Grow your own Avocado plant

I always credit my wonderful mother for sparking my lifelong passion for plants as a young child. One of the projects we’d always have on the go was to grow plants from fruit seeds. We tried apples, oranges and grapefruits, but one of the most rewarding fruits to grow from seed is Avocado.

This is a great project for kids or adults and is fun to do at this time of the year when you can’t get into the garden yet!
Here’s how to do it…

1. Wash the seed. Using 3 toothpicks, suspend it broad end down over a water filled glass to cover about an inch of the seed.
2. Put it in a warm place out of direct sunlight and replenish water as required. Roots and stem should sprout in about 2 to 6 weeks.
3. When the stem is 6 – 7″ long, cut it back to about 3″.
4. When the roots are thick and the stem has leafed out again, plant it in good quality potting soil in a 10″ diameter pot, leaving the seed half exposed.
5. Keep in a sunny location and give frequent, light waterings. Soil should be moist but not saturated.
6. When the stem is 12″ high, cut it back to 6″ to encourage branching.
7. Enjoy as a houseplant. The plant can be kept outside in the summer, but remember to move it back indoors before the first frost in the fall.