#BonsaiNews: (Complete Guide) Do you want to grow your own avocado tree?

SOME time has gone by since I was able to plant the avocado seed I started out with some months ago and now, at long last, I can share with you exactly how I was able to grow my own avocado tree from seed.

It would appear as though most people think simply plopping seeds in the ground is how you start and this mindset is actually incorrect - although I wish it weren't.

Would that not be ideal? Any and every seed simply dropped in a hole and covered, two weeks down the line you've got yourself a plant or tree or whatever you wanted. That would be ideal, but sadly we do not live in an ideal world.

(IMAGE SOURCE: pixabay.com)

So, a few points I'd like to add before we start is for you to ensure that you have the following on hand:

• Four toothpicks
• A natural avocado either from the garden, a friend or farmer's market - store bought avocados do not always work.
• A glass roughly the size of a whiskey glass.
• Sharp knife.
• Patience.

First of all, you'll want to take the knife, if the avocado is ripe (does not really matter but I would rather prefer not wasting an avocado) and cut along the circumference of the avocado gently, and then down the sides in four quarters.

Start slowly peeling the avocado as you really don't want to risk breaking the seed in half - it's quite a pain.

Ensure that the outer layer of the seed has also been cut through and remove this as well until all you have is the seed.

You'll probably want to rinse your hands here so as not to slip and get skewered by a toothpick like I have.

Once you have safely removed the entire seed as well as the inner layer surrounding the seed itself, proceed to insert the toothpicks around the circumference of the seed at positions 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock and 9 o'clock like in the below image - do not insert toothpicks along the splits.

Now, you'll want to place the skewered seed on the rim of the whiskey glass and fill the glass with water until the bottom bit of the seed is submerged in water.

Now, this is where the final part comes in: Patience.

Expect results within a good few weeks and eventually, you'll end up with roots bursting out the bottom of the seed like below - as well as stem development.

By the way, those green things along the stem are actually what forms the stem - the continue to build and join onto the stem - I'm making a time-lapse video of this with my next seed as it is quite remarkable.

From this point on, it is advised to allow the seed to continue growing until the roots fill the glass and touch the bottom.

Once this has been achieved, you may proceed to plant the seed in actual ground or whatever mixture you plan on using. (Hint: Avocado trees like soil with a pH level of between 6 and 6.5.

Since I am growing this avocado tree for use as a bonsai - yes, you can - I chose to use a very specific mixture of sterile seed starting mix which will later be replaced with an organic bonsai mixture.

Have a look above at the proper root growth required before safely planting the actual seed - you can start earlier but, I prefer allowing the roots to first form properly, as this aids the tree in growing more rapidly once planted and moved to near full sun - some shade is required so choose your planting site carefully.

Above, you can see the total height that the stem had grown at the time of planting on May 5, 2018.

As of yesterday, May 20, the tree had shown remarkable acceleration in growth which can be seen below. Some major leaf growth can also be seen.

Now, here comes the really sad part and why most people prefer to purchase avocado trees from their local nursery.

Purchased trees (of course depending on the age) often only bear fruit between 3 - 4 years as most nurseries sell them once they are between 5 - 9 years of age. If you are buying one from a nursery, opt for the oldest one even if you pay more, unless you are patient.

Remember, even though you purchased it from a nursery, that does not mean that the time-frame will still be the same, as once the tree has been transplanted, this time-frame may be affected severely due to the new environment the tree will be moved to.

Should you opt to grow an avocado tree from seed (don't have a heart attack) you can expect the tree to bear fruit within the coming 5 - 13 years.

Being that my tree is planted in a much smaller pot, and for the purpose of growing it as a bonsai, I can only expect it to bear fruit within the coming total of 13 years as growth in such a small pot is way less erratic however, the tree will remain small but still measurably equitable in scale size - also depending on how I maintain the tree.

Strangely, even the avocado fruit in the coming years may not be the same size and weight as my garden grown avocado tree which produces avocados weighing in at around 4 kilograms each - yes, that is very large.

Continue to water your growing tree twice to three times per week until it reaches one year of age - thereafter proceed to water once per week.

GREAT TIPS:

• Never park a car beneath a fruit bearing avocado tree.
• If you have started with a seed during Winter, keep it indoors irrespective of the amount of root growth, until Spring arrives. (The seed can continue to grow in water for a very long time).
• Do not plant the tree above, or near, any underground water pipes.

END OF ARTICLE:

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