How to plant an avocado stone in simple steps

Did you know that the avocado is a tropical fruit that provides healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients? Thanks to this, having a tree of this fruit in your garden or orchard is not a bad idea. But do you know how to plant an avocado stone? From Greenuso we will teach you how to sow your avocado seed in simple steps. You only have to follow the instructions and recommendations that we will indicate to you next in order to make the process successful

Before planting an avocado stone, what do you need to know!

The avocado stone or seed is brown and has an almost spherical shape with a diameter that can be around 3 or 5 cm. It is very easy to plant it, so you don’t have to be an expert to make it possible. However, before showing you how to do it we think you should take into account the following tips:

• The avocado is a plant with a warm climate.
• It is important that you plant a species that grows well in your area, especially if you plan to transplant it later in your garden.
• Sometimes the pits do not take root, so it is advisable to try two or three at a time.
• Avocado trees reach a height of between 5 and 12 m, although you can prune them if necessary
• The avocado is a tree that bears fruit 3 or 4 years after it is planted. However, it can sometimes take a little longer.

Having said that, now let’s see how to get a plant out of an avocado stone:

How to plant an avocado stone – Step by step

First of all, before you plant an avocado pit you will need

• An avocado.
• A glass cup or jar.
• 4 chopsticks.
• Water
• A pot of approximately 20 or 25 cm in diameter and its respective plate.
• Potting soil.

Ah! you will also have to have a little patience. The procedure to be followed can now be divided into two parts: germination and planting. Below, we talk about each one of them:

1. Germination – Planting an avocado stone in water

The first thing you must achieve is for the bone to germinate, that is, for both the stem and the root to come out. To do this, all you have to do is follow these steps:

1. Extract the stone from the avocado and wash it very well.
2. The stem comes out of the top of the seed, the narrowest or sharpest, and the root from the bottom. Stick the four sticks right in the middle of the sides of the stone so that they are equidistant from each other, i.e. forming a cross.
3. Place the bone on the vessel. The chopsticks should rest on the edge of the vessel and the seed should be suspended in the centre of the vessel.
4. Add water to the glass so that only half of the bone is submerged. At this point you can move the chopsticks so that they are a little bit inclined upwards.
5. Place the glass in a window that has sunshine and change the water every day or two. The bone should be soaked at all times.

After about 3 or 4 weeks or so the top of the seed will start to open. Over the next few weeks the root will sprout from the bottom and the stem and the first leaves from the top. The whole process takes about 3 months from the time the seed is placed in the water.

2. Planting – Planting an avocado stone in the ground

When the plant reaches a height of 18 or 20 cm you can put it in a pot. Here is the procedure to follow:

1. Cut some leaves from the top of the plant to encourage growth.
2. Cover the bottom of the pot with stones to facilitate drainage and fill it with soil up to 2 cm before the top.
3. Dig a hole in the centre of the pot deep enough so that half of the stone is buried.
4. Take the avocado plant out of the water, remove the chopsticks and put it in the hole you opened with the roots down.
5. Cover the hole with some soil so that the top half of the stone is exposed.
6. Press the soil with your hands to secure it.
7. Add enough water.

Ready to go! Now, what care should you give to the plant? We will tell you in the next segment:

Care should be given to an avocado plant, recommendations!

First of all, you should place the pot in a sunny window or a place where the plant gets some sun . Of course, it is preferable to place it inside the house to protect it from the weather, especially when temperatures drop below 7 °C. On the other hand, you should water the plant frequently making sure that the soil remains moist, but not flooded. If the leaves start to turn yellow there will be an excess of moisture, in which case you will have to let the plant dry out for a few days. When the plant reaches 25 cm high you should prune the first two pairs of leaves. You will have to repeat this every time the plant grows between 10 and 15 cm. This way you will be able to encourage the growth of side shoots and leaves. Now that you know how to plant an avocado stone properly, if you do it well and take the respective care your plant will reach a sufficient height (50 cm), ideal to be transplanted in solid ground. From Greenuso we wish you the greatest success.