How to Grow an Avocado Plant from Seed

There are many different things you can make with avocado. Guacamole seems to be the number one hit now a days! It can be spread on a taco, used as a dip with tortilla chips and put in a salad. Avocados have been the craze among those who like to liven up their food dishes and aim for a healthier lifestyle.

If you eat a lot of guacamole or use avocados in your daily dishes, learning how to grow your own avocado might be in your best interest. Avocado is super easy to grow and within no time you can be reaping the benefits of the avocado you grew with your own two hands.

How to Grow an Avocado Plant

• Growing avocado is quite simple as it grows from the very pit you remove when making your own avocado dishes.
• When removing the pit, do so carefully as not to disturb the inside seeds. If you disturb the inner seeds, your plant may not grow as well or at all.
• Be careful not to cut the brown seed while you are removing it from the fruit. Carefully cut around the avocado to remove as much fruit as possible and then gently remove the pit/seed from the inside.
• Be sure to wash your seed as well as you can to remove any of the fruit that still lingers. Be very careful not to remove the brown skin that coats the seed.

Next you will need to determine which part of the seed is up and which side is down. Some avocados are oblong or sphered in shape which can make it a little tricky, but trust me, they all have an upper side and lower side. This is important for planting purposes. If you look closely you’ll see that your avocado pit has a pointier end than the other. The pointy end is the top of your seed and the flat part is the bottom. You will need to plant your seed, bottom down in water to help it grow. Bottom is where the seed will take root and in no time you will see that your avocado is growing from the top.

Trick to Keeping Your Seeds Upright

Take four toothpicks and gentle but firmly poke them into your avocado seed. Making a small stand for your seeds to sit on. This will help keep your seed upright when it’s emerged in the water. Keeping your seed upright is very important for your seed to grow. By resting the toothpicks on the side of a shallow glass you ensure that your seed will be receiving the correct amount of water to grow. Your avocado seed should be submerged half way into the water.

Eventually, over time, your avocado seed will begin to sprout. This process can take up to a month, more likely eight weeks. So you need to be patient and make sure your seed is taken care of each day. Checking the amount of water is important to the growing process.

Signs Your Avocado Seed Is Ready

• The top of your seed should crack and as it does so, the brown part of the seed will gently slide off.
• Eventually the crack will spread to the bottom of your seed and you will have what’s called a “tiny taproot”. Be very careful when this happens. It’s been known that the tiny taproot will break and in turn will kill your avocado seed. The taproot will continue to grow longer and soon a small sprout will begin to form.
• Do not submerge the taproot. It must always remain dry.
• When the step of your plant reaches approximately seven feet tall it is time to transplant it into a bigger pot. Be sure to thin it out about three inches so the other stems don’t strangle your existing plant. This will encourage your plant to produce more fruit. Something that is super exciting for someone who is trying to grow their own Avocado.
• Once your plant grows another seven inches, move to a pot that is about 10 inches in diameter. Be sure to place your plant in a sunny area. Avocados love the warmth the sun gives off.
• The soil should always be moist, so check your plant frequently and add water as necessary.

By snipping leaves off the top of your plant you will be encouraging growth. Too many leaves on your plant will push the nutrients to leaves that aren’t producing the kind of seeds you are looking for. They also have a tendency to choke the good seeds that are doing well.

Believe it or not, bugs can be a huge problem for avocado plants. Aphids are a huge problem and you should take precautions to keep them away from your plants. By spraying your plants with water and dish soap this will help keep pests away from eating your goodies.

Beware, it can take a long time to grow avocados. Some of reported that they’ve seen fruit within four years, the more likely estimate is 15 years. So you really have to be patient when it comes to growing avocados. But I can promise you, it will be worth it!

Bonus – Homemade Guacamole

Recipes

• 2 Ripe Avocados
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 TBS fresh lemon or lime juice
• 2 TBS to ¼ cup minced red onion – chopped finely
• 1-2 serrano chiles, steps and seeds removed before dicing
• 2 TBS cilantro (keep leaves and tender steps) chop
• Pepper
• ½ ripe tomato, no seeds

Steps

1. Cut avocado, remove flesh, remove seed, Scoop insides out
2. Mash with fork
3. Add remaining ingredients
4. Cover and chill until ready to serve – do not chill sliced tomatoes. Add those before serving.

There are many recipes available to use your own fresh avocados. If you are an avocado fanatic, growing your own may be the way for you to go. They are so much healthier and they’ve been nurtured by your own two hands.