Avocado seeds may be started in a glass of water or in a moist, porous soil mixture. If the seed is started in water, insert three or four toothpicks in the seed about half way down the sides. Next, fill a small glass with water to the brim and place the seed in the glass, flat end down, so the toothpicks rest firmly on the brim. The toothpicks should be supporting the seed so that the pointed half is out of the water and the bottom half is in the water. The sprouting tip will come out of the pointed end, so be sure the flat end is immersed in water. Place the glass on a sunny window sill or some other well lighted spot. After a few weeks a small root should appear from the flat end, and there should be signs of a small shoot at the pointed end. Tiny leaves will develop and grow on this shoot.
If the avocado seed is started in soil, fill a large container with house plant potting soil. Plant the seed so that the pointed end is about an inch above the soil surface. Water the plant often enough to keep the soil moist but not wet. A wet soil will result in curled leaves and soft stems. A dry soil will cause dry leaves that eventually fall off. Avocado plants should be fertilized every three months with a standard houseplant fertilizer. Also, remember that avocado plants require good, indirect light.
About Avocados Avocados were first cultivated in South America with later migration to Mexico. European sailors traveling to the New World used avocados as their form of butter. Nutrition Information Though avocados are high in fat, most of the fat is heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "Avocados are loaded with nutrients such as dietary fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, potassium, magnesium, and folate. They're also cholesterol and sodium free."
Everything you need to know about how to grow an avocado tree. Really! Want your own avocado tree or houseplant? There are a few ways to do it. You can start with an avocado seed. Wash it. Use three toothpicks to suspend it broad end down over a water-filled glass to cover about an inch of the seed. Put the glass in a warm place out of direct sunlight and replenish water as needed. You should see the roots and stem start to sprout in about two to six weeks. (If you’ve followed this process so far and have not seen roots or a stem sprout in more than six to eight weeks, try another seed.)
When the stem is 6 to 7 inches long, cut it back to about 3 inches. When the roots are thick and the stem has leaves again, plant it in a rich humus soil in a 10½-inch-diameter pot, leaving the seed half exposed. Water it frequently, with an occasional deep soak. The soil should be moist but not saturated. Tip: If the plant turns yellow, you may be over-watering; let it dry out for a few days. If the leaves turn brown and fry at the tips, too much salt has accumulated in the soil. Remember that avocado trees do best at moderately warm temperatures (60 F to 85 F) with moderate humidity. They can tolerate temperatures, once established, of around 28 F to 32 F with minimal damage. Avoid freezing temperatures. Plant your tree in March through June.
If you plant during the summer, there is always the risk of sun damage, because avocado trees don’t absorb water very well when they’re young. Plant it in a non-lawn area and away from sidewalks and, if you can, plant it in a spot protected from wind and frost. Remember, full sun is best. Dig a hole as deep as the current root ball and just as wide as the width plus a little extra so you can get your hands into the hole to plant it. The avocado is a shallow-rooted tree with most of its feeder roots in the top 6 inches of soil, so give it good aeration. Its root system is very sensitive, and great care should be taken not to disturb it when transplanting. Avocado trees like the soil’s pH around 6 to 6.5. If you have a heavy clay soil, elevate the tree in a mound for better drainage. Make the mound 1 to 2 feet high and 3 to 5 feet around. Don’t put gravel or anything else like planting media in the hole.
Trees typically need to be watered two to three times a week. As the roots reach out into the bulk soil, more water can be applied and the frequency of watering can diminish to about once a week after a year. When watering the tree, soak the soil well, and then allow it to dry out somewhat before watering again. As with most plants, you don’t want the tree to get too dry. The rule of thumb for mature trees is about 20 gallons of water a day during the irrigation season. Seedlings will require quite a bit less water, of course. Check the soil before watering each time to make sure it has dried somewhat.
Mulch with coarse yard mulch. Redwood bark or cocoa bean husks and shredded tree bark will work. Choose something that is woody and about 2 inches in diameter. Coarse yard mulch is available at some garden-supply centers and through tree-trimming operations. Tree-trimming operations sometimes have material that has been pruned from the tops of trees and doesn’t contain any diseased roots. Use online search engines to find a local tree service. Put 20 pounds of gypsum spread around the tree base, and mulch the area with 6 inches of mulch, keeping the material about 6 to 8 inches away from the tree trunk. Fertilize your young avocado trees with ½ to 1 pound of actual nitrogen per tree per year. You can spread it out over several applications as long as it totals ½ to 1 pound of nitrogen.
Be patient about seeing fruit. If you have purchased and planted a tree, you can probably expect to see your first fruit three to four years after planting. If you are growing from a seed, it can take anywhere from five to 13 years before the tree is mature enough to set fruit. When the tree does flower, expect a lot of flowers to fall without setting fruit. Avocado flowering patterns fall into two groups: “A” type and “B” type flowers. Optimum fruit set occurs at temperatures between about 65 - 75 F. Cooler or warmer temperatures are less ideal. Under some conditions, you may get a fruit from a flower that did not pollinate properly. These small, elongated fruit will often fall from the tree on their own, but if they “hang on” you can pick them and eat them. This is called fruit drop. An avocado tree typically produces about one million flowers, but only 100-200 pieces of fruit per tree. In other words, 1 fruit in 10,000 will set and mature. Sometimes the tree will set fruit but drop them when they are pea to walnut size. To minimize fruit drop of good “fertilized” fruit, avoid stressing the tree. Don’t under or overwater it. Research suggests that fruit retention is also better when there are other avocado varieties present to provide cross-pollination, and that these crossed fruit have a higher tendency to stay on the tree. There is also some indication that over-fertilizing with Nitrogen during the early fruit stages can also somewhat influence fruit drop.
How can I tell when my avocados are ripe and ready to pick? Avocados do not “ripen” on the tree; they mature there. Once you pick an avocado, it can take from 7-21 days for it to soften when left at room temperature. You can speed the process up slightly by placing the avocado in a bag with some other ripe fruit or slow the process down by keeping the fruit in the refrigerator. So, when should I pick my avocados? Pick a couple of avocados and try to ripen them. If they shrivel up or seem rubbery instead of soft, they are not mature yet. Keep picking fruit every few weeks. Note on the calendar when they soften instead of turning rubbery. Also, note the taste of the fruit. The oil content of the fruit usually increases through the season, and there will be a certain point when it tastes “just right.” That date will usually vary somewhat due to climate conditions, and some years will be better than others. Some varieties can also reach a point where they have too much oil and some will turn rancid (although many types fall from the tree before reaching that point). The Hass Avocado in California typically comes to maturity in February and is good through September or October.
How many fruit will a mature tree produce in one year? It is possible for an avocado tree to produce 200 to 300 fruit per tree once it is about 5-7 years of age. The avocado tree, however, alternates bearing. This means that the tree may produce a large crop one year, and then produce a small crop the following year. How large will my avocado tree get? Growth is reflected in rootstock, variety, soil depth and texture, windiness, irrigation and pruning. Reed, Bacon and Hass trees can ultimately grow to 35 feet in 30 years. What’s the creamy-white foamy looking stuff that grows out of the bark where there are cuts, or small branches have died and dropped off? It is just sap coming from a wound. Most areas of Southern California are suitable for avocados, except for the mountains and high deserts, where it gets too cold and too dry for fruit set. Outside of Southern California, it depends on the climate. Cold is most often the problem faced in other parts of the state. Still, there are home growers with avocado trees in and around San Francisco. There is also an area along the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains where avocados are being grown in Fresno and Tulare Counties.
Tips for the Backyard Avocado Grower This sheet, developed by the California Avocado Commission, provides Do-It-Yourself tips on growing an avocado tree. Ventura County Avocado Handbook This handbook, hosted by the University of California Cooperative Extension, provides text book-like information on growing an avocado tree including grafting, planting and more. Growing Avocados (YouTube) YouTube offers a helpful selection of avocado growing tips and videos from avocado enthusiasts all over the world. Avocado Source The free, virtual library of avocado knowledge. Avocado Variety Information Almost 1,000 varieties of avocados are identified on this page. The California Avocado Commission does not sell, produce or have avocados, seeds or trees available for purchase.
There is a personal anecdote about experimenting with avocado propagation and observing growth in different conditions. The process remains approachable for beginners, with two common methods described: the toothpick method over water and the damp paper towel method. Both approaches emphasize monitoring water levels, warmth, indirect light, and patience as roots and stems develop. The observation that seeds crack, roots form, and stems emerge provides a fascinating view into germination. When roots and stems are established, transferring to a pot with proper drainage and rich soil supports continued growth. Regular pruning and feeding promote bushier growth, and repotting as the plant enlarges helps sustain healthy development.
- Remove the pit from an avocado and wash it gently.
- Use three to four toothpicks to suspend the seed over a glass of water so that the bottom is submerged while the top remains exposed.
- Place in a warm, bright spot and refresh the water regularly.
- Watch for roots at the flat end and a shoot at the pointed end, typically over 2-6 weeks.
- When the stem reaches about 6 inches, prune to encourage branching, then plant in soil with the seed half exposed.
- Provide indirect light, keep the soil evenly moist, and fertilize periodically to support growth.
Author: Denise Hope, home educating mum of two boys. This activity was part of a previous Mud & Bloom box. If you’d like to receive regular activity ideas like this, along with nature craft and gardening activities for children, subscribe below to receive a monthly Mud & Bloom box!