How to grow an avocado tree from a seed?
Avocado is an exotic tree that attracts with the beauty of its shiny bright green leaves and juicy fruits, which contain a huge amount of oils, fatty acids and other substances beneficial to human health. In nature, this representative of the flora is found in the tropical forests of Africa and Central America. However, experienced gardeners assure that it is quite possible to grow a wonderful ornamental plant at home and even wait for flowering and fruit to appear. You just need to properly germinate and plant the avocado seed, and then create favorable conditions for growth and flowering.
Which fruit is suitable for planting?
To quickly and successfully germinate an avocado seed, you need to choose a large, ripe fruit. It is no secret that unripe and sometimes completely green exotic fruits arrive on store shelves. This is usually due to difficulties in transportation and storage, as well as distance from the collection site.
To determine the ripest specimen, you need to squeeze the fruit with your hand and then quickly release it. If the dent has smoothed out, it means the avocado is ripe and can be safely used for planting.
In addition, when choosing a fruit, you need to pay attention to the area around the stalk. The bright green color and protruding juice indicate the maturity of the product. It will definitely be possible to grow a new plant from its seed.
How to germinate an avocado seed?
Removing the seed is no less important a process than selecting the fruit.The main thing is not to damage the outer shell of the core. The operation is performed as follows:
- Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the flesh in a circle;
- holding the halves with your hands, turn them in different directions and separate them;
- Use a spoon to remove the kernel from the pulp and rinse with cool water.
The avocado seed contains the fungicidal toxin persin, which can cause an allergy attack, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Therefore, you should remove it from the pulp using rubber gloves, and wash your hands with soap when finished.
Before planting, the seed must be germinated. Moreover, this must be done immediately as soon as it is freed from the pulp. For germination, filtered or settled water is suitable, the temperature of which is from +23°C to +25°C.
Work at home is carried out in several stages:
- Using a thick needle, four holes 2–3 mm deep are made in the bone. Wooden sticks are inserted into them, thus constructing a support.
- Place the bone in a glass of water with the blunt end down. The sticks rest on the edges of the glass and prevent the seed from sinking. Only the lower part of the bone is immersed in water, while the puncture sites should remain dry.
- Place the container in a warm, bright place.
After about two weeks, you can expect the roots to appear, although sometimes the process is delayed for a month.
It has been noticed that it is better to germinate avocados in the spring.
If you don’t want to bother with a complex structure of toothpicks, you can simply bury the seed with the blunt end into the soil, leaving 2/3 on the surface, and water it with warm water every week. And this method of germination often gives positive results.
Landing rules
For planting avocados, universal soil for indoor plants is suitable, mixed with coarse sand and peat in equal volumes.
A sprout that has reached a length of 3 cm can be safely planted in the soil. A small pot is needed for planting. A drainage layer 3–4 cm high is required.
A small depression is made in the soil, into which the sprout should be planted so that 1/3 protrudes above the surface of the soil, after which it is watered.
Growing conditions and care
Due to its nature, avocado, like any other tropical plant, prefers moisture and warmth. In spring, summer and autumn, the seedling feels great, but in winter difficulties begin, which are very difficult to cope with without practical advice from experienced gardeners.
- Place for an exotic plant
For normal growth and development of young avocados, too much light and constant exposure to sunlight are not required. However, even in the shade the plant will feel uncomfortable: growth will slow down, the color of the leaves will fade. The ideal location for an avocado tree in an apartment is the windowsill of a western window.
- Air temperature
The heat-loving plant does not tolerate low temperatures and drafts; in apartment conditions it is comfortable at +22 °C.
- Humidity and watering
Tropical plants naturally grow in conditions of high humidity. However, water lingering on the surface of the leaf can lead to burns and the development of fungal infections. It is much safer to humidify the air around the young tree using a spray bottle or aerator.
The plant must be watered regularly as soon as the top layer of soil dries out. When watering, it is necessary to take into account the air temperature in the room and the condition of the soil.If you water the plant too much, the root system will begin to rot.
- Plant nutrition
For normal development, the avocado tree requires regular feeding, which is carried out 2 times a month from the beginning of March to the end of September. It is best to use complex fertilizers for citrus crops.
Avocados require a large amount of potassium, so you need to pay close attention to potassium supplements. Fertilizers are applied to the soil after watering or sprinkled on the leaves.
The process of growing avocados is interesting and educational for both experienced gardeners and beginners. You can grow not one, but several plants by planting them side by side and intertwining the stems like a braid. The resulting decorative tree will always delight you with fresh greenery and create a cozy atmosphere in your home.