Some people think that growing an avocado from the seed at home is almost impossible, because it takes too much time and effort. But still, it's not that hard. In fact, anyone can afford to grow an ornamental tree and it does not require much effort. The most important thing is the desire and knowledge of how to grow avocados.
The tree has not only flexible stems, but also wide leaves that allow you to form different compositions at the entire growing stage. For example, you can plant three avocado seeds in a pot and watch how small sprouts will appear from them, which will gradually be woven into a pigtail. This is a really exciting process, the result of which not only looks harmonious in your room, but also creates a kind of romantic atmosphere. In this article, we will learn how to grow an avocado from the seed at home.
Where to start?
First of all, you will need the fruit itself, which can be purchased at almost any grocery store. But since this fruit does not have much popularity, it is worth choosing carefully, because it can be either unripe or slightly overripe. In order to choose the right one, you need to press down the avocado with two palms when buying and gently release. If it quickly restores its former shape, then the fruit is considered ripe, and you can safely buy it. You can also ask someone who knows how to grow an avocado from the fruit. But even if the fruit is unripe, it can be put near bananas and apples for a couple of days, as they emit a special gas (ethylene), in which the rate of fruit ripening increases several times.
It is necessary to remove the stone and plant it in the ground on the same day, then the chance of germination will increase significantly.
Several features
Some people ask: "Is it possible to grow an avocado at home so that the height is more than 5 meters?" If you meet an avocado tree in tropical places, you will notice that it reaches a height of approximately 20 meters (depending on climate and habitat). But home-grown avocados have a maximum height of 3 meters. Fruit ripening on this tree is quite rare, so it is considered decorative or, in other words, barren. But even if the fruits appear, it will be at least in the 3rd year of its cultivation.
The fruits of this treevery tasty and even have a slight positive difference from store-bought ones. Thanks to the specific lush bark, the room in which the avocado is located is enriched with air and a cozy atmosphere.
The main indicators of the ripeness of this fruit are a dense and elastic peel of a dark color and a stone, which is easy to peel and has a small size.
Growing stages
Can an avocado be grown from a seed? In order to properly plant this plant, you must follow a certain sequence of actions.
First of all, you need to remove the bone. To do this, you need to make an incision along the fetus up to two centimeters deep and slowly pull out the bone. Then rinse it thoroughly under a small pressure of water so as not to accidentally damage the shell.
In order to start sprouting, you need to prepare a place.
Before you plant an avocado, you need to put a gravel or expanded clay drainage system in the pot. Then comes the preparation of nutrients, which consist of humus, garden soil and fine sand. The whole mixture must be thoroughly mixed until smooth and poured into a pot, but be sure to leave 1-2 centimeters of free space from the top edge. If all of the above conditions are met, then the chances of success will be high.
Sprouting methods
How to grow an avocado from a seed in a closed way? Is it possible to germinate a bone without soil? If yes, how to do it? Next, we will look at the two most popular methods.growing this tree.
Private method
This option involves the germination of avocados directly in the ground. To do this, you need to place the stone in the ground 2-3 centimeters deep and water it as often as possible to saturate the entire soil. The pot should be placed either on the windowsill or in another well-lit place, watered once a week. Within one month, a small sprout should form. If he did not appear, then do not worry, perhaps the fetus was immature, and he needs more time. Another way to speed up the rate of ripening is to store the fruit in a room where the air temperature is from 17 to 22 degrees. In two or three days, the avocado will ripen, and you can safely start growing.
Public method
How to grow avocados in an open way? It is necessary to prepare a small container with water and fix the fruit so that it is half immersed in the liquid. To do this, you can use a glass, mug or other container. In the central part of the fruit, make a couple of holes and insert toothpicks 3-4 millimeters deep.
These toothpicks will keep the fruit on the surface of the water and prevent it from completely submerging. The water should be exceptionally cold, and the seed should lay down with a sharp end up. Instead of water, some use hydrogels, with which you can retain moisture for a long time. Every day you need to watch the plant, as the water level can change. If a small sprout has appeared, then the avocado can be safely transplanted intoprepared soil, but the most important thing is that the roots are at least 25 mm long.
How to grow an avocado at home?
It is necessary to prepare loose soil from fertile substances: humus, wet peat and fine sand. To grow an avocado at home from a stone, for the first time you do not need to take large pots, it is best to use a plastic pot with a diameter of 9-12 centimeters. If there are no appropriate air holes at the bottom of the tank, then it is extremely important to make them yourself, because the soil will not be properly oxygenated. You need to immerse the fruit only with a blunt end and do not fill it completely so that it does not disappear.
Conditions for rapid growth
How to grow an avocado from a stone, and what conditions must be observed? Once you have managed to transplant an avocado into fertile soil, it is worth arranging its place. In order for growth to be rapid, several requirements must be met:
- Regularly water the plant at all stages of cultivation. On average, avocados are watered once or twice a week. In winter, watering can be done less frequently to maintain optimum moisture.
- To keep the air humidity as long as possible, you can put the pot next to other voluminous plants that emit a large amount of moisture. Also, the best solution would be to spray the leaves every day or place the container on wet sand.
- Recommended room temperature should be between 16 and 21degrees in summer, and in winter from 10 to 13, because in winter this tree sheds its leaves and goes into a dormant stage.
- Feed the plant every three weeks. To do this, you can use special mixtures that enrich the sprout with fertile substances.
The frequency of watering can be controlled using the leaves of the fruit. If they turn yellow, then this means that the plant is over-watered and you need to reduce the dose.
Design
Once you've figured out how to grow avocados, consider decorating.
One option is to plant 3-4 seeds at a distance of half a centimeter from each other. The first sprouts that have appeared begin to intertwine with each other, thereby forming a lush and very original decorative tree.
In order for the avocado to become as tall as possible, it is necessary to transplant once a year. The best time for this is February, because it is in this month that all plants begin active growth. The first transplant is best done when the avocado tree is at least 15 centimeters tall.
If it has reached the appropriate height and there is no need for further growth, then you need to pinch. This procedure ensures that only side shoots grow, and therefore the tree will become fuller and much more attractive.
The first pruning should only be done in the spring, when growth is at its most active. If there are 8-10 sheets, you can pinch the top layers, andif there are side shoots, then you can apply this procedure with 5-6 sheets.
Avocado pinch
This plant is characterized by rapid growth and a tendency to stretch. Therefore, you must not forget to pinch it regularly so that the tree is more magnificent. If you pinch on the top of the plant, many branches may appear. If you shorten the trunk of a tree, you can get a stunted form and accelerate the germination of forgotten shoots. The trunk should be at a height of at least 15 centimeters with 4-5 shoots. As soon as the tree reaches a height of 20 centimeters, you can begin to pinch the top to form new branches.
But it is worth noting once again that this can only be done if there are 7-8 leaves, otherwise the plant may die. If you do the right timely pinching, you can increase the chance of fruit formation, which is quite rare.
Possible problems
Avocado leaves can easily dry out due to lack of water, so don't take it lightly. Before growing avocados for the first time, you need to correctly determine the rate of watering and constantly observe it. In winter, you can slow down a bit, but still make sure that the plant receives proper moisture.
If the leaves have become pale, then you need to move the pot to a more lit place. If this is not possible, you can provide light with the help of lamps or other lighting devices. Avocado requires enrichment with light for 12-15 hours every day, since it is daylightcontributes to the rapid growth of the plant.
Another equally important problem is the shedding of leaves. This can happen due to high or low temperatures. It is necessary to maintain the optimum temperature level in the room - 17-21 degrees.
Also, this plant, like many, has its own pests. For example, it can be spider mites, false scale insects or ordinary scale insects. Because of them, avocados can not only lose their leaves, but also acquire a yellow tint. To prevent this from happening, it is advisable to inspect the plants every day for their detection. If the leaves on the tree turn brown, then most likely there is a lot of dry air in the room. To prevent this, spray the plant with cold water every evening.
It also happens that with an excess of daylight, the plant begins to bend or drop leaves. In this case, daylight should be accustomed gradually - for several hours a day. Most likely, the plant stood in a darkened room for a long time and adapted to this.
Now that you have learned how to grow avocados, you can safely buy the fruit and start growing.
