I bring you “Growing my Cuban Avocado” Step 2.
Step 2 is underway:
- Find the top. Most avocado pits are egg-shaped, with the bottom broader than the top. Some are rounder, but the top is always smooth and the bottom, wrinkled.
- Find a container. If you want to see the roots grow, you will need a clear container, such as a tumbler or a jar. Otherwise, a plant pot will do fine.how to grow avocado pit
- ‘Plant’ your pit. To see the roots grow, you need to suspend the pit above water. Find 3 or 4 toothpicks or hair grips and push them into the pit gently, until they will just support its weight. Then fill the container with warm water so that the bottom of the pit just touches the water. If you’re using a plant pot, then bury the pit in potting compost so that half of the pit is still above the soil.
- Keep warm. Warmth is the key to getting an avocado pit to grow. The ideal temperature is around 70 F. At this temperature, the pit should start to grow in around 10 days. At cooler temperatures, it can take 5 weeks.
- Keep watered. Keep the water level in your container topped up so that the pit is just touching the water. If you planted your pit in compost, then keep it moist – putting it in a plastic bag will help
I stuck my pit in an old jam jar. It fit just right so I didn’t have to use the toothpicks. I am keeping it in the water for right now. I seem to have one giant root growing as you can see in the picture below. I might look for a terrarium for it because I can’t seem to keep it full of water in this dry Canadian Winter air.
Hey Neil, I just found this online? Do you still have the 2nd pit?
As with many fruit bearing trees, the avocado tree requires two separate avocado trees to allow cross-pollination and begin to bear fruit. As an option to growing two avocado trees from pits, you can purchase a second “real” (fruit-bearing) avocado tree from your local plant and tree nursery. You might also consider grafting a branch from an existing fruit-bearing tree to your home-grown root stock (tree grafting, however, is another process all unto itself).
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admin Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 11:32 am
Thanks for looking that up for me Rob! I had a hunch that might be the case. I don’t still have the second pit, but I figure I will start with this one. I have been told by my friend’s in Cuba that they take 5 years before they will produce fruit so I have some time. By then I might have a house with a green house that it can live in
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Hey Neil! I know this was a while ago, but if your having troubles keeping water in, you can create a “lid” over the jar using Glad Press’n Seal and seal it on the jar.
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