How To Grow Avocado

If bungee jumping or scuba diving doesn’t appeal to you then you could always channelize that brimming energy by resorting to fruit or vegetable gardening. Of late, growing avocados has become all the rage. Even if you don’t live in the tropics, you can still grow avocados but only in containers. It’s a highly therapeutic activity, and if you’re patient enough, you can taste your own home grown avocados in a couple of years. Avocados contain absolutely no cholesterol or sodium. In fact, they contain 60% more potassium per ounce than bananas! They’re rich in fibre, vitamin B6, vitamin C and vitamin E. Planting an avocado is a lot of fun, and to grow it as a houseplant you can see the seed gradually metamorphose into a healthy tree. Like any other fruit, germination begins with the seed. Nurturing an avocado plant is as fascinating as nurturing a pet. So, how does one grow an avocado? You will be delighted to learn that the process is simple and doesn’t entail any special hardships. Read this article and discover the thrills of growing your very own avocado tree!

Growing Avocado

Requirements

One Avocado
Small container to hold Water
Water
3 Tooth Picks
Potting Soil

Method

Relish every mouthful of the avocado until all that is left is the seed.
Clean the seed under cool running water so that you wash all of the avocado remnants. Blot it dry with a paper towel.
Pierce this seed with three toothpicks about ½ inches deep in the thick centre of the seed, and then suspend the seed over a glass or jar of water so that the toothpicks keep the seed half immersed. For this one end of the toothpicks should be at the rim of the container while the other end is pierced into the seed preventing it from sinking.
Allow the seed to float at the rim of the water container with the wider portion of the seed downwards. Make sure that the upper narrower portion of the seed is in contact with the air and only the broad base is immersed in the water.
Place the water container with the seed in a windowsill so that it receives sunlight.
Within a few months, provided the climate is warm, the seed will germinate. Ensure that you change the water every couple of weeks to prevent it from getting dirty, and depleted of oxygen. Also check the water level so that the base of the seed is always covered in water.
Wait for the shoots to sprout and grow for about five to six inches and then pluck out the top set of leaves.
When you see the roots coming out then it is time to plant the sapling in the soil. Before that remove the parchment like seed coat, and slice a thin layer from both the top and the bottom of the seed.
Take a four or five-inch pot and fill it with soil till an inch from the top. Plant the seed with the roots down but do not insert it too deep. The upper part of the seed should be above the soil. Add more soil around the seed and pat the soil firm so as not to leave any air holes by the roots.
Water the soil generously to add moisture, and when you do so be gentle to ensure that you do not spread the soil away from the seed. If the plants turn yellow, don’t water them so much, and if they turn brown, water them more.
When your plant grows a foot tall, prune it back to half. This guarantees a rounder and healthier plant. Each time the plant grows another six inches pinch out the two newest sets of leaves from the top.
The avocado tree requires an abundance of sunlight. When there is more sunlight it will grow fast.
Harvest your crop.
Don’t make a big deal if the avocado tree fails to bear fruit. the tree has to be fully matured before it yields any fruits and it may take about four to five years.

How to Cite

Related Articles

See also

More in 'Home & Living'