Growing Avocado Plants From Seed

I love avocados and growing things, and found this to be a fun, simple way to grow beautiful-looking plants from the stones (pits) left over from making guacamole or avocado dip. It takes a while for a stone to grow into a tree, but you’ll have a beautiful houseplant pretty quickly.

There are two ways to start out your seeds:

1. Perched over a cup of water (like the photo demonstrates)
2. In dirt / soil (which grows faster than the water method)

You'll need:

• Avocado seeds, rinsed from your last avocado meal
• Toothpicks and jars for the water method
• Dirt, gravel, and pots, trays, or garden space

Step 1: The Seed - Water Planting

This particular seed had sprouted inside of the avocado before I had even eaten it. Be careful to not cut any deep gouges when removing the seed. Clean it very well so there are no more bits of avocado flesh left on them (like there happens to be in this photo).

If you are using the toothpick method, stick three toothpicks in the side of the seed about halfway down. You want half of the avocado to be under water. Set it on the rim of a glass or jar and fill it up. The "bottom" is the fat end. Easy enough, right? Refill the water as it evaporates and keep the avocados in a bright window or outside. They will begin to sprout after anywhere from a few days to several months. One of my avocado seeds took three months to sprout, but I've never had one not sprout eventually. When roots begin to fill the glass, transplant the whole deal carefully into a pot.

Step 2: The Seed - Dirt Method

The dirt method is just as simple. If you are using a pot, put a little gravel or some pebbles in the bottom for excellent drainage. Avocados love water but they do not like soggy soil. Leave the top of the seed a little above the soil.

Step 3: Baby Plant

Soon enough your plant will be sprouting. This is a seed I water-planted and then moved into a pot.

Step 4: To Prune, or Not to Prune

Here is a plant that is just a little bit older. See how the different sets of leaves are developing? As they grow, some people recommend pruning the top bunch off to create a bushier plant. If you plan on keeping the plant inside (avocados make great houseplants!) you may want to do this to keep the size reasonable and to have a more attractive plant.

Step 5: Too Big for a Little Pot

These two shot up pretty fast as the weather warmed. Here in California we can grow these guys all year round, but most plants will not survive under 55-60 degrees. These plants are Hass avocados, and will probably need to be moved into bigger pots very soon.

Step 6: Watering & Enjoying

I was lucky enough to come across three Fuerte avocados (the most delicious, in my opinion). Although it can take several years to produce fruit - IF they ever do - I am keeping a watchful eye on these three plants in hopes they someday will. Avocados need a good watering, but do not like being watered small amounts daily. It is best to thoroughly soak the soil and then only water it again when it is beginning to dry. I've stuck to watering them every other day (or less). Watch your leaves carefully!

Good luck on your avocado planting and hopefully you will soon have a pretty, low-maintenance plant to decorate your home/garden. If you have any tips for me, please leave me a comment!

Comments

[KenT32]

When sprouting avocado seeds remember one thing. Forget wet paper towels inside plastic bags and those silly methods of suspending the pit over water with toothpicks. Those methods are for entertaining children and doing cool sprouting. If you want a serious and well-rooted avocado tree then just stick it in dirt and let nature do what it does way better than you: root establishment. When you sprout things outside the place they will thrive then you are making a crucial mistake: letting the roots be confused when they come out and not allowing them to follow the right path at hte most important time of its existance. When you plant an established root that has never seen soil before you are going to hurt it, bend it the wrong way, not pad it correctly with soil, etc. Bad practice. I know a pit inside dirt is boring, but trust me on that one - it's the optimum way to do it.

[Sharkbyte]

Love avocados so decided to just take a seed after having one and three into a pot I had for a tree to see if it would grow. Next thing I know bam it’s growing now. Now I’m trying to figured out how to take care of it. Lol 10 years before it fruits? Grafting what is this? So yea I guess I made this project without knowning I made it lol

[avseratte]

From seed, we were taught that it takes 7 or more years for a mature avocado tree to flower and fruit. That's without grafting and you need a second avocado tree nearby for pollination. I believe it should be the same kind but not sure. Also, we have had an avocado I grew from seed in water that we planted outside when it was about 3 ft tall. The main trunk died after flowering once but with no fruit due to high winds blowing buds off. (Note: best to protect them from windy areas). We cut the trunk back to a stump and the roots shot up another trunk which, after several years, still has not flowered... Got more growing in pots to plant near it and hopefully that will help.

[Breezy777]

I started out rooting the seed with toothpicks and water and cups. My second seed I put in the dirt. I now have 14 trees, I live in N.C. it is too cold to leave them outside so I put them inside in the winter outside in spring summer and fall. My first one and second are the tallest and oldest. My first almost four years old no flowers yet. I have never pruned it, it has 16 leaves and it is 2 feet and 4 inches tall. I never have grafted any yet, I learned how to but haven't yet. My second tree is three years old the tree is much thicker and stronger since it was started in the dirt. It has 11 leaves and is 28 inches tall also. The other trees vary in size. I also learned how to pollenate them myself, just have not had them flower yet to do so. It will probably be a long time since grown from a seed and not in the ground. I have so many, I am just going to go ahead and plant a couple outside soon and see what happens, ya never know and if they grow good maybe I can cover them in winter to protect them who knows!!

[varocketry]

Breezy777:
You've grown good root stock plants. Now you can get a SCION (Small cutting) from any variety you prefer and graft it onto your plant. SCIONs are free in local gardening club exchanges or $5 each on eBAY. These SCIONs are cuttings from mature, producing plants that will jump start your growing. TONS of videos on YT on this.

[sharpstick]

I have an avocado tree in my yard. It appeared in a compost pile about 15 years ago. It is now about 30 feet tall. About three years ago, it started bearing fruit, despite being pretty much totally neglected. Unfortunately, they are too high to reach, so we have to wait until squirrels chew them enough for them to drop. If we're lucky, they ripen before they go bad from the damage, but they are pretty good when they do. It's bigger than a Hass, but just as good.

I'm in Tampa, Florida. Every five or ten years we get a freeze hard enough to kill some of the branches, but it comes back in the spring. Next time, I plan to trim the higher branches and "espalier" it so I can reach the fruit.

[varocketry]

Sharpstick:
You should do now what commercial growers do to their trees every few years when they get too tall. Whack them way back -- meaning cut everything back above four feet or so. You'll lose one year as it regrows but you can't reach the fruit up in the tall tree anyway now! It will regrow profusely and you can train (bend) the new growth laterally or continue to top the plant when it gets above eight feet or however high you can manage to harvest. Lots of YT videos on this.

[DavidG957]

Ther Is this great little gadget for picking fruit of trees called a picker. A small basket on a stick, with a few hooks on the basket top. Stick length can be changed. Reach up hook the fruit, pull it falls in basket, you retrieve. Problem solved.

[caitd3]

Thanks for the info. I live in Fla too, on the East coast. My tree is only about 12 feet high. I did not realize they got that big and I will keep it trimmed because of your note. No fruit yet, but we keep hoping.

[sharpstick]

This is a great fun and educational way to get a "free" plant. However, if you want an effective and productive way to get fruit, it is worth it to buy a plant that is better suited for home production. Some plants are best if they are grafted. Many of the fruit varieties you buy in the grocery store are optimized for commercial production and are not necessarily the best for home growing. Commercial ones are often bred for cheaper growing, better storage and transport, and are not always the best tasting. I also prefer dwarf varieties(papaya, banana, avocado) after having several large fruit trees killed by frost. The dwarf varieties can be grown in tubs and more easily protected by covering, or taking inside a porch during cold snaps, or the entire winter.

So basically, that "free" tree you grew from a pit is not that good a deal. If I'm going to invest time and yard space to a tree that I hope to get fruit from, I don't mind investing a bit more up front. (A good grafted dwarf Avocado tree is about $60 to $100, and will start bearing fruit in a year or two max, sometimes immediately.)

[LeeT40]

I have had an avocado tree for the past 4 years which is currently 6 ft tall. Its never flowered, so are there any suggestions for getting it to flower?

[varocketry]

LeeT40:
You've grown a root stock plant. Now you can get a SCION (Small cutting) from any variety you prefer and graft it onto your plant. SCIONs are free in local gardening club exchanges or $5 each on eBAY. These SCIONs are cuttings from mature, producing plants that will jump start your growing. TONS of videos on YT on this.

[Reataylor]

Grow another and hope its if the opposite sex. Avocados need to be grafted with the opposite sex or have a tree of the opposite sex grown near them.

[Mamamia04]

Try putting it in a fridge for a day or two then taking it out, this simulates winter and makes the plant think it has been through a whole year, if this doesn't work you can try doing it multiple times

[JessD16]

The guy did say his plant is six feet tall... how big is your fridge anyway?

[RiddhiB1]

gave me a chuckle :P

[Mamamia04]

Haha sorry... Some fridges are big enough but I don't have any other suggestions.

[JessD16]

The guy did say his plant is six feet tall... how big is your fridge anyway?

[ConnieG34]

takes 15 years to get avocados 11 years to go be patient lol

[rjtwin69]

I was wondering where to go from here on my pic
9 months from a sprouted seed inside an avocado
Any help
Thanks