The avocado boasts a range of properties, offering a wealth of nutrients for our meals. Its advantages extend beyond benefiting our skin and hair; it is a versatile fruit worth having in your kitchen, even without refrigeration.

Surprisingly, cultivating it is a straightforward endeavor. By learning a few tricks, you can grow your own avocado plant and savor this fruit at home. Today, we will explore how to kickstart its germination.

What you’ll need:

  • An avocado pit
  • Damp kitchen towel
  • A plastic bag with an airtight seal
  • A glass container
  • Recycled expanded polystyrene
  • Water

Step-by-step guide:

  1. Thoroughly clean the avocado pit to remove any remnants of flesh, preventing it from rotting when exposed to moisture.
  2. Wrap the pit in the moist towel, ensuring it’s entirely covered. Adequate moisture is crucial for germination, as humidity and warmth create the ideal conditions.
  3. Place the wrapped pit inside the sealed bag.
  4. Position the bag containing your pit in a dark, warm location, such as under a stove, to encourage germination.
  5. Let it sit for 2-3 weeks, remembering to re-moisten the towel whenever it dries out.
  6. Once you observe sprouting and long roots, it’s time to remove the pit from the bag.
  7. Cut the styrofoam to match the glass’s diameter, creating a smaller center circle to securely hold the pit and prevent it from falling into the water.
  8. Fill the glass with water.
  9. Place the polystyrene with the pit and its roots inside the glass, positioning it in a well-lit area (e.g., near a window).
  10. Change the water weekly.
  11. Transfer it to a pot with soil (or into your garden) in the spring.
  12. All that’s left is to patiently wait until you can savor the delicious fruits!

Tips for potted growth:

  • Pot size: Start with a 5-liter pot and gradually increase to 30 liters, which will provide strength to your plant and allow its roots to grow freely. Alternatively, you can go from 5 liters to 60 liters to minimize repotting.
  • Soil mixture: Avocado trees prefer acidic soil with a pH between 5 and 7. A suitable mixture comprises equal parts peat, worm castings, and coconut fiber, with a bit of perlite for improved drainage.
  • Watering: Maintain soil moisture, paying closer attention during the summer when increased watering is necessary. Ensure proper drainage, as avocados dislike waterlogged soil. Use the finger test to check substrate moisture.
  • Pruning: When your plant reaches its first year, it’s time for its initial pruning. Trim the plant to encourage horizontal growth, ideally when it reaches a height of 60cm.
Fruits, Garden/Gardening