Grow Avocados

This informative article will teach you how to grow Avocado's at home, in your spare time.

Steps

 * 1)  Wash the seed.
 * 2)  Using three toothpicks, suspend the seed broad end down over a water-filled glass to cover about an inch of the seed.
 * 3)  Place the seed and its container in a warm place out of direct sunlight and replenish water as needed.
 * 4)  When the stem is six to seven inches long, cut it back to about three inches.
 * 5)  When the roots are thick and the stem has leafed out again, plant it in a rich humus soil in a 10-1/2" diameter pot, leaving the seed half exposed.
 * 6)  Give it frequent, light waterings with an occasional deep soak. Generally, the soil should be moist but not saturated. Yellowing leaves are a sign of over-watering; let the plant dry out for a few days.
 * 7)  Ensure the avocado plant receives ample sunlight.
 * 8)  When the stem is 12 inches high, cut it back to 6 inches to encourage the growth of new shoots.
 * 9)  When an Avocado is produced, cut it from the plant and eat it.

Tips

 * Use fertilizer specifically for Avocado's if available, otherwise Miracle Grow is sufficient to provide a boost in growth.

Warnings

 * If leaves turn brown and fry at the tips, too much salt has accumulated in the soil. Let water run freely into the pot and drain for several minutes.
 * While it is true that you can grow a tree from an avocado seed, keep in mind that a tree grown from seed will be very different from its parent variety and may take 7-15 years to begin producing fruit. Fruit from a tree grown from seed tends to have different flavor characteristics than their parent variety.

Things You'll Need

 * An Avocado seed.
 * A container to house the seedling.
 * Three toothpicks
 * A container to plant the seedling once sprouted.
 * Fertilizer

Sources and Citations

 * http://avocado.org