Fastest Way to Grow an Avocado Seed

Avocado Seed

• The avocado tree produces best when grown in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9b through 11. Although the tree is easy to grow, it requires daytime temperatures no warmer than 89.6 degrees Fahrenheit and night temperatures no cooler than 53.6 F to flower and set fruit. The avocado seed may not sprout after storing for longer than one month. Regardless of which method you choose to grow the avocado seed, you will need to clean it thoroughly before planting. Use a soft toothbrush to scrub the flesh from it under running water.

Grow Avocado Seed in Water

• Growing an avocado seed in water is a common school activity in early childhood. Insert three toothpicks, evenly spaced, into the seed. Suspend it, pointed side up, over a glass of water. The water should reach halfway up the seed, so that the flat end is underwater and the pointed end is not. If placed in a sunny area, with fresh water added as needed, the avocado seed should sprout within eight weeks, but may take longer. If it fails to sprout within three months, discard the seed and start another.

Grow Avocado Seed in Soil

• Not only is growing the avocado seed in soil the faster of the two methods, it produces a seedling with a stronger root system. The seed requires fast-draining soil, so a mixture comprised of equal parts of potting soil and sand is ideal. Just as with the water method, the pointed end of the avocado seed should protrude about 1 inch above the soil while the lower portion should be buried. Placed in an area that remains between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, with consistently moist soil, the avocado seed should take four to six weeks to begin producing roots.

Care of the Seedling

• After germination, it’s important to give the young avocado tree lots of bright light, but no direct sunlight. Finding the fine line between giving the seedling too much water and not enough may be challenging, but a rule of thumb is that the soil should have the moisture content of a well-wrung sponge. If the leaves begin to curl and the stem appears soft, you are overwatering. If the leaves appear dry and fall from the seedling, water more often. The late Julia F. Morton, former research professor of biology at the University of Miami, cautioned that the avocado’s roots are sensitive to transplanting. When moving the seedling from the germination container to the outdoors, handle the roots as little as possible. Even in maturity the tree has a shallow root system so use caution when weeding around it.