Avocados For All From A Seed

All articles and posts have a chance to include affiliate marketing links.  In no way does this influence our opinions. This simply means by clicking my links you help support my site so I can continue to bring you quality content, and I thank you for this! Please read our Disclosure Here and feel free to Contact Us Here for any additional information.

Avocados are a fruit that grows tropical evergreen trees. They come in many shapes, sizes, colors, and textures. Generally speaking, they have a rough, green outer skin. On the inside, you will find a buttery flesh and a single large seed on the inside. Many people are familiar with a few types of avocados, but hundreds of varieties exist throughout the world. By cross-breeding different types, there are hundreds of hybrid versions that exist today.

Benefits of Avocados

Avocados contain more potassium than a banana along with Vitamin A, E, and Vitamin B-6. They also contain ‘good fats’ called monounsaturated fatty acids that have been shown to lower your LDL (‘bad’ cholesterol).

Start With Clean Avocado Seeds

Any Avocados you can buy from your local store will be good to grow an Avocado Tree. Carefully remove the seed from the fruit. Rinse off in cool water and set aside.

Use Toothpicks

When I first started trying this, for some reason I could not figure out which side of the seed was supposed to face upward. When looking at your seed, the flat portion faces downward. This would leave the pointy part to face upward.

Insert toothpicks at a slightly upward angle that will allow the seed to sit nicely in its temporary home. At this point, sunlight is not a priority but should be left in a sunny room out of direct sunlight. Leave enough water in the cup to cover the lower 1/3 of the Avocado seed. Change the water every two days or three days.

See My Perfect Water Recipe Here!

Don’t Get Discouraged

You might have to try a number of seeds before you get one to sprout. I believe I needed about 4 or 5 seeds before I had a keeper! In about 2-6 weeks, you should start to see roots begin to form. If after about 2 months you don’t see anything happening, start over with a new seed.

Transfer Into A Planter

It would make sense to some to just jump straight to the largest container you can find. After all, we are talking about what will become a large tree. But not so fast. You need to step your way up from smaller pots until you are able to better fit your tree into a larger container. There are many benefits to doing this. But simply stated, it is easier to keep the soil consistently moist in small pots and is very common to overwater in larger pots in the early stages.

How to Make Perfect Soil for Your Plant

Support Your Avocado Trees

As your plant grows, it will need some support. By using a bamboo pole or something tall and straight will help your tree grow tall and straight. Now is the perfect time to use some type of support before the roots grow larger and can be heavily damaged later on.

Why Stake Your Seedlings

Pinch Your Plants

Pinching your plants can cause them to be healthier and bushier.

See the Benefits of Pinching Your Plants Here!

Do Not Overwater Your Avocados

Water your Avocado Seedlings every other day lightly. Do not deep water your plants too often as this can cause your roots to drown.

How Much Water is Too Much?

Fertilizer

Avocado Trees need to be fertilized about 3 times per year along with deep watering. Avocados need nitrogen a little zinc. Use can a citrus tree fertilizer or make your own mixture using compost, coffee, fish, etc.

Grow Your Avocados Indoors First

Over time, I have lost many seedlings due to moving a plant too quickly outside. What’s your rush? You don’t kick your kids out of the house before they are ready, so don’t do that to your seedlings. Let your plants live there for a little while before you throw them to the harsh world that awaits them outside.

Now learn from my mistakes. Currently, I was at this stage right here. I had spent some time and effort growing and nurturing my seed through the various stages above. It had grown to a nice 8 inches tall while sprouting leaves and now it was time to plant my new seedling. After prepping the plastic pot and soil, carefully placing in my seedling, and adding some water, and placing the potted plant in the far corner of a room. A short time after I was informed I had to leave town for two nights unexpectedly.

Later the next day, I received a phone call from my wife telling me our 9-month-old daughter had gotten to the planter and basically flipped it upside down and was playing in the dirt. At this point, I am still not home but can only imagine what the damage could be yet.

**UPDATE** I returned home to find my seedling laying on the cold, harsh countertop. I have reinserted the toothpicks, suspended it in water, and am awaiting a possible recovery! But I’m not holding my breath.

Transfer Your Avocados Outdoors

Find a location that will allow for full sun throughout the day. Your Avocado Tree can stay in its 6-8 inch planter until it reaches about 3 feet in height.

How long For Avocados To Mature?

Unfortunately, growing Avocados takes years. It could take 10 to 15 years for a tree to bear fruit. After your Avocado Tree matures, you should be on your way to about 25 avocados in your first year. After 10 years, you should expect to have about 150 per year on average.

Can’t Wait?

Buy a 3-foot Avocado Tree from Amazon.com. The major advantage here is that your Avocado Tree will begin to mature and bear fruit within 3 or 4 years.

Guacamole Recipe

Credit for Guacamole Recipe: Bob Cody at AllRecipes.com

Per Serving: 262 calories; 22.2 g fat; 18 g carbohydrates; 3.7 g protein; 0 mg cholesterol; 596 mg sodium

Ingredients

Using a medium-sized bowl, mash the avocados, lime juice, and salt together. Next, fold in the onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Lastly, if desired, stir in cayenne pepper.

Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator. Use within 2 or 3 days.