How to Grow Avocado Trees

The next time you eat or use an avocado in a dish, save its seeds. Growing your own avocado tree is easy and fun. This is a perfect craft for all ages, can be grown in the garden, indoors and is a great project for the classroom or at home!

Table of Contents

Nurturing Buds

Prepare Beads

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Take out the seeds. Carefully cut into the avocado so that it doesn’t break the core in the center of the fruit. You can use a knife to cut through the shell around the avocado, about 1.3cm deep, then twist the two halves in opposite directions to open. Carefully remove the seeds and set aside.

To save money, you can use the flesh to make an avocado sauce, also known as guacampe.

Wash the avocado seeds. Wash gently to remove all the flesh. Use water and wash by hand, do not use soap. Be careful not to peel off the thin, light brown skin on the outside of the seed, as you may damage the seed making it difficult to germinate.

Insert a toothpick into the avocado seed. Hold the seeds vertically (pointed up), insert four toothpicks into the center of the core, evenly spaced, about 2.5 cm deep. Do this to keep the seeds balanced inside the cup but not completely in the cup.

Put water in a cup/jar. Pour water into a small, thin container (preferably a glass) until the water reaches the rim of the cup. The mouth of the cup should be wide enough to easily fit the avocado seeds in, but not too wide, or the toothpicks won’t be long enough to hold, and the seeds will fall into the cup.

Place the avocado seeds (with toothpicks in them) over the rim of the cup. Place toothpicks over the rim of the cup so that the seeds are only half submerged in the water. Make sure the pointy end of the seed is facing up and the rounded end to sink into the water, or your avocado plant won’t germinate.

Wait for the avocado seeds to germinate. Place the cup with the seed in a quiet, moderately warm place – near a window or a well-lit place for it to begin to take root and germinate.

Change the water every 1-2 days. This is to ensure that contaminants (such as mold, bacteria, yeast, etc.) do not interfere with the germination of the plant. Make sure the bottom of the avocado seed is always submerged in water.

Wait patiently for the seeds to take root. After about 2-3 weeks, the brown outer shell begins to dry out and wrinkle, even peel off. The seeds will quickly crack at the top and bottom ends. After about 3-4 weeks, taproots begin to grow at the bottom. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Continue to provide water to the plants. Be careful not to disturb or injure the taproot. Continue to wait for the avocado tree to grow more roots. Soon the avocado tree will sprout at the top end, a bud emerges and will open to begin developing into a leafy branch.

Planting Avocado Trees

Choose place. Avocados are very picky about climate and growing conditions. Usually, avocado trees should be potted and moved to accommodate changing weather conditions. You should only plant avocado trees outdoors if the temperature does not drop below 10 degrees Celsius at any time of the year. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Prepare the land. Avocados can be grown in soil with any pH, but with low salt content and good drainage. Avocado soil doesn’t need much fertilizer until the tree is a year old. Then use a 10-10-10 fertilizer twice a year to help the plant grow. Otherwise, you can use regular potting soil and place a little gravel in the bottom of the pot to help with good drainage. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Prepare pots. Use a terracotta pot about 20-25 cm wide, pour the soil in to about 2 cm from the mouth of the pot. It is best to use a mixture of half topsoil and half coir. Level and compact the soil slightly, adding more soil if needed. Once you’ve prepared the soil, dig a deep hole just the size of the avocado seed and root.

Prepare seeds. Once the roots are strong and the top is ready to regrow leaves (after pruning at least once), your avocado seedlings can be planted in the ground. Remove the sprouted seed from the cup of water and gently pull out the toothpick.

Planting avocado seeds. Carefully bury the seed in the soil so that the top half of the seed is raised above the ground. Do this to ensure that the lower part of the seedling does not rot in the ground. Apply soil gently around the seeds.

Provide enough water for the plant. Water the plants daily or keep the soil moist enough. Avoid watering so much that the soil becomes mushy. If the leaves turn brown at the tips of the leaves, your avocado tree needs extra watering. When the leaves turn yellow, it means you have watered too much and need to let it dry for a day or two. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Tree maintenance. Continue to care for the tree regularly, and in a few years you will have a graceful avocado tree that requires little to no maintenance. Family and friends will be impressed that you grew your avocado tree using an avocado seed when making your guacampe.

Planting Trees On The Ground

Some growers find that avocado trees germinated in water will grow tall, thin, and not bear fruit. In this case, it is better to plant seeds in the ground and not soak in water.

Buy a good quality avocado. Remove the avocado flesh from the seeds. It is easiest to cut the ring around the fruit.

Twist to remove the seeds. Hit the seed with a knife, then twist, and the seed will fall out.

Find the pointed end of the bead. This is the top end of the bead.

Choose a place to plant. You can check out the method above for suggestions on where to plant the plants. Clear the grass and everything else to get ready for planting.

If possible, you should plant two trees, as these plants like to grow side by side.

Place the rounded end downwards. Press the seeds into the ground. Cover with soil. Water a little and leave it there.

Follow the tips above. Fertilize after you see the plant sticking out of the ground. Do not fertilize earlier, otherwise it will be difficult for the roots to fully form. You can see the tree bear fruit after 3-4 years.

Harvest when the avocados are large and round. Avocados do not ripen on the tree. You must pick them down and put them in a food bag to ripen. When the fruit is soft, it can be eaten.

Advice

Patient. There are times when you think your tree isn’t growing when you see your avocado tree looking like a stick in the ground. Don’t spit it up! Your young avocado tree is growing! Sometimes it has to grow 15-20 cm tall before it leaves.
In winter or in cold climates, it’s best to plant your seedlings in a medium-sized flower pot rather than directly into the ground. Place the plant in a window where it gets sunlight and keep the soil moist, but don’t over-water it.
One question is whether avocados need to be cross-pollinated from two trees. This is not necessarily necessary. In at least some species, both female and male flowers are on the same plant and it is self-pollinating. You can also graft cuttings from a fruiting tree to a host tree you have at home (grafting is a completely different process, however).
Although there are old opinions that avocado trees cannot be successfully grown from seeds, with the exception probability only about 1 in 1,000, and even if planted, it will take up to 7 years to bear fruit, then even if there is a fruit, the fruit is not edible, but there are some cases that prove the opposite. One particular avocado variety that grows very quickly from seed and produces delicious fruit is the black-skinned avocado variety of Sabinas-Hidalgo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. The skin of this avocado is smooth, very thin and edible. Avocado peel has high nutritional value.
- Sabinas-Hidalgo is located 130km south of the twin cities of Laredo, Texas, USA, and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas state, Mexico, on the other side of the Rio Grande River. For years, Texans crossed into Mexico and bought Sabina avocados cheaply (it’s still incredibly cheap by comparison). When passing through US customs, this fruit must be declared, cut and seeded. Of course, some seeds were eventually smuggled into the city and planted. There are now many fruiting avocado trees planted in Laredo, Texas, where the soil is suitable – proof that these trees are very fruitful. It is best to plant the Sabina avocado tree on the east side of the building, otherwise the Laredo sun, especially in the summer, can seriously damage the tree. Sabina avocado trees are easy to graft, bear fruit, and have a slightly richer taste. This butter is slightly more pliable than the others sold at most Texas grocery stores. The leaves of this plant are also often larger and more prominent. It is an impressively strong and fast growing plant and is virtually immune to pests and diseases.
- Sabina butter tastes better if heated up a bit. Avocados are oily (100% chpesterp free), so you can slice them up and heat them up in a cast iron skillet without adding any other butter or oil. Leave on the stove until hot enough. Sliced tomatoes can also heat up in that pan. After a few minutes, place the tomato on top of the avocado and top with the bottom half of the sandwich, then flip it over with a spatula. Leave for about a minute for the crust to heat up. Take out and top with whatever you like (lettuce, salsa, onions, etc.), cover with the top half of a sandwich (also heated in the pan), and you’re in for a surprise. interesting. Heated butter has a much stronger flavor. It is rich in iron, protein and other nutrients, making it one of the most complete natural foods. Although the fat content is quite high, it has absolutely no cholesterol.
Avocados have seeds in some areas that are not allowed to be imported into the United States due to a variety of pests, including the avocado seed grain weevils (Conotrachelus aguacate, Conotrachelus perseae, Heilipus lauri, Zygopinae spp.) and Stenoma catenifer, a type of avocado seed moth. As the name implies, the larvae of this insect develop inside the avocado seed. For more information, contact your local plant protection office. If you are located in the United States, you can consult the USDA APHIS (U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) website at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/

Warning

Avocado trees grown from seeds will be very tall, unlike grafted avocado trees. Avocado branches are very fragile and cannot bear weight, so do not hang anything heavy on the branch, such as a hammock, as it will break.
Cold temperatures (below 10ºC) can shock your avocado tree. Trees need to be protected from cold winds, air passages and window panes. If you grow your plant in a pot, keep it indoors until it warms up. For young plants and most potted plants, a thick blanket or plastic bag should cover the entire canopy during the cold season, at least until the weather gets warmer. Well-rooted avocado trees can often survive frosts and low temperatures close to freezing. To be on the safe side, you should always cover the plant if in doubt.
Poor lighting and/or improper watering can weaken the trunk and branches and eventually break down on their own.
Slender or thin trunks and branches make the tree weak to support. Trees that are not pruned regularly will cause the trunk and branches to be long, weak, and twisted. Pruning will help the trunk become thicker and grow stronger.
Excessive pruning (too much or too often) can cause the plant to be stunted and not produce leaves. After the first pruning, cut only the leaf shoots at the tip of the stem/branch. For the main branches and trunk of the tree, pruning will stimulate the branches to grow more luxuriantly and the leaves to become thicker and stronger.
Not changing the water or adding enough water when germinating avocado seeds can cause contaminants to form in the water and/or roots. Mold, rotten roots, and fermenting water can quickly poison the plant. You need to keep the water clean and sufficient.
If the bottom of the avocado seed is dry, it will make it difficult for the plant to germinate, or not be able to germinate.
Do not plant the plant directly into the ground until it has grown firmly in the pot. A strong root system and loose soil will make outdoor planting more favorable.
Avocados grown from store-bought seeds can be difficult to fruit. Although store-bought avocados are genetically unchanged, they require special conditions to produce fruit. Don’t expect any fruit from that avocado tree.

Things you need

One ripe avocado, whole
A shallow cup
Four toothpicks
Water
Plant pots
Gravel for drainage
Land

Steps