How to grow an avocado tree at home from a seed

Avocado Is a type of tropical fruit tree that is very popular with exotic plant lovers. Many of them have a plant in their collection, since it is quite easy to grow an avocado with your own hands. But in order for it to grow and please its owner, careful care is needed.

Features of homemade avocado tree

A home-grown avocado tree has a number of features:

1. In its natural habitat, the plant grows up to 20 m in height, and a small tree growing at home reaches a maximum of 2.5–3 m.
2. Fruiting of this tree occurs very rarely. It is mainly used as a decorative element.
3. If you are lucky, the fruiting of the tree begins at 3–6 years of growth. Its fruits are quite edible, although they are slightly inferior to the imported ones in taste.
4. The plant purifies the air, and thanks to the original and lush crown, a warm and cozy atmosphere prevails in the room.

Conditions for growing avocados

To grow seed avocados at home, you must adhere to some rules. It is better to plant seeds in the spring, it is during this period that active plant growth is observed. For harvesting planting material, it is necessary to choose a ripe fruit that does not have deformations.

Indicators of a ripe product are a dark colored peel, firm and firm pulp. After pressing on the fruit, it regains its shape. The bone is easily separated from the pulp, a high-quality bone is the size of a quail egg.

If the product is slightly unripe, you need to put it in a paper bag with products that contain a large portion of ethylene - this is a gas that accelerates fruit ripening. These include bananas, apples, or tomatoes. When storing the fruit at a temperature of 18 to 23 degrees, after 2 days, the avocado will reach the required condition.

Read also:coffee tree - house plant.

Avocado seed germination stages

Growing an avocado at home from a seed is done in this sequence.

The seed is removed. To do this, a small incision is made in the center of the fetus, 1 cm deep and carefully, with rotating movements, its bone is cut out. Further, it is washed under running water without damaging the brown shell.

Before germinating an avocado, a place is prepared for its growth:

1. A drainage system is laid in the pot, for which ordinary gravel or expanded clay is suitable.
2. Equal parts nutritional formula is prepared humus, garden land and sand. Since the avocado can be planted directly into the soil, for the normal germination of its seed, it must have a loose consistency.
3. The prepared mixture is poured into the pot, leaving a little free space, 1-2 cm from the top edge.

How to germinate an avocado seed

The closed method provides for the germination of planting material directly in the soil. To do this, the bone is placed in the ground 25 mm deep, the sharp end is at the top and watered well, soaking the entire soil. The container is placed in a warm place with good lighting and watered throughout the entire germination period. After 20-30 days, a sprout will appear.

The open method of growing avocados is to hang the seeds in a container of water, hanging.This requires:

• prepare a glass or other container;
• in the middle part of the seed, from different sides, make 3-4 holes into which toothpicks are inserted, 2-3 mm deep (they act as a support so that the seed cannot be completely submerged in water, but only its lower part);
• the seed is placed in a prepared container with cold water, with a blunt end, and the immersion of the planting material should be 1/3 of its part;
• instead of water, you can use hydrogel, which is able to retain moisture for a long time;
• throughout the entire germination period, you need to ensure that the water level does not decrease;
• after the first root appears, the plant can be transplanted into the ground, but in order for the plant to take root, its roots must be at least 30 mm.

It takes 2 to 6 weeks for the first roots to appear.

Avocado seed contains a substance such as persin, which disrupts the digestive system and causes various allergic reactions. Therefore, it is recommended to carry out work with rubber gloves.

Conditions for growing an avocado tree

After the avocado seed has been planted at home, it is necessary to carry out a number of measures to arrange its place.

For the normal growth of avocados, you need to follow some requirements:

1. Regular moistening of the soil, which occurs as it dries. On average, watering is performed once every 10 days. In the winter season, the tree is watered less often, allowing the soil to stand dry for a couple of days, this is necessary to maintain the optimum level of soil moisture.
2. Maintaining humid air is achieved in different ways - this is placing a pot with a tree next to crops that release a lot of moisture, spraying the leaves of plants, in the summer season or heating, the pot is placed on a pallet with wet sand.
3. Providing a favorable temperature regime in the room, which should be in the range of 16-20 degrees. In winter, the temperature is favorable - 10-12 degrees, as the plant falls into a state of dormancy and sheds its leaves.
4. Timely feeding of the plant. On average, it is performed 1-2 times a month. For feeding, mixtures for growing ornamental crops are used.

When the leaves turn yellow, you need to pay attention to the frequency and amount of watering. This is usually a sign of over-watering.

Avocado tree decoration

Before growing an avocado from a seed at home, you need to think over all the nuances of its decorative design:

1. Some options involve planting several shoots in a pot, with further intertwining of their stems, thereby obtaining a lush and original tree.
2. To obtain a tall tree, it is recommended to transplant it at least once a year. The favorable period for this procedure is the end of February, this is the time when the plants actively begin to grow. The first transplant should be carried out when the tree reaches a height of 15 cm.
3. To reduce the intensity of avocado growth, pinch its top. This procedure accelerates the growth of side shoots, which make the crown lush and attractive.

Formative pruning is done in the spring when all plants are actively growing. The first trimming of the top is done after 8-10 sheets. In the presence of lateral shoots, their shortening is performed after 5 leaves.

Read about: benefits of avocado for humans!

From seed germination to a formed tree - video