Growing an avocado from seed

Just a quick note to let you know that there is a short-cut to getting your own avocado tree! Amazon have a potted, five-gallon "Bacon Avocado Tree" you can buy for just under $70. The blurb suggests that it is old enough for you to start seeing some fruit, but I guess that depends on how you take care of it - here's a hint: try watering it! Anyway, check it out if you are too impatient to do what I did! At the link above you can also see some avocado items on eBay that look interesting too.

We have been very silent around in here regarding the great avocado-growing experiment. It's been winter, not much happening. But the avocados, brought inside, were doing great! The warm, fairly dry atmosphere in the apartment seemed to suit them. And yes, I was still putting off the question of whether to prune or not, figuring it wouldn't be a good idea to do it in winter anyway.

But then disaster struck! I don't know how, but the bigger plant, the one that was grown directly in the earth, not a jar, the one further away in the picture, was somehow hidden a little from view... and... I must have skipped watering it for a few days too long... and... well it's looking pretty bad. All the leaves have dried out and it will be a miracle if it survives this. Yes, I am watering it now of course. But I fear the damage has been done...

Well, keep your fingers crossed - plants can be remarkably resilient, so who knows... I am not asking for prayers or anything - heck, it's only a plant, and there is still the backup, which is doing fine. But it is a little disappointing...

The moral is: plants need water.

A long while has passed since the last update and in the meantime, look how the little fellas have grown! Some time ago I repotted the earth-growing avocado seed, and planted the jar-seed in earth too. Guess which is which!
The one in the pot on the left is the one which was in the jar, whereas the one on the right was the one which sprouted in earth from the start.
This is a good indication that although starting the growth in a jar makes a nice experiment, if you want a nice healthy plant, you probably need to plant it out much earlier than I did.
The other issue is with whether to prune or not (see discussion below!) - believe it or not, I am STILL procrastinating about this. I just can't bring myself to do it! I think I will let the big one grow one more set of leaves and then I reckon it will be big enough to withstand being pruned. Stay tuned!

The weather has really turned spring-like in my part of the world, and I think my sprouting avocado seeds can go outside and play now!

I think I will officially call off the race - the jar-based seed won, but I must admit to allowing the soil to dry out on the earth-grown one, which may have hindered its growth, whereas the one in the jar always had water.

But there is a BIG dilemma coming up! Most of the guides I have read say that if you want a nice-looking plant you need to snip off the shoot about halfway down once it gets to around 6 inches, which is pretty much where the jar-seed is now.

I don't know if I can bring myself to do that! So what do you think? Let me know in the guestbook below and I'll see what the consensus is: to snip or not to snip?!

Well, here they are photographed together for the first time!

It's been a few days since I last updated, and in the meantime, the seed in the jar seems to have decided to show the one in earth who's boss!

But both have pretty major shoots, and I may have scuppered the one in earth slightly by perhaps not watering it as much as it needed.

No sooner had I written about the shoot appearing from the avocado seed I had planted in earth, than I realised that my "jar" seed was going for it too!

The two seeds are absolutely neck and neck! Both have deep cracks in now, but this is quite normal, and the little shoots are growing at an amazing rate - the earth-bound one has grown by over half a centimeter since I photographed it yesterday!

What's this! While I was concentrating on the seed in the jar, the seed that I planted in earth, "just to see" has suddenly put in an appearance! I have no idea how the roots are, but if you look at this picture you will see... a shoot!

So this confirms what I had read before, that just planting it in earth will probably grow it quicker. This is turning into a little race now! Stay tuned to find out how the two contestants will do!

Well, the growth of the avocado seed has slowed quite a bit. However, this is probably due to the multiple roots it is putting out. Also, the seed itself is starting to crack dangerously! I'd like to see some activity at the top end soon, in the form of some shoots!

Also, I wondering at what point to plant it into soil. Spring is coming and it might be a good point to do so. Some recommend waiting till it puts out a shoot though. I'll hold off for another week or two and let you know!

All I can say is, carumba! The root has grown to a length of 5-6cm within a week or so! That is an amazing growth rate. If it keeps up this pace, we'll have a huge tree in our living room in no time!

Still waiting for something to happen at the top of the avocado seed, but I have a feeling it will be putting out a few more roots first...

And here we have it! Just a bit longer than two weeks, and the first root has appeared from my avocado seed (I have turned this upside down)! Hope you can see it, that little white thingie poking out.

I think things will start to take off now! I'll be getting the tacos out any day now!

This thing looks like it's really going to take off now it's started! The root you saw in the last entry poking out of the bottom of my avocado stone has grown well over half a centimeter in a day - that's pretty amazing!

Actually, because I am a bit behind with these entries, then I know just how quick this thing does grow! Watch this space to be amazed!

No sign of any roots yet, but after two weeks or so, the papery skin of the seed is beginning to split. Could just be from the water, and this could probably be removed at the start. But I will take it as a sign that there is something afoot!

Won't be long now before I am enjoying my own private supply of avocados from my own lovely big avocado tree! Well, maybe there is a little way to go as yet...