If you’re like most health-conscious people, you probably go through countless avocados every week. Although most people throw out its skin and seed, you can eat the seed or even grow a new avocado tree by carefully sprouting it.
How to Grow an Avocado Tree
Remove the seed from your avocado fruit by cutting the fruit lengthwise. Gently wash the seed to remove any remaining fruit, which will get mouldy once planted in soil. It’s also a good idea to remove the protective skin of the pit to ensure that the seed sprouts (1).
Make note of which end of the seed is pointier. This will be the top end, from which your new tree will sprout. The flatter end, on the other hand, will be home to a new root system.
Stick 3-4 toothpicks on the sides of your seed on a downward angle. Do not stick them near any cracks in the seed. These picks will keep your seed in place within your glass as the plant grows.
Place the seed in a tall, narrow glass with the bottom end facing the bottom of the glass. Fill the glass with water until half the seed is submerged.
Keep the glass in a sunny spot and change the water every 1-2 days to prevent bad bacteria from ruining your seed. As you change the water, make sure to keep the seed in place as the avocado’s roots are fragile and may break if handled roughly.
It should take about 2-3 weeks for the seed to sprout. Wait another 3 weeks for the sprout to reach 5-6 inches in height before planting.
You can grow your avocado tree outside if the temperature does not drop below 50ºF (10ºC) at all during the year. If you live in a colder climate, plant the seed in a large well-draining pot with moisture-retaining soil.
To plant, make a small depression in the soil and place the seed in this depression, making sure not to crush the roots as you place the seed. Pack soil around the seed tightly, ensuring that the top of the seed isn’t covered by soil.
Int he upcoming weeks, water daily. If the leaves get brown at the tips, water more frequently. If the leaves turn yellow, water less.
Prune new growth from the top of the tree to encourage it to grow wider and sturdier before growing tall. After the first year, fertilize twice a year to keep your tree healthy.