If you can’t seem to get enough avocados, perhaps it’s time to plant your own tree. While it takes patience and dedication, all you need to get started is the pit from the avocado you just ate. You can grow the plant indoors or outside if you live in a warm climate. Here’s your step by step guide on how to grow your own avocado tree.
- Start off by washing the seed and remember which end was on top and which was the bottom.
- Poke a toothpick in the center of the seed, tucking it about 1/4 to 1/2 inch into the seed. Then poke two to three more toothpicks into the seed so the toothpicks are distributed evenly.
- Place the circle of toothpicks over a or glass filled with water, with the bottom end of the avocado seed suspended in about 1 inch of water, leaving the top end open in the air.
- Place the glass somewhere warm and away from direct sunlight and add enough water so about 1 inch of it is covering the bottom end of the seed. Change the water every four or five days to get rid of bacteria. The roots will grow from the bottom of the seed, and in about eight weeks a slender seedling should emerge from the top.
- When the seedling reaches 6 or 7 inches tall, cut the stem in half to allow the plant to grow.
- When the seedling has several leaves and thick roots, plant it in potting soil in a 10-inch-wide pot with drainage holes. Leave the top half of the seed exposed above the soil line and water the soil until water runs from the bottom of the pot. Water whenever the soil feels dry.
- Prune the tree regularly and every time it grows 6 inches, cut back the top two sets of leaves. When the plant is 12 inches, cut it back to 6 inches, when it reaches 18 inches, cut it back to 12 inches, etc. When the tree grows, place it in larger pots.
- In the summer, fertilize with a fertilizer with nitrogen and zinc. Don’t fertilize it during the winter because growth is minimal.
