We all love avocados, and especially in the summer, they are everyone’s favorite fruits! The avocado fruit is simply delicious and irresistible, and this food can be easily incorporated in your everyday diet, either alone or as a unique condiment.
However, a few of you probably knew that you can plant and grow your own avocado at home!
Therefore, next time you are slicing it for a salad, or you are preparing delicious guacamoles, remember not to throw the seed away, as you will need it in order to grow your own avocado trees.
However, people in areas with sunny and warm areas may enjoy in these fruits often, but since they can be easily destroyed by frost and cold, northern gardeners should follow some important tips in order to grow them at home.
First of all, extract the seed, by removing the pit from the flesh of the avocado gently. Wash it clean or soak the pit n some water for several minutes and them scrub it to eliminate all remains. However, note that you should keep the seed cover, that is, the brown skin of the pit.
Then, pierce it. All avocado pits have two ends, its top, that is, the end from which the sprout grows, and its bottom, from where the roots grow. The top is the end which is a bit pointier, and the flatter one is the bottom.
In order to stimulate it to sprout, you should put the bottom in some water. Therefore, it is important to determine which end is the bottom before you pierce the pit.
After you have soaked it in water, firmly wedge in some toothpicks. In order to leave a larger part of the avocado base soaking, you should stick the toothpicks pointing down.
Next, you need to leave the seed to sprout for 3-6 weeks. After this time, you will notice a sprout coming out from the top, as well as roots at the base.
As soon as the stem is grown for about 5-6 inches, pinch out the top set of leaves, and in a few weeks, you can expect to have new leaves and no more roots.
After some time, the sprout tail will be around 6-7 inches, and you will need to trim it in half in order to stimulate new growth.
Now, take a large flowerpot (for instance, 8″ to 10″ across) and place some enriched potting soil to about an inch from the pot’s top.
Place the pit in a small depression you will make in the center, but you need to put it root-side down. In order to water the pit, you should generously water the soil, as it needs to be really moist.
Source: supertastyrecipes.com
