avocado

[Beverly]

Hi fuum! (do you mind if i call you "fuum?) I hope you will share with us what you learn researching. These trees are majestic, and beautiful, in addition to producing abundant and excellent food. I don't think i've ever noticed one when it has been blooming. It appears avocado trees are somewhat complex as well so more info would be appreciated. I don't quite understand if one tree produces both Type A and Type B flowers. I also don't know how many species there are. I have a neighbor who bought an avocado tree at a nursery, This tree, if i remember correctly, is from Veracruz and the peel is so thin it is eaten along with the fruit.

 

[fuumarumota]

Hey!

No worries, you can call me "fuum" if you want to, lol. I'm also willing to learn the differences, so in the future I can chose a good variety to grow. If I find out anything useful I'll let you guys know for sure

 

[Tropical Gardening Noob]

When germinating avocado seeds via toothpick method, the one thing I learned is to be patient...really patient. I had an avocado that took over two months to germinate! I was going to throw it out until I saw tiny little roots coming from the bottom. Now, its a little plant a few inches tall.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

According to Dr. Perlmutter in "Grain Brain", you don't get cholesterol by eating cholesterol. It's something that the body naturally produces.

So true, a long known fact.

 

[fuumarumota]

When germinating avocado seeds via toothpick method, the one thing I learned is to be patient...really patient. I had an avocado that took over two months to germinate! I was going to throw it out until I saw tiny little roots coming from the bottom. Now, its a little plant a few inches tall.

Yep, that's so true. How long did it take you to get the seed to germinate? Mine took like 1.5 months or so (started january, cold weather).

 

[Beverly]

When i relocated to a tropical area, i thought i would be able to germinate seeds year around because it is warm year around. But i had some surprises. I discovered that even though it is warm enough for some seeds to germinate, they prefer to rest during December and January. I can get Cosmos and Tithonia rotundifolia seeds to germinate during those 2 sleepy months, but they grow very slowly until February/March when they start to show more interest. One thing i discovered is that seeds (and especially wild seeds) will grow when they are ready, and not necessary when we want or expect them to.

 

[Pat]

I have in the past put the avocado seed in water and got it to grow roots but the plant has always died before it would grow any leafs.

 

[Tropical Gardening Noob]

Another thing I noticed about germinating avocados this way is root shock. I placed my first avocado (that I germinated via toothpick method) in a dirted pot. Now, its been a few months and the plant hasn't grown at all. I'm guessing the transplant may have shocked the roots and stunted the plant.

 

[fuumarumota]

I've had the best results by being a bit patient. Let it grow in the water, until it has 4 or 5 true leaves, tadd some small river stones gradually to thicken the environment until it is similar to soil.. Then attempt transplanting it. Use a clean pot for that.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

just got four nice ones at 55cents each at a local store.

 

[History Detective]

Hi, everyone! I am considering trying to grow avocado from pits, and I am wondering if, should they succeed in growing, they can be kept to a dwarf size for containers by pruning and still bear fruit eventually.

Thank you so much for your help!

 

[fuumarumota]

I guess if you set up a container big enough, with good drainage and it gets enough sunlight, I don't see why not. With, some varieties you need two plants, so one open it's flowers as male and the other as female, in order for the polinization to take place.

Cheers!

 

[Beverly]

Hi @History Detective...I am in such a rush for the next few days, that i haven't had time to check out some of the links to make sure what i am suggesting to you is correct. If i remember correctly (see links attached to this thread), an avocado tree takes 5 years of growing before it will set fruit. The trees that do set fruit (with the exception of the variety native to Veracruz) are enormous (at least the ones i've seen are enormous). This suggests to me that it would be very unlikely that a tree that is going to set fruits can be grown in a container, but of course i am one to try things against most odds so i don't want to discourage your attempts. Sometimes avocado trees need another avocado tree around to set fruits, and some trees have flowers that are male in the morning and female in the evening that can set fruits without having another avocado tree around. The thing is, you have to wait at least five years to find out. The conclusion i came to from researching and reading (links provided above) is that the only way you can be sure your tree is going to set fruit is by way of a graft from a tree known to set fruits. I would talk to some garden centers in your area that carry fruit trees and ideally avocado trees. There may be varieties (other than the one from Veracruz) that will grow successfully in a container. I don't believe we explored varieties of avocado trees in this thread and it might be worth looking into. Good luck and i am sorry i cannot be of more help at this time. See you in a few days.

 

[ChanellG]

I have an avocado plant about three feet tall. It was a volunteer from the compost pit that my S.O. of the time dug out and planted. At that time I was under the impression it would not set fruit. I almost discarded the plant as I never wanted it in the first place, but I decided to keep it after learning that avocado leaves have health benefits. This past spring I was walking past it and noticed a little green "ball" on a stem that was unmistakably a baby avocado. It mysteriously disappeared before it matured, but the point of the story is that the baby tree is a) in a pot, b) less than 5 years old, and c) grown from a pit.

 

[Beverly]

Wow @ChanellG interesting story. It reminds us again to never second-guess mother nature. Had you noticed any flowers on the plant before the tiny avocado appeared?