Grow An Avocado Tree

Yes, you can grow an avocado tree from an avocado pit by saving your avocado pit which is where the seed is.

Don't toss that avocado pit — with a little patience, you can sprout the seed to plant and grow an avocado tree. It'll make a lovely houseplant that may someday pay you back with fruit.

Growing an avocado from a pit starts with sprouting. The only skill you need to coax that hard avocado seed (aka the pit) to crack is patience — because it usually takes six to eight weeks to get a sprout. Some sources say it takes two to six weeks to go from avocado seed to small avocado seedling, but in most regions, it’s a long haul. Embrace the process with that mindset, and you won’t give up too soon, thinking your pit is dead.

The best part of growing your own avocado tree from a pit is that you probably already have everything you need to get started. Follow these simple steps to sprout an avocado seed and (hopefully) grow an avocado tree.

On the left, are 4 avocado plants that David started from pits. You can grow an avocado tree from the pits.

Grow An Avocado Tree - 11/20-11/26/2023

Monday, November 20, 2023

Good morning! Forty-eight years ago today, my life changed forever. We got on a plane in New York City and left my hometown of LaGrange, NY forever. I had just turned 16 and I was heartbroken. My father had been transferred to El Paso, TX with IBM which, of course, stood for I've Been Moved back then. Now it is not much but back then it was huge where we lived. El Paso was indeed a culture shock for me and I never quite fit in.

Since then, we have moved a lot but my family is still in El Paso. I cannot believe it was that long ago. Time really does move by quickly.

Well, it is Monday morning again. Encino Pest Control will be here this morning and it is payday. There are a lot of orders to fill. It is foggy outside again, just like yesterday and most mornings last week. I was out in it with Ethel. To my surprise, Pamela and Sue Ellen were already outside when we got there this morning in the dark. Now they have all been fed. I made some oatmeal and added blueberries and sugar free whipped cream. It is good that way. Now it is time to get dressed and get this workday started.

It was a cool day and the wind picked up in the afternoon. No customers but one of our former employees stopped by to say hi and let me know that she is back in town. I filled orders all day long. I did not finish.

I made eggs, sausage, and some veggies for dinner and then we watched Kitchen Nightmares.

Grow An Avocado Tree - Prep The Avocado Seed

We now eat a lot of avocados. We save the pits and grow avocado plants which turn into trees. You, too, can grow an avocado tree.

To grow an avocado tree, you will need to carefully remove the pit from the avocado. Gently rinse the seed to remove any remaining green flesh. If bits of fruit are sticking to the seed, soak it for 10 minutes or so to soften the flesh. Don’t scrub so hard that you damage the brown seed covering.

Tuesday, November 21, 2023

I awoke this morning in the dark and went out to the kitchen. David told me that the side door on the store was not shut tight last night. It seems I did not pull it tight enough. ADT Alarm company called in the night twice. I did not hear anything. By the time David got dressed and went outside, the sheriff arrived. Because the wind was so strong, the door blew open.

On a regular day, it is hard to close that door but I always push against it to make sure it is latched. I failed and the wind helped a lot. If ADT would leave people alone after calling and asking a million questions and then call back, David would have had time to go outside and turn the alarm off. Call once and don't do an interview. They call and then ask all kinds of stupid questions so you can't get up, get dressed, and go. It is truly ridiculous. I slept through the entire thing.

So now it is morning. I cannot get on Amazon but David did. My computer had some weird notice on it about my battery power when I first turned it on this morning. Then it went away. I think I will turn it off and back on.

The weather is breezy and cool at 4pm. It's 63° Fahrenheit and cloudy. We have had several groups of customers today, which is a nice change. I made some tortilla soup for lunch. It was so good. We were supposed to have a dinner meeting with someone but that got canceled. I am glad. I just didn't want to go out. I am getting the house ready for company, plus I have to start working on the food for Thanksgiving. I need to bake cornbread and cut it into cubes for cornbread stuffing. I need to make pumpkin something. Our menu will be different this year with not eating much in the way of carbs. No white flour, no sugar, no potatoes, pasta, or rolls....It's gonna be rough!

This afternoon, I got the guest room bedding all washed and remade. I cleaned it up because I am having company this weekend! I still have to vacuum in there and then I will be all set. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day of cleaning and cooking for Thanksgiving. We are closing up our business tomorrow at 11am and we won't reopen until next Monday, November 27, 2023 at 9am.

Grow An Avocado Tree - Get Some Toothpicks

Avocado tree is third plant over to the right.

Look at the seed to figure out which end goes up. This is the end where the stem will emerge. Roots grow from the bottom of the seed. The top end is slightly pointier, while the bottom is flatter. The way the seed is arranged inside the fruit gives you a good clue to top and bottom. The top is near the stem end of the fruit. Once you’ve solved the top vs. bottom issue, insert three to four toothpicks around the outer edges of the seed. These toothpicks are going to suspend your seed in a glass of water. Insert them firmly, angling slightly downward.

Wednesday, November 22, 2023

David has lots of different lettuces growing in the hydroponic system in his high tunnel now.

Good morning. I froze all night long. I used two blankets. It is rare that I use one. I got up this morning and it is 36° at 6am! No wonder! I did not realize it would get this cold this soon.

Remember that we are closing early today at 11am to take the team out for a Thanksgiving lunch. I also have lots of cleaning and cooking to do so it will be a busy day. We will be closed for the rest of the week but we have a 25% off sale for Black Friday that is going on right now. We have some onion sets left but those are not on sale. The garlic and all of the seeds are on sale.

We took our team plus a few friends over to Devine to eat at Charlie's Daughter On The Green for lunch. Then we let our team members go home right after the lunch for Thanksgiving. We had a business meeting with a neighbor and then I went home and started baking and prepping.

This evening, I went out to put away the animals. Awful cutter ants are at work in the orchard again, this time, trying to destroy some pear trees. I called David and he brought out some poison for them. They were stripping the leaves off of trees. They were all over the trees and the ground.

I was tired when it was all done.

Hundreds of cutter ants were stripping the leaves off of this pear tree in our orchard.

Grow An Avocado Tree - Place The Seed In Water

The trick to getting an avocado seed to sprout is keeping the bottom of the seed moist. To do this, insert the seed into the top of a drinking glass or small-mouthed jar. Use the toothpicks as a scaffold to hold the seed in the top of the container. Add water so that it covers the bottom half of the seed. The bottom of the seed must stay moist to produce roots, so add water as needed to replenish the reservoir. This is vital to grow an avocado tree from a pit.

Thursday, November 23, 2023

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! I got up and started vacuuming the whole house. Then I baked the side dishes. David smoked the turkey. It was all good. Then I had to pack for an overnight stay.

Good night!

Grow An Avocado Tree - Wait For Roots To Grow

Place your seed in a spot that’s warm and bright, but out of direct sunlight. Change the water once a week or anytime it becomes cloudy. Before the seed starts to sprout, the top of the seed dries out, the outer brown covering falls off, and the pit splits open from top to bottom. Eventually, a small root emerges from the bottom of the pit. The root grows first, and a shoot appears later, rising from the top of the pit. Once the root forms, do not let the water level drop. Roots need to be submerged to survive.

Grow An Avocado Tree - No Water Method

David has been taking the avocado pits and planting them directly in potting soil without letting roots grow in water first and it works.

Friday, November 24, 2023

We had never been to Del Rio before.

David and I left the farm at 7:10am for El Paso. We went to pick up my sister who is coming for a visit. David took Highway 90. We have never gone that way before. After several hours, we hit Del Rio. Then, I saw the border crossing. David would not believe me. Just as it was our turn, he read the sign that said international crossing. Even then, he asked me, "Are you sure?" Yes, I was pretty sure. I did not get a photo. He made a u-turn just before we got to the border patrol gate. I don't know why he doesn't ever believe me. LOL!

We got back on I-90 and finally got on I-10 at Fort Stockton.

The Franklin Mountains in El Paso are beautiful against the blue sky. I missed them.

My old house where my mother and siblings still live.

We got there around 4:20pm our time. We picked her up on a street corner down the road from the house. My mother did not want to see me so she told me not to come near the house. Wasn't that nice? She hasn't seen me in 32 years and did not care to see me now. Whatever.

The desert has a beauty all its own.

We loaded Norma up and hit the road. We should have stopped at Van Horn but we kept going until we got to Fort Stockton. I was starving and it was almost 9pm when we checked in. We made the mistake of picking the Holiday Inn Express. Don't stay there. It was awful. People were running around above us until after midnight and the front desk would do nothing. We could not take a shower because there was not enough water pressure for the water to come out, just a trickle down in the tub. Sponge baths all around. The TV would not work. The desk clerk came into the room but no help.

Before that, we went to the steakhouse to eat at 9pm and they took forever. We should have just gotten fast food. Their food was not good and I thought I would be sick.

That hotel was a waste. They would not comp us at all. $134 for each room and it all sucked.

We left and rode I-10 all the way back to San Antonio and then got to the farm. It was a long drive.

Grow An Avocado Tree - Prune, Then Plant Avocado Seedling

When the avocado stem grows 6 or 7 inches tall, cut it back to 3 inches. This causes the plant to branch and becomes bushy. As new leaves appear, the root will thicken. When the plant is 6 inches tall again, plant the seed in a 10-inch-wide pot with commercial potting soil. Bury the bottom half of the seed; the top half should stick out of the soil.

Saturday, November 25, 2023

There are so many mountains and a whole lot of desert in West Texas.

Well, last night was one of the worst nights in that stupid hotel. We got up. There was still not enough pressure for the shower to come on. I got up and got dressed because I was hungry. David and I went out to the breakfast at the hotel at 6:45am. It was okay. I was just glad to have food.

My sister came out after 7am and all she would have was the chocolate milk, nothing at all to eat.

We hit the road and got back to the farm close to 1pm. I was going to take Norma shopping at Walmart but my car battery was dead. When we bought my car, the guy said he would put in a new battery and the next day when we went, it was running. Then I test drove it. Well, guess what? They did not put a new battery in. Are we surprised that a used car salesman lied? David called the guy up and let him have it. They tried to say it was our fault, that we left the lights on or something. I have not even driven it in the dark. Then the guy finally admitted that they did not put a new battery in. Matt picked up a new battery.

The car started fine but it was too late to go shopping by then. Unbelievable people. I unpacked and showed my sister around the farm.

We watched Christmas Vacation and Matt grilled steaks.

Norma posed at our official selfie spot in the gazebo by the pond.

Grow An Avocado Tree - Grow And Pinch

The tall plant is a Joey Avocado tree. You can grow an avocado tree but it might not produce avocados.

Place your potted avocado in a sunny window. When stems grow 12 inches tall, cut them back to 6 inches to promote branching. Follow this pruning pattern each time stems grow another 6 inches. Water frequently enough to keep the soil moist. Don’t allow your avocado to dry out so much that leaves wilt. In summer, move the plant outdoors for brighter light. Bring it indoors before autumn nights drop to 45 degrees Fahrenheit or place it in your heated greenhouse to grow an avocado tree.

Sunday, November 26, 2023

Good Sunday morning from the farm!

Here it is Sunday morning already! Where did the week go? I slept on and off throughout the night. It is now 6am and everyone is still asleep but me. Today, I have to get a lot done and take my sister shopping.

Grow An Avocado Tree - Troubleshooting Tips

If leaves turn yellow, you may be overwatering. Allow the soil to dry more before watering to avoid drowning the plant.
Keep an eye out for aphids. Remove them from plants with a gentle spray of water (outside or in the sink or shower). Spray insecticidal soap or neem oil to keep aphids from returning.

Grow An Avocado Tree - Will It Form Fruit?

The chances that your tree will produce avocados one day are quite small. Planting an avocado seed and growing a plant is more about the fun of watching what happens and gaining a new tropical houseplant. If you want to raise avocados at home, your best bet is to purchase a tree from a reputable nursery.

If you grow an avocado tree, there is a 20% chance that it will grow food. Some do. Your tree may grow fruit but it can take up to eight to ten years for it to do so. If you buy an avocado tree from a reputable nursery that has been grafted, it will start to grow fruit in two years.

Return from Grow An Avocado Tree to Year Five On The Farm

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