How To Grow The Avocado Plant

When you’re learning how to grow avocado plants, don’t expect fruit immediately. It takes time - avocado trees can take up to ten years to mature enough to bear fruit. When you are not an inhabitant of state with a tropical climate you can grow avocados in containers.

So, if you’re a fan of the avocado, chances are you already know how to grow avocado plants. Although the avocado tree is a tropical plant that thrives only in zones 9, 10, and 11, many gardeners grow avocado plants indoors, they grow it as a houseplant.

Avocado plants are typically started from the seed in the center of the fruit. Many gardeners begin their avocado plants by piercing the seed with toothpicks and then suspending it (pointed end up) over a glass, vase, or jar of water. You can keep the water sweet by adding some charcoal in the bottom of your container. In two to six weeks, if the seed germinates, you should have a young plant, ready to pot. However, not all avocado seeds will germinate in this way. If your seed hasn’t sprouted in six weeks, toss it out and try again.

Another method of growing avocado plants is to leave the pit in the sunlight until it begins to split and then potting it in the soil partly exposed. Then, use a four or five-inch pot to start your plant and set it in a nutrient rich potting soil that has good drainage. After your plant is about a foot tall, pinch it back to half. Pinching it back produces a rounder and fuller plant. Once your plant has filled its pot with roots, it’s time to move it to its permanent home.

If you provide the plant with moist and fertile soil and plenty of sunlight, your avocado plant will be an interesting addition to your home container garden in three to five years.