The avocado is one of the most common ingredients included in various desserts and meals. Apart from having a delicious taste and pleasant aroma, this fruit possesses a high nutritional value.
Advertisement:
How to Grow an Avocado
It is a great source of fiber, potassium, as well as vitamins B5, B6, C, E, and K. Also, unlike most of the fruits which consist mainly of carbohydrates, the avocado is extremely high in healthy fats.
Due to the increase of its popularity, this healthy fruit is becoming more and more expensive, and not everyone can afford it.
Recently, the price of the avocado has gone up by more than 25%. Luckily, instead of buying this fruit, you can easily grow an avocado tree at your home.
Simple Way of Growing Your Own Organic Avocado Tree from a Seed
In order to grow an avocado tree, first, you should clean the seed well. Try to identify which side is the bottom of the seed, and which is its end.
Then, stick 4 toothpicks into the seed. Place them about halfway down, and make sure that they are at equal distances.
Afterward, put the seed into a glass of water. By doing so, the toothpicks will enable it to soak about an inch of water.
Then, place the seed in some warm location where it will be exposed to a direct sunlight. Let it stay for 2 to 6 weeks until the stem grows 6 inches.
After reaching 6 inches, you should cut it back to 3 inches. Once again, you should leave the stem to reach its previous length.
Next, you should find a large pot of 10 inches diameter. Keep in mind that the pot has to contain a drainage hole in the bottom.
Add a nutrient-rich soil to the pot and leave a hole at the top for the seed. Place the seed in the hole, and make sure that a half of it remains above the soil.
Once you have planted the seed, place the pot in some sunny location and water it frequently. The exposure of sunlight and the correct amount of watering are the two most important factors that ensure a successful growth of the tree.
Keep the tree moist, but don’t overwater it. The best indicator of the proper moisture levels is the color of the avocado’s leaves.
If the leaves turn brown, the tree is probably thirsty, and if they turn yellow, the tree is getting too much water.
The avocado tree requires constant care and maintenance. When the plant reaches a height of about one foot, you should trim it to half its size.
This will allow the tree to grow properly. Afterward, you should trim it once a year, just before the spring growth spurt.
When the tree is grown from a seed, it starts to bear fruits anywhere from 5 to 13 years. Nevertheless, once it does, you will be able to enjoy its healthy and delicious fruits.