How to Grow an Avocado Pip

There's a tree inside each avocado.

The avocado tree that you grow from the pip or seed may not turn out to be exactly the same as the mother tree. Additionally, it will take anywhere from 7 to 15 years to bear avocados. In the meantime, however, you will have a stunning houseplant that you can take pride in knowing you grew from a seed.

Things You'll Need

• Soft scrub brush
• 1-gallon planting pot
• Container
• Sand
• Potting soil

Instructions

1. Clean all of the avocado pulp from the pip by holding it under running water and scrubbing lightly with a soft scrub brush or a baby's toothbrush. Dry the pip with a paper towel.

2. Pour equal parts of potting soil and sand into a container and mix well. Moisten the mix and pour it into a planting pot.

3. Plant the avocado pip in the soil, allowing the top 1 inch of it to remain exposed above the surface. The pointed end of the pip should be pointing up.

4. Place the planting pot in an area that receives bright, indirect sunlight and the temperature remains between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep the soil moist. The pip should sprout within six weeks.

References

• Purdue University: Avocado
• University of Nebraska: Start Avocado Seeds
• California Avocado Commission; Grow Your Own Tree; Dr. Mary Lou Arpaia, et al.;