Little Mama's Lowdown

Two days ago I decided that I needed to sprout some babies, so I went and bought an avocado [ate enchaladas], removed the pit, and started that bad boy.  I have about 2-6 weeks of waiting before anything green pops out.  Grow one with me!  Here’s how it goes…

Remove the large seed from the center of the fruit and wash it in cool water.

Insert 3 to 4 toothpicks (or pins) into the sides of the seed — about halfway up the pit.

The broad end of the seed is the bottom. The pointed end is the top.  SO, suspend the seed in a glass of water, flat bottom should be down with 1/4 of the seed resting in water.  It should be in a nice, warm area, and out of direct sunlight.

The seed should sprout within a few weeks. Keep adding water to maintain the initial water level, and keep the water clear.  If it doesn’t sprout within 2 months, discard the seed and begin another.  You have to be lucky… only about 1 in 5 seeds will sprout, so maybe try a few at a time!

The roots are usually the first to emerge from the seed, the stem appearing later.  When the stem is about 6 inches long, cut it back to three.  When the leaves and begun to sprout again and the root system has become well developed (at least 2-3 inches), plant it; the seed should be half exposed in healthy soil.

Place the potted seed in the sunlight, and give it frequent but light waterings.  The water should stay moist, but if the leaves start turning yellow, let the soil dry out for a few days (you’ve over-watered it!).  When the stem is about 12 inches high, cut it back to 6 to encourage new branches.  Don’t expect your tree to grow fruit… not only does it take years and years, but many times the avocados taste bad.  See my baby, click here!

Read more about avacado trees here:

• Growing Avacado Seeds into Trees
• WikiHow: How to Plant an Avacado Tree