The avocado not only tastes very good, it is also very healthy and provides valuable vitamins. Always wanted to grow your own avocado plant? With our 5 steps you can do it very easily. You hardly need any specialist knowledge or a green thumb. Before planting the avocado seed, however, you have to consider a few things.
Step 1: Which avocado seed is suitable?
The avocado has a medium-green to almost black skin and greenish-yellow flesh. Inside is the golf ball-sized core. The avocado plant is propagated via this core. Various stages of ripeness of the avocado are commercially available.
Now you're probably asking yourself the question: Which fruits are suitable for planting? That's actually quite easy to determine. Let's take a look at nature. In Mexico, the fruits do not ripen on the tree, but fall off in the solid state. So you can also buy unripe fruits.
Have you bought a firm avocado and want to start planting the avocado seed faster? You can easily speed up the ripening process by wrapping the avocado in newspaper or storing it with apples.
Tip: As soon as the skin of your avocado loses its shine and gives slightly with your finger, your avocado is ripe and ready to grow.
Step 2: Let the avocado seed germinate
The best way to germinate your avocado seed is the toothpick method. To prevent the pointed core from falling over, carefully insert three toothpicks into the core from the side (about halfway up). The toothpicks are only necessary to stabilize the kernel and must not be poked too deeply, otherwise they will damage the flesh of the kernel.
If it was pierced too deeply, germs and bacteria can penetrate. The pointy side of the kernel should be up when germinating. The core is now placed on top of the edge of the glass using the toothpick. You fill the glass with enough water so that about a third of the core floats in the liquid.
Site conditions at germination
During germination, the avocado needs very high temperatures and sufficient moisture. Place your core in a bright place without direct sunlight, preferably on the windowsill. The temperature should always be around 25°C. After about 4-8 weeks, the avocado core opens in the middle so that the first shoot can grow out of the inside. The more favorable the conditions for germination, the faster your avocado seed will germinate. If your avocado seed starts to sprout, you should wrap the jar with aluminum foil or cloth, as the roots are very sensitive to light.
Step 3: Plant the avocado seeds in the ground
As soon as the first leaves of your avocado seed have formed, you have to plant your avocado seed. The best substrate for your avocado seed is the seed soil. Make sure your seedling has formed enough roots. Now you simply plant the core with the point upwards halfway into the ground. The core should still be visible, sticking out of the ground.
Step 4: care for the avocado plant
Once your avocado seed has sprouted and you've planted it in the ground, it's all about proper care.
The right location for your avocado plant
Young plants need a lot of light, but should not stand in the blazing midday sun. If your plant is already larger, then it is welcome to stay in the direct sun. The avocado tree is not hardy and need a lot of heat.
You should keep this in mind when watering
Water your young plant thoroughly, i.e. it should be completely wet once. Make sure that the water can run off and the excess water is removed. Don't water again until the top layer of soil has dried. The older your avocado plant is, the more it withstands short periods of drought. Watering too much will result in brown leaves and rotten root balls.
This is how your avocado plant is fertilized
Young plants four to six months old do not need fertilizer. Until it develops its own roots, the seedling gets its nutrients from the core. The nutrients are completely sufficient for the first months of the young plant. After that, the avocado plant is slowly accustomed to fertilizer. It is best to use liquid fertilizer, which you administer over the irrigation water. Start with low concentrations and only slowly increase the dosage up to the specified fertilizer amount. Fertilizing every four to six weeks is sufficient. You don't have to fertilize your avocado plant in winter.
Can you harvest avocados?
Usually not, because your avocado plant needs to be pollinated in order to bear fruit. For this you need two different tree types. Your self-grown avocado plant is only for decoration.
You have to consider this when repotting
Your avocado plant needs to be repotted in new soil every year. If there is hardly any soil left and the pot is filled with the root ball, then it is time for a larger container. Spring is the best time to repot. The remains of the core are no longer necessary. You can safely remove them. Cover your plant with soil a little deeper so that new roots develop. After repotting, spray the soil and leaves with some water.
Step 5: Avoid pests and brown leaves
Avocado plants are very resistant and hardly susceptible to diseases. If your plant develops brown leaves, this can be due to incorrect care. Since the avocado is a tropical plant, it needs high humidity. Especially in winter, the dry heating air can cause brown leaves. To prevent this, spray them with lukewarm non-lime water every two to three days.
Unfortunately, the avocado plants are not spared from pests either. The spider mite can also infest your avocado and cause some damage. You can find out how best to remove these in the article on Plant pests: This helps against the 5 most common pests.
Planting your avocado seed is not difficult, it just takes some time and patience. With our step-by-step instructions you can do it without any problems. If planting avocado seeds is too difficult for you, then we have other wonderful houseplants for you. Take a look at our shop and let yourself be inspired.
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