picked it up and took a closer look!!!I couldn\'t believe what I was seeing the seed it\'s already sprouting I just put it on the jar last night!!!so Im going to have my own avocado tree!!!so if you like avocados in a few years you can get them from me,I will give you a reasonable price!!! #9 - saulh - 08/01/2009 - 11:14 Is Growing and Avocado as Easy as a TickleMe Plant When I grow TickleMe Plants they flower and produce fruit containing seeds. (This is the plant that closes its leaves and lowers its branches when tickled- My family and students favorite plant) Can a single avocado plant grown from a pit from a store produce..flowers and edible fruit....or do you need two to pollinate each other. #8 - Fran - 11/07/2008 - 17:22 haw tall can an avocado grow in 3 weeks if it has salt or sugar water? #7 - Deitrich Lowrance - 11/03/2008 - 07:57 how tall is an avocado BUSH? I have planted two avocado seeds in the ground thinking neither will sprout. Amazingly, they both sprouted and thriving well. Will the roots crack my cemented back porch? Do I need to seperate the plants? #6 - rieta - 09/19/2008 - 04:24 How large will my tree get... I had a seed germinate this week and was wondering how much room it will take up on my sun parch and how large will it get. I have heard they get fairly large and will need some trimming to keep it within size. #5 - Weasel - 07/01/2008 - 12:26 ~Graphing~ It seem's that everyware I read, that the avocado plant won't produce fruit unless it's graphed. Is this true? And if so, where can I get an avocado tree that has been graphed? #4 - Riley - 04/26/2008 - 18:06 Ms. How long until growth appears? Thanks! #3 - heidi - 03/05/2008 - 09:46 Re: where to buy seeds Bill, the pit of the avocado *is* the seed :-D The grocery produce section should have lots of them. #2 - mike - 11/26/2007 - 13:13 where to buy seeds I would like to buy seeds but I can'd find any. Do all avocado trees have to start from the pit of an avocado or can you get seeds somewhere? Thanks #1 - bill - 11/07/2007 - 09:41 I need seeds of avacado!! i am iranian.i live north of iran. i want to grow avacado,i wnat to purchase avacodo seed of avacado.can you help me? iam wait for result. thanks. #0 - saeid - 11/06/2007 - 06:28 Name Title Comment To prevent automated Bots form spamming, please enter the text you see in the image below in the appropriate input box. Your comment will only be submitted if the strings match. Please ensure that your browser supports and accepts cookies, or your comment cannot be verified correctly.