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Help growing avocados

Posted: Jun 13, 2011

Does anyone have experience growing avocados from seeds? I thought you put toothpicks in the seed, suspended it the flat side in water and waited for it to sprout. I did this and have waited and waited and waited and still no sprouts. Then I tried a one with the pointy side down in water, waited and waited and still no sprout. Finally I just gave up and threw them all away!

I know I can do this because I grew a couple a while back ago, but cannot for the life of me figure out what I am doing wrong now. I have been keeping the seeds in a sunny window, but have also heard to keep them somewhere dark until they start to sprout which takes about 6 weeks. Does anyone have a foolproof method? I really love the graceful little trees they make. TIA!

;

avocado - MT

[ In Reply To ..]
I have nothing helpful to say, except I sure hope someone knows. I have never even got one to sprout and I would just love one to grow, even a little. :) If you find out somewhere else could you post back?

Guacamole - Dip

[ In Reply To ..]
I copied/pasted this from a Website:

Planting Avocado Seeds:

The Avocado Tree, Persea americana, when grown by a hobby gardener, it is normally grown from seeds removed from ripened fruit. There are two acceptable methods of doing this, either by sprouting the seed in water or by actually planting the seed in soil.

Many people start avocado trees as novelty house plants by piercing the seed with its pointed end up, partially through with toothpicks on three or four sides to hold it on the top of a jar or vase partly with water and few pieces of charcoal (to keep the water sweet) just covering the base.

In 2 to 6 weeks, when roots and leaves are well formed, the plant is set in potting soil. Unless they're moved into soil within a few weeks or months after germination, they'll begin to deteriorate.

Avocado seeds are just as easily sprouted in a well-drained 4- or 5-inch pot of porous, fertile soil. When planted this way, the top of the seed should just barely peek above the surface of the soil. If the soil is kept fairly moist and the temperature is between 60 and 70 degrees, the seed will begin to sprout and a pretty, leafy plant will develop.

When the seedling reaches about 12 inches tall, it should be pinched back to about 6-8 inches to produce a rounder, fuller plant.

Here's what I do... - Lannie

[ In Reply To ..]
Remove the brown skin from the pit. Place the pit in a small zip top sandwich bag with a small amount of water in it, just a bit on the bottom to keep the pit moist. Put the baggie in a sunny window. (I have a tension rod in one of my windows and clip the bag to the rod with a clothes pin.) The baggie will become a tiny greenhouse. In a few weeks you will see roots and a stem form. I keep the pit in the baggie until it has a good 6" stem and sometimes leaves. I then remove it and plant it in a pot leaving just a bit of the pit sticking out of the dirt and secure the stem to a stick or chop stick to help straighten out the stem. Keep it in the sunny window. Mine have never bore fruit but they do get quite big and showy. As the plant gets taller, if you pinch off the new leaves the tree will get bushier. I've had good luck with this method. Good luck to you!

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