How to Grow Avocados From Seed Pods

Scoop the seed out of your next avocado and sprout it.

Avocado trees are tropical plants that grow best outdoors in U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zones 10 and 11. However, you can also grow avocado trees indoors in pots so long as they get plenty of direct sunlight. Start avocados in water or plant them directly into a garden or growing pot. Avocados make a beautiful indoor plant, with large, bright green leaves, but do not count on your avocado tree producing fruit or, if it does, on the fruit being as good as that from the parent tree -- avocado seldom produces true from seeds.

Things You'll Need

• Sharp knife
• Spoon
• 3 toothpicks
• Glass or jar
• Growing pot
• Potting soil

Instructions

1. Slice downward from the stem end of the avocado until you feel the knife hit resistance -- the seed. Slowly spin the avocado lengthwise, holding the knife gently but firmly against the seed, until you work the knife all the way around. Twist the knife to separate the two halves of the avocado, revealing the seed. Lift the seed out of the avocado half with a spoon. Gently wash the seed in cool running water.

2. Insert three toothpicks into the sides of the seed so that it can be suspended over a glass or jar of water. Insert the toothpicks so that the large end of the seed hangs down into the water and the pointy tip of the seed is well above the water line. The water should only cover the bottom 1/3 of the seed.

3. Place the jar with the suspended seed in a location with a consistent temperature of at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit where it receives plenty of indirect sun. Do not set the jar or glass in direct sunlight.

4. Change the water every week. Within four to eight weeks roots and a stem should appear. When the plant is 8 inches tall, transplant it to a 12-inch pot filled with a mix of equal parts potting soil and organic fertilizer.

5. Water the soil so that is stays moist but not soggy. Avocados do not like their roots to dry out completely, so water every three to four days during the summer and slightly less often during the winter.

6. Keep your young avocado tree in as much direct sunlight as possible each day.

References

• Iowa State University: Sprouting an Avocado Seed
• California Rare Fruit Growers: Growing Avocados From Seed
• Avocado Organization: Grow Your Own Avocado Plant
• Worms and Flowers: Three Ways to Grow Avocados From Seed