Crazy about avocado? Then grow your own avocado tree. Super easy and fun. All you need is a clean wick, a glass of water, 4 skewers, a flower pot and some patience.
Remove the pit from the avocado and remove the flesh. Avoid damaging the pit. Do not wash off the outer brown layer, because this layer protects the inside of the pit.
Read also: ‘4 ways to store half an avocado‘
About halfway through, insert three or four skewers (or wooden toothpicks) into the pit. With this construction you can rest the wick on the rim of a glass of water. Half of the pit must be under water, the top half must remain dry.
Choose a spot with a lot of sunlight and change the water at least every week, so that bacteria don't have a chance. Now you have to wait for the seed to germinate. Make sure that the pit never gets dry, because the young plant will not survive this. This can take up to 8 weeks. After a while the top of the pit will dry out and crack, the outer layer will slowly peel off and after a while the pit will take root. Make sure that the pit never gets dry, because the plant will not survive that. Over time, the pit at the top will also sprout.
Now we have to wait for the seed to germinate. You will have to be patient for this, because it can take up to 8 weeks until it comes to that. After a while, the top of the wick will dry out and begin to crack. The outer layer of the pit will slowly chip away and after a while the pit will take root. Make sure that the pit never gets dry, because the young plant will not survive this. Eventually the seed will also sprout at the top.
When the plant is about 15 cm high, you can plant it. Fill a pot of about 20 to 25 centimeters (diameter) with potting soil and make sure that half of the pit protrudes above the ground.
Water the plant daily. An avocado tree likes moist soil, but not soggy. If the leaves start to turn a little yellow, you've watered it too much. If the leaves turn brown at the ends, the plant has had too little water. And now the big question:when can you start picking avocados? Well, that could take a while. Sometimes it is possible after 3 or 4 years, but some plants take much longer.
