knight_47
Full Member
Posts: 35
Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2008 10:39 pm
Location: the deserts of az

avacados never sprout!

I've read on this forum before that if you take an avocado, and gently stick 3 toothpicks around them and balance them in a cup of water with the water reaching halfway to the seed, it will sprouts in about a week. I've done this with half a dozen avocado seeds yet none of them have sprouted!

anyone know what I'm doing wrong? or an easier alternative to sprouting my avocado seeds?

thanks!

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applestar
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Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

I've taken an interest in doing this too since this autumn. So far, I've sprouted 3 avocado seeds and two more are on their way (as well as 3 mango seeds, btw). The 3 that have sprouted were planted in soil rather than water. The other 2 are in water. (but I just have them sitting in the bottom of yogurt cups -- I don't like the way the seeds turn black when they are scratched or damaged in any way -- I think they can easily spoil from the injury sites) One seed which is sitting on a soda bottle cap has split and I can see the shoot starting inside. The other one, sitting directly on the bottom of the cup, is just starting to split from the bottom. With avg temp of 68~70ºF indoors, they took at least 1 month (I didn't keep a record) to split and sprout.

I understand storing the avocado in the fridge (often done with the uneaten half with the seed in it) can slow down or kill the seed. It's important to thoroughly clean/scrub off the avocado flesh. Also peel off the tough brown skin from the seed -- it seems to slow down/prevent the seed from splitting, which it needs to do to grow roots and shoots.

In water or soil, you want to keep about 2/3~3/4 of the seed covered. Some instructions say cut off the top 1/4" of the pointed end (top), but I haven't found this to be necessary. In soil, once the avocado sprouts, maintain moisture but make sure the soil is free draining and don't allow the pot to sit in water.

Right now, I'm experimenting with letting the shoot grow to about 6" before pinching (most often described), cutting the shoot to first full-sized leaf, and ruthlessly cutting the shoot to the first proto-leaf (don't know what else to call it, they're tiny little leaf-like structure that are not full size).

damethod
Senior Member
Posts: 183
Joined: Mon May 05, 2008 12:15 pm
Location: Miami, FL

Growing an avocado tree from seed is fun. However, if you are planning on growing a tree that will give you good quality avocados, you are better off purchasing a grafted tree or grafting it yourself. Ungrafted fruit trees usually do not produce fruits identical to the parent.(remember the peas in biology?) There is even the chance that it doesn't fruit at all! Furthermore, ungrafted trees will take from 5-15 years to produce any fruit, while a grafted tree will produce in 2-4 years.

Good luck!

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hendi_alex
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Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:58 am
Location: Central Sand Hills South Carolina

I've never "sprouted" an avocado seed. But I do throw them in the compost pile regularly. Many of them sprout and several years ago I potted one in a container. A few years later I potted two others. The first tree is growing in a tub and is about seven feet tall. I think that the plant is 5 or 6 years old at this point. The other two trees are about six feet tall. The older tree, for the first time this year, is sending out blooms all over. It has been as tall as ten feet but the last two years I've topped the tree to try and keep it manageable for its approximately 25 gallon container.

Will be interesting to see if the tree makes any fruit. Here it is blooming in the middle of the winter, with nothing to pollinate those soon to open blooms.



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