Growing Avocado from Seed

For every gardening enthusiast, seeing the seeds germinate into plants, and plants grow into trees is an amazing feeling. If you are planning to grow a fruit tree in your garden, it would be a great idea to grow an avocado tree. Avocado tree belongs to the genus Persea and Lauraceae family. The tree produces the delicious avocado fruit. The next time you eat a ripe avocado, don't dump the seeds. These seeds can be used to grow avocado. Isn't that amazing? You can also involve your kids in this fun project. They will certainly be overjoyed to see the seeds germinate. It will be an educational experience for them.

How to Grow Avocado from Seed
After you remove the seeds from a ripe avocado fruit, you can either sprout the seeds in water or plant the seed in soil. Here are steps that need to be followed to grow an avocado tree from seed.

Selecting Avocado Seeds
The next time you plan to use avocado in any of your cooking recipes, don't throw the seeds away. Look for a soft and ripe avocado. To get the seed from the fruit, you must cut the fruit in half. Be very careful while cutting the fruit. Take care so that the seeds don't get damaged during the process. Now twist the cut fruit gently in order to get the seed out. Wash the fruit properly in order to get rid of the pulp. Now that you have the seeds ready, let's find out more about the instructions that should be followed if you are keen on growing avocado from seed.

Sprouting Avocado Seed in Water
If you want to use this opportunity to show your children how plants grow from seeds, you can sprout the avocado seed in water. For sprouting the avocado seed, you must first wash the seeds in water. Make sure that there are no remnants of pulp. Avocado seed is tear shaped. The stem and leaves will grow on the narrower side, whereas, the roots will grow on the broad end. Place toothpicks around the sides of the seed and place it in a glass of water. You must place it in such a manner that the broad end of the avocado is pointing downwards. The bottom part must be immersed in water. You can place this glass on a window sill. The place should be warm but it must not receive direct sunlight. Make sure that the bottom half of the seed always stays covered in water. Change the water every few weeks.

You will notice that the seed or pit will start to crack in 2-3 weeks. It would take another 3-4 weeks for the root to appear at the bottom part of the seed that is submerged in water. Watching this process is a visual treat. Wait for the root to grow about 2-3 inches in length. When the stem also grows a couple of inches, you can plant the seed in the soil. You can plant it in a clay pot or in soil directly.

Planting Avocado Seed in Soil
If you wish to grow avocado from seed, you can directly place the seed in the soil. If you are planning to grow avocado seeds directly in your garden, select the site properly. Use a location that receives full or partial sun. Dig a hole as deep as the size of the root ball and place the root ball very gently. As far as the avocado growing season is concerned, the perfect time would be to be plant them during the period of March to June. For quicker growth, you must place avocado in well-drained soil. Make sure that the soil is fertile. Plant them in such a way that the top of the seed should just barely peek above the surface of the soil. Press the soil firmly around it. As far as watering is concerned, you must water in order to keep the soil moist, but over-watering must be completely avoided. If you water it very frequently, the roots might get damaged due to root rot.

The ideal temperature for avocado to grow is in the range of 65-80 degrees. When the seedling reaches a height of about 12 inches, it should be pinched back to about 6-8 inches to encourage the growth of new shoots. Use these avocado growing tips and provide the seedling with these ideal conditions that will promote better growth. However, don't expect the tree to bear fruit soon. It can take about 8-20 years for an avocado tree to bear fruit.

This was some information on how you can grow avocado from seed. Germinating avocado seeds in water would also be a great science project for children.