If you have purchased your avocado tree from a nursery and wish to grow it indoors, you must plant it in a bigger container as soon as you bring the plant home. This is important to ensure your tree has plenty of room to spread out and establish. It is also vital to ensure the pots you use have plenty of drainage holes to prevent root rot. You may also grow your avocado indoors from seed (more about that later).
How to plant an avocado tree from a pit
It is possible to sprout an avocado seed in a glass of water. This is the easiest and the least expensive way to grow your own avocado tree. However, it takes time (up to 6 weeks) for the roots to start appearing so be patient!
What you’ll need:
- Avocado seed
- 4 toothpicks
- Glass or jar
- Water
- Potting soil
- Pot
Step 1. Wash the pit thoroughly and remove the brown skin.
Step 2. Insert 4 toothpicks into the pit starting from the pointy end. Spread out the toothpicks evenly around the pit, but make sure you stick them in far enough to hold the pit in place.
Step 3. Now gently set the pit in the glass container with the pointy end up.
Step 4. Pour enough water in the container to cover half of the pit.
Step 5. Place the pit on the windowsill or in a sunny location for direct sunlight.
Step 6. Top up the water every 2 or 3 days.
Step 7. As soon as you see stems growing from the seed, cut them back by half to encourage better growth.
Step 8. Once the new leaves have developed and the root system is thicker, you’re ready to transplant the sapling to a pot.
Step 9. Add potting mix to a container and allow it to grow outside if the weather is warm enough.
Watch this quick video to get a better idea of how to grow an avocado from pit.
Repotting avocado plants in six steps
Repot your avocado tree every spring for the first few years to allow maximum growth. Follow these steps to learn how:
Step 1. Check the current container size to see if the plant is root-bound. Gently tilt the container to one side so the plant falls out. If it’s rigid, run a blunt knife around the outside of the roots to free the plant from the pot. If the roots are tangled, then it’s time for a new, bigger pot.
Step 2. When choosing a new pot, it should be no more than 3 inches larger than the current one. Avocados don’t like sitting in water so make sure the pot has adequate drainage as a saucer to collect the excess water.
Step 3. Now lay the plant on its side on a newspaper or cloth.
Step 4. Free up the tangled roots using your fingers, and if there are any rooting ones, remove them with a pruning shear.
Step 5. Put a small amount of potting soil in the new pot’s bottom. Fill the container around the outside of the root ball with more soil. Note: use the same potting mix as you did in the previous pot since there should be no soil weight or consistency difference. Plant the avocado at the same level as it was originally planted in the previous pot, with one quarter of the seed above the soil’s surface.
Step 6. Water the plant well after repotting. If the soil settles, fill the holes with more potting soil.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I keep pests off my avocado tree?
Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers as they promote quick growth and attract pests. Don’t plant your avocado near a vegetable garden or perennial bed where bugs are most likely to be found.
Will a pit-produced avocado tree bear fruit?
Yes. It can take up to 10 years or more from the time the pit is planted. Avocado pits take much longer to bear fruit than a grafted tree, which takes half the time to bear fruit (5 years).
How do I take care of an avocado tree?
Water the tree deeply and often. Let it dry out before watering again. Mulch the tree with 3-4 inches of coarse pine bark to conserve moisture. Make sure you leave a few inches between the tree trunk and mulch. Avoid fertilizing the tree during the first year of planting.
How do I grow an avocado tree indoors?
Growing avocados indoors is easy and a lot of fun. Simply plant the sprouted seed in an unglazed clay pot that’s at least 10 inches deep or twice as deep as the roots. Add a potting mix blended with compost and sand to create a fast-draining, loose composition. Lastly, make sure your avocado tree receives plenty of direct sun.
For more information on this amazing tree read more here on Trees.com
1 Comments
I live in Star valley az, my tree got slight frost damage on leaves, I brought it inside and all except one leaf fell off, do you think it might survive?
By Marie
Nov 27, 2022