See how to grow an avocado tree – hands-down the easiest way to grow avocado from the pit!
Do you like avocado? Would you like some undemanding – and beautifully green – plants in the house?
Here’s an idea for a low budget home decoration: grow an avocado tree. This how-to shows you the easiest way to grow an avocado plant from a pit.
How To Grow An Avocado Tree
If you check out the web, you’ll find a lot of intricate details as to how to keep the pit moist while not immersed into water. Toothpicks and all. Pins, gadgets and holders of all kinds, used to hold the pit above the water.
Well, there’s an easier way.
I wanted to see if a totally ‘lazy’ way of growing an avocado tree would work, too.
And it totally does!
When planting the avocado pit, I do something that no professional will recommend: I place the pit directly into the pot. No piercing the pit, no balancing it above the water level.
Steps To Grow Avocado From the Pit
– I just dig a hole into the soil of one of the pots I keep on the balcony
– place the seed in it,
– NOTE: the pointed end of the pit needs to be up and not entirely covered by soil.
Then…
Water it regularly for several weeks.
A few weeks later, you’ll notice it sprout. And you’ve just got yourself a beautiful plant. That’s it!
I’ve been doing this for several years now and just love them.
Growing an avocado tree is so easy you just have to try! The next time you are slicing an avocado for a salad, save the pits to grow into avocado trees and let me know how it goes.
Save For Later:
Holly Steele says
What am I doing wrong? My plant started out beautifully, and then the leaves started getting brown spots all over them, and I ended up removing over half the leaves in an attempt to save the plant. He was beautiful….HELP!!!!!
Dee Wilson says
My dad was very successful in putting toothpicks into the avocado seed and placing it in water with half of the seed exposed and having it sprout. I have tried numerous times and it never worked for me. My granddaughter was over one day and saw what I was doing and said, “grandma don’t you know how to do that, let me show you.” We had an avocado that night, she took the seed and wrapped it in a wet paper towel, placed it in a ziplock bag and placed it in a my can food cabinet where it would be kept in the dark. We forgot about it and one day I found it and thought, what the heck is this? It had roots that were growing out of the bag. Then I remembered, ahh, the avocado seed! I planted it in some soil and it sprouted immediately and grew tall fast. It’s only a few months old, not counting on it to produce anything, just excited it grew!
Damjana says
Dee hi,
what an amazing avocado plant growong hack, thank you for mentioning it. Never heard of this before and it sounds such an easy and smart wat to sprout an avocado pit. Definitely a must-try!
Marion Suggs says
Just curious if anyone has had luck with fruit production by growing from seeds? I understand the author has not had fruit on hers but loves the foliage (they are pretty, aren’t they). I have heard that unless they are grafted they will not produce fruit. Anyone have luck with fruit?
Paula says
After growing about 6 inches do you cut it off to about 3 inches as I have seen on other sites? Also, how do you get so many stalks? Do you plant several seeds in one pot? Thank you for sharing this. I had one growing and it was so pretty but was told to cut it back to about 3 inches. I did and another shoot came out the top but it is one sided now. 🙁 ugh. Thank for the info.
Damjana says
Paula,
I do cut it back when I want it to be a ‘tabletop’ size. This way, it will sometimes grow into a two-stem version, but more often than not there will only be a new sprout on one side only. No problem at all – make sure to turn the pot so the stem will be facing away from the light. This way, the stem will grow in the direction of the light, it will turn upwards and both sides will eventually get nearly symmetrical. Hope this makes sense 🙂
Marilyn Younger says
Do they fruit eventually too please or do they just stay as leave/plant decoration?
Damjana says
Marylin hi, I only keep them as decoration, in my climate they do not produce fruit. But I absolutely love the bright greenery!
xoxo, Damjana
Elda says
Hi, Do you keep the pot in direct light?
Damjana says
Elda hi, thanks for asking. When sprouting, it’s better not. Later, the more sun (and water), the larger leaves.
Cucicucicoo: Eco Crafting & Sewing says
Oh my goodness, so you just stick it in the soil and it gets itself started without keeping it in water first?! Next avocado I eat, I'm trying it your way! Just out of curiosity, what kind of climate do you live in? Thanks for sharing! 🙂 Lisa
Damjana at AppleGreen Cottage says
Lisa, hi!
It's continental climate, meaning cold winters and warm summers, with average temperatures at -5° to zero Celsius in January and 21° or higher in July. That's why we keep them in pots so they can be easily moved around. Just something to remember when you plant them directly in the soil: usually, it takes way longer to sprout. 😉
Cucicucicoo: Eco Crafting & Sewing says
Great tip, thanks! I'll keep that in mind! 🙂
Unknown says
Where in Slovenia do you live. My wife is from Slovenia. We have avos growing at my mum in laws house. Was hoping to plant them outside
Damjana at AppleGreen Cottage says
Hi, I live in central Slovenia. But I'm sorry to say it's not good to leave avos outisde now here, they would certainly freeze as it's below zero Celsius at the moment.. But if your wife is from the coastal region, it's worth a try, winters are warmer there. And 'lep pozdrav' to your wife 🙂
Anonymous says
Unfortunately, if you live in Canada these trees will NOT survive! If you plant one outside it will be toast. It may survive inside your home but outside forget it. Any thoughts?
AppleGreen Cottage says
Exactly on time, your question. The avocado plants wouldn't survive winter in the open in Slovenia either. That is why we keep them in pots. And just today, we transferred the pots with our avocados inside, to the top of the staircase in our appartment building. We have a designated area for plants during winter – the space has lots of light (side and roof window) and moderate temperature around 15 deg. Celsius. Something similar might be a solution for you too, what do you think? Damjana
Emma Cavill says
Oh great idea! i'm going to try this! 🙂
Lisa Ehrman says
Those are very pretty plants! I've never seen avocado leaves before….nice 🙂