How to Grow Avocado from Seeds? Avocados are one of the best summer fruits. Nothing says summer like a spicy lime guacamole dip with tortilla chips, which is high in nutrients and flavour. Try storing your pits the next time you make guacamole or slice an avocado for a salad to grow into avocado trees. Growing your own avocado tree from seed is surprisingly simple, and it makes an excellent educational project for the home or classroom. Learn how to cultivate an avocado tree from seed with our easy-to-follow tutorial, complete with photographs, below.
How to Grow Avocado from Seeds?
1. Remove and clean pit
To begin, gently remove the pit from the avocado (without cutting it) and then thoroughly wash it to remove all of the avocado fruit (often it helps to soak the pit in some water for a few minutes and then scrub all the remaining fruit off). Take care not to remove the seed cover, which is the dark covering on the pit.
2. Locate the ends
Some avocado pits are slightly oblong in shape, while others are almost perfect spheres in shape – but all avocado pits have a ‘bottom’ (from which the roots will grow) and a ‘top’ (from which the sprout will grow). The top is the slightly pointier end, and the bottom is the flat end. To get your pit to sprout, you’ll need to immerse the bottom root end in water, so determine out which end is the ‘top’ and which is the ‘bottom’ before you start piercing it with toothpicks.
3. Pierce with four toothpicks to Grow Avocado from Seeds
Insert four toothpicks at a slight downward angle into the avocado seed, evenly spaced around the circumference of the avocado. These toothpicks are your avocado scaffolding, allowing you to lay the bottom half of the avocado in water, therefore they must be securely wedged in there. When you lay this over a glass, I recommend inserting them at a small angle (pointing down) so that more of your avocado foundation lies in the water.
4. Place avocado seed half in a glass of water
And place it on a sunny, calm windowsill. It’s great to use a transparent glass to see when roots begin to sprout and when the water needs to be changed. Many publications recommend changing the water every day, but I discovered via trial and error that changing the water every five days to a week is preferable. You should change the water on a regular basis to prevent mold, bacteria, and fungus growth, which can kill your avocado sprout.
5. Wait for avocado seed to sprout
Many online recommendations I’ve read claim that sprouting can take anywhere from 2-4 weeks, but in my experience, it usually takes at least 8 weeks, so be patient. The following is the procedure you will witness:
- The avocado pit’s top will dry out and fracture, and the exterior brown seed skin will slough off.
- The fissure will stretch all the way to the bottom of the avocado pit, and a little taproot will sprout from the break at the bottom.
- The taproot will continue to grow (and may branch), and a little sprout will ultimately poke through the top of the avocado pit.
- Allowing your taproot to dry out unsubmerged will result in the death of your plant.
6. Pot in soil to Grow Avocado from Seeds
Cut the stem down to around 3 inches when it is 6-7 inches long to encourage fresh growth. When it reaches 6-7 inches, plant it up in an 8-10′′ diameter pot with rich humus soil, leaving the top half of the seed exposed. Place on a bright windowsill. Avocados adore the sun, and the more sun they get, the better.
7. Water and watch it grow
Water it frequently and soak it sometimes. The soil should be damp but not saturated at all times. Yellowing leaves indicate overwatering; allow the plant to dry out for a few days.
8. Pinch out top leaves to Grow Avocado from Seeds
Pinch out the top two pairs of leaves when the stem reaches 12 inches in height. This will encourage the plant to produce additional side branches and leaves, making it bushier. Pinch out the two newest sets of leaves on top every 6 inches the plant grows.
9. Troubleshooting bugs
My avocado trees appear to attract aphids, who can’t get enough of the tasty avocado leaves. Here’s how to get rid of them if you get them: Spray your plant with a hose outside or in the sink/shower to remove all of the aphids. Once the pests have been removed, spray your plant with a solution of water, a little amount of dishwashing liquid, and a teaspoon of neem oil. This will discourage aphids from returning. Check in on your plant every 4-5 days and re-clean and spray as needed.
10. Wintering
Baby avocado trees can thrive outside in the summer, but if you live somewhere where the temperature drops below 45 degrees F, you’ll need to bring them inside before the temps drop.
Also Read: How to Grow an Avocado Tree That Bears Fruit?
