Save an avocado pit to start your own tree.
Teach your children about nature by growing an avocado tree from a pit. You can start the project any time of year. For best results, germinate several avocado pits since not all of them will grow into trees. Your tree will take five to 10 years to produce avocados and the fruits are likely to be different than the avocado it came from.
Instructions
1. Rinse the avocado pit to remove all of the fleshy material.
2. Pierce the sides of the pit with finish nails or toothpicks to suspend the pit over a cup of water. The toothpicks or nails will rest on the rim of the cup to hold the pit with the pointy end up. Carefully push the nails or toothpicks about a quarter-inch into the pit in three or four places just below the middle of the pit. You may wish to use a small drill bit to pierce the hard coating of the pit.
3. Balance the pit on the rim of a paper cup or glass and add water until the wide bottom of the pit is submerged.
4. Place the cup in a sunny area where it will not be disturbed.
5. Monitor the cup daily to make sure the water is covering as much of the base of the pit as possible. Add water as needed to maintain the level and consider changing the water every few days to discourage mold growth.
6. Transplant the seed once 2 inches of roots develop. This should occur after six to eight weeks. Expect to see a sprout from the pointy end around week three. Remove the toothpicks or nails and plant the pit in a 12-inch container filled with potting soil. Place the pit in the soil as it stood in the cup, with about one-third of the pit showing at the top. Ensure the sprout is pointing straight up.
7. Place the avocado tree in a sunny area and keep the soil moist. Move the plant indoors during the winter to avoid freezing temperatures. If your climate is warm enough for outdoor planting, choose a site that will accommodate the tree's mature size, which can reach 30 feet tall. Consider planting several trees of different varieties to aid in pollination.
Tags: avocado tree, nails toothpicks, sunny area, toothpicks nails
