How to grow avocado from the bone at home?

Rarely what florist will miss the opportunity to grow an exotic plant at home. It does not matter whether it is medicinal, decorative or fruit and berry. For example, few gardeners will miss the opportunity to grow avocados or alligator pears, even if from bones.

In addition to the usual name, the fruit is known as American Persea and Agakata. This is an evergreen tree of the Laurel family, the fruits of which are distinguished by their oiliness and pleasant aroma. Avocado bone is quite large. Its weight is about half the weight of a ripe fruit. The pulp is rich in vitamins and minerals. This explains the relevance of the fruit: it supports youth.

A distinctive feature of the proper cultivation of avocado is the right choice of fruit. In most cases, avocados are brought to Russia in an immature form, so it will be difficult to choose good seed. Many gardeners are trying to solve this problem by the process of ripening the fruit on the windowsill. In fact, this method is ineffective: unripe bones are characterized by low germination, as well as overripe.

Not every fruit is worth buying. Externally, the immature fruit has a light green color, it is solid and unsuitable for human consumption. A rich green tone indicates that the fruit is almost ready to eat, but the bone is not ready for planting. Dark green, flowing in brown avocado can eat. When pressing on it, a finger remains a dent, which later disappears. However, his seed is not suitable for cultivation.

Good seed can be selected by external indicators. A fruit with a ripe bone has a dark color, closer to black. Such overripe avocados are not suitable for eating. Outwardly, this fruit is very soft, its flesh is loose. As a rule, the place under the handle of such a fruit is brown, while it is green with brownish veins in ripe avocados. If it is yellow, buying such material for planting is useless.

The time taken to plant an avocado seed at home may vary. This is due to the constant temperature conditions of the room. For planting it is better to choose large seeds, while you can buy several fruits at once to increase the number of seed germination: not every stone can take root. Kernels can be oblong or rounded. The color of the peeled seeds is beige and sand. However, in any case, one of the parties will be wider than the other, which will allow you to find the right part for landing.

In most cases, it depends on the choice of the seed whether a culture or an ornamental plant will be grown. It is necessary to take into account the fact that such a tree rarely blossoms and bears fruit at home. Therefore, the creation of the necessary conditions for germination and growth is a must. It is important to consider a place for growing, because the tree should be free. Places he may need from 1 to 2.5 m in height.

It is impossible to call the cultivation of avocado from the stone an easy process. However, with the observance of the main factors of landing it becomes possible.

The peel of the seed is durable. It should initially germinate bone, and then plant it in the soil. She is pulled out of the fruit carefully, trying not to damage the future seed. To do this, use a knife, making a deep circular incision on the larger side of the avocado. It is necessary not to press the strongly sharp side of the blade in order not to damage the seed. When the fruit is cut into two halves with a bone in one of them, they are turned against each other. She is hooked with a knife.

The ground for growing avocados at home should be loose, well-aerated. It should pass water well, which is inherent in, for example, the turf or peat variant.To prepare the land according to all the rules, it is necessary to mix equal parts of humus or leaf soil with sand and dolomite flour. If there is no dolomite flour, it can be replaced with the ground shell of boiled chicken eggs.

To increase aeration, it is worth adding perlite or vermiculite to the soil. Since avocados do not tolerate acidic soils, a pinch of lime can be included in the mixture.

Nutrient soil can be composed of the following components:

• garden land - 2 parts;
• medium grain sand - 2 parts;
• humus - 2 parts;
• expanded clay, crushed foam or sphagnum moss - 0.5 parts;
• lime - 1-2 tbsp. spoons.

On average, the germination of the seed of a tropical tree, depending on the conditions created and the method of germination, can take from 1 to 3 months. You can plant a bone in three ways, such as:

• immediately after removal from the fruit to the ground;
• on struts;
• cleaned and placed in water.

Each method has its own nuances. For example, the first method, called closed or normal, is to stick the seed into the soil with its wide bottom side (blunt end) to a small depth. Usually it is enough to deepen the bone into the ground by 2 cm. It is possible to wait for the emergence of seedlings in about 30-40 days. During the entire period you need to water the plant as needed. Watering should be moderate. If the soil is wet, the seed will rot.

However, the second method of germination allows you to get long-awaited shoots faster. If you want to speed up the process of sprout, the uncleaned avocado bone should be pierced with wooden toothpicks (3-4 pieces) or with matches without sulfur heads about 3 mm deep. Then take a glass beaker, fill it with clean water at room temperature and place the seed in it with the blunt side down.

Toothpicks are needed to ensure that the bone is only partially submerged in water. They hold on top the top of the pre-washed seed. For the method to be effective, it is necessary to monitor the water level in the tank all the time, since the lower part of the seed must always be in the water.

The third method is the most effective, because for him the bone is cleaned from a durable shell. After that, it is placed in the water with a blunt end about 2/3 of the total size and strengthens the position. Purified seed germinates faster. It is possible to transplant it into the ground when the root of a sprout in length reaches 3 cm. This method allows you to leave all the signs of the mother plant.

The method of seed germination in a suspended state is convenient in that the gardener has the opportunity to observe the appearance and growth of the roots. The water becomes turbid over time, so it needs to be changed every 3-4 days, although some gardeners do it more often. At the same time, it is important to ensure that the roots that appear after cracking do not dry out.

If you do not add water, closing the core by 1/3, the plant will die. Opinions of gardeners regarding the effectiveness of different methods of germination are contradictory. For example, in the World Wide Web, you can find a lot of comments indicating that sprouting on struts is more effective than the usual immersion of a stone in water. They note that young roots are too tender and can be damaged by the growth and change of water. First, it is they who will appear, and then a crack forms in the seed, from which the first sprout will appear.

It is not enough just to press the stone into the ground with the right end and water it to maintain the desired soil moisture. The rind of the seed will slowly and slowly collapse. Experienced gardeners are trying to break the shell of the stone, because the germ is difficult to break through a solid crust.In order for the sprout to develop properly, and germination does not take several months, it is important to determine the blunt end, it is from there that the sprout appears.

If the seed is rotated incorrectly, the sprout will first bend around the seed itself and only then appear on the surface of the earth. It is important to take into account the fact that the bone with the germ is not deepened completely into the ground. It should contain approximately 1/3 (maximum of 1⁄2) its part. The cracked bone itself with the germ must be open.

Initially, the pot for growing avocados at home is better to choose a small one (about 10–12 cm in diameter). The optimum height of the container should be 15–20 cm. The ceramic pot for avocados will not work: the tree grows best in plastic containers with a tray. However, the presence of drainage holes in the bottom of the dish is mandatory.

Gardeners say that you can grow avocados from a stone in a plastic pot. Pottery can itself take away moisture from the germ. The number of drainage holes should be sufficient to drain the water, otherwise the sprout that appears may rot.

The first pot can be shallow. However, as it grows, it is worth taking care of a larger capacity, as the root system will grow. The bone is not always immersed in the ground with the appearance of a sprout. Some gardeners claim that there are enough roots for this. At the same time, the drupe is carefully removed from the water or the struts, then the roots are immersed in the soil, trying not to damage them.

Being a tropical tree, avocado does not tolerate the activity of the sun. Direct UV rays will have a detrimental effect on sprouts. The best sill will be the one whose windows are located on the east or west side of the house. On particularly sunny days, it is advisable to shade the plant or move it deep into the room. The climate in the room should be warm and humid.

The average air temperature should be + 16ºС. The lighting of the tree should be sufficient, but diffused, for example, through tulle. A sign of properly created and favorable conditions will be the rapid growth of a young tree. After reaching a height of about 35 cm, the plant will begin intensive growth of leaves. Modifying their color will tell you about diseases or improper care.

Planting an avocado seed is half the battle. There are frequent cases when the tree has reached the desired height (2 m), but does not bear fruit. In this case, the best solution is to graft the shoot. In addition, you can increase pinching. One of the reasons is the lack of cross-pollination, which is unusual for growing avocados at home. Therefore, to get the fruit you have to self-pollinate the plant by hand when it blooms.

Usually flowers with a characteristic yellow-green shade appear on the tree in the third year of life. Since the tree bears fruit only during pollination, it is important to take into account an interesting nuance. Each of its flowers is bisexual and opens twice. At the same time on the first day pistils are active. As soon as the flowers open, you need to plan them in order to pollinate the marked flower stalks the next day. To do this, transfer the pollen to the pistils. The fruits that can be obtained by growing a tropical tree at home, differ in taste from those bought in the store. You can grow them, although apparently the fruit will be smaller in size.

Over time, the growth of the tree slows down. In this case, the composition of the soil is of great importance. With abundant plant pulling, the soil is quickly exhausted, which can cause a slowdown in the growth of the tree and fruits. If you over-soil, it will not give a positive result. Growth will be great, but it will not affect ripening. To fix this, you need to provide the tree with macro-and micronutrients in the right quantity.

With a lack of light, the internodes will be drawn out. It is possible to speed up the ripening of fruits, if you take a tree to the country in summer and place it under the canopy of other trees. At the same time it will be provided with the necessary amount of light, but it will not be direct. So you can achieve fruiting avocados in the third year after planting the seed. Avocados should not be placed near electric heaters, stoves, considering that the fruit ripens better: this can cause burns to the plant.

To tree was lush and branched, you need to pinch the ends of the stems. After the avocado grows to 15–17 cm in length, its stem should be cut off by about half, leaving 8 cm from the ground. This will stimulate new growth and branching. You can do this after the leaf appears 8 leaves. Next, the crown is formed from side branches. To do this, monitor the number of leaves on the new shoot. Once they are 5 or 7, you can pinch again.

For the formation can be oriented and the length of the shoots. When the avocado grows back to 15 cm after the first pinching, it should be transplanted into a pot of larger diameter (approximately 20-25 cm). The soil should be rich in humus. It is necessary to pinch a tree every time it grows up by 6 inches (approximately 15 cm). Such care will allow it to give rise to lateral shoots and form a dense crown. As you grow, you need to constantly increase the capacity with the ground. To increase the number of fruits, experts recommend planting a young tree in early spring.

Immediately after planting the avocado in the substrate, he does not need fertilizer. However, this issue will become relevant in 4-6 months. Fertilizer should be applied with a frequency of 1 time per month, applying complex compositions for indoor floriculture. Young specimens are usually transplanted every spring. After the tree is 3–4 years old, it is undesirable to be disturbed often by transplants. It is allowed to change tubs no more than 1 time in 3 years.

Avocado water should be moderate. Tropical tree does not like the abundance of moisture. Yellowing leaves may indicate this. In this case, it is important to allow the moisture to dry naturally, which can take several days. Do not take for granted a one-time watering per week, which is recommended on some gardening sites, and strictly follow this rule.

In fact, the frequency of watering will depend on the degree of humidity inside the room. Avocados need regular spraying, while drying out the soil is detrimental to it.

Avocado leaves suggest that you need to revise the growing conditions. For example, their reddening indicates a burning sun and the need to remove from direct sunlight. If the leaves dry at the edges, it means that the climate in the room is dry, so you need to moisten the wood and the air. Stagnation of moisture will be noticeable on the yellowish color of the leaves along the edges. Healthy leaf color is rich green.

Sometimes a tree can shed its leaves at all if it doesn’t like the cold climate. As soon as the desired temperature is restored, leaves will reappear on the branches. Blackening of the leaves is a reaction of their combustion. This burns, the first stage of the reaction of the tree to spraying in a dry room. You can not continue to spray the tree, as in such conditions, after it will begin to stiffen and blacken the trunk of avocado.

The procedure for transplanting avocados in a larger pot does not differ from the standard scheme. The plant is removed from the container, trying not to damage the root system. After that, the tree is placed in a prepared container with soil and drainage. The capacity may be different, even suspended, if the tree is still small. The holes in the bottom of the pot should be large so that moisture in the tank does not remain. The drainage layer at the bottom of the pot may be about 2 cm thick.

Pallets are taken with a margin around the edges, filling them with expanded clay or pebbles, which will help to maintain the desired moisture for the plant. You can not take for planting heavy or clay soil. If for this purpose garden soil is used, it will first have to be disinfected by watering boiling water a day before planting the sprouted seed. Sit the seedling upward, leaving 2/3 volume above the soil. If it is completely submerged in the ground, the tree will rot.

Growing a tree should be harmonious. Externally, it should look beautiful, which is achieved by various methods of decorative design culture. You can not allow the plant to stretch to the ceiling. You can give it the appearance of indoor wood, which is achieved by the design of a lush crown. The most successful design solution is planting several sprouts in the ground of one pot.

However, it is impossible to plant several sprouts close. It is necessary to leave gaps so that the stems can develop and form weaves, and not dig at each other with a lack of free space. If desired, in the process of growth of them it will be possible to weave a plait or a pigtail.

Since in a warm room the tree can be drawn out, it is advisable not to miss the pinching time. Forming pruning is best done in the spring during the active growth of all plants. Pinching the top and side shoots will give the crown an attractive appearance. In this case, if desired, you can trim the crown, leaving the shoots that form a rounded cap.

The avocado tree does not like cold, the temperature below + 10ºС will not suit it. In such conditions, the first fruits may appear not earlier than 7 years after planting, while at the optimum temperature (approximately + 21 ° C), it will be possible to eat berries after 3-4 years. You should not count on a small length of the tree: it may not fit into the height of the ceiling, because in nature its length is up to 18 m.

It is important to take into account the fact that not only the leaves are toxic to the avocado, but also the bone itself. It contains the fungicidal substance Persin, which can be a source of allergic reaction in people prone to allergies. In some cases, there is a violation of the digestive system.

The plant is evergreen, so when a change in the color of the leaves is found, it is worth identifying the cause. This nuance does not disappear by itself, therefore, planting and caring can only be done by patient gardeners. In order to negate the errors in the care, it is worth considering a few useful recommendations, paying attention to the main aspects of care, namely:

• because of the presence of toxin, planting and caring for a tree should be carried out with gloves;
• in winter, the tree needs additional lighting;
• the optimum temperature range varies from +14 to + 21ºС, when it is violated, growth slows down or you can kill avocados;
• The optimum level of humidity in the room is at least 65%. With dry air near the tree you need to place the containers with water, although you can put a number of crops that emit moisture;
• if necessary, the soil can be decontaminated by steaming in a water bath or in a microwave for 10–15 minutes;
• Sometimes, agronomists advise instead of a constant change of water to use wood or activated charcoal, putting it on the bottom of the glass, when you need to grow roots from a stone. A more creative approach involves using hydrogel instead of water;
• with a lack of light, it can be replenished by fitolamp or fluorescent lamps. The distance between the lamp and the tree should not be less than 40 cm.

It is worth considering a few more nuances. Under no circumstances, the bone does not break off from the germ. After a period of time, it will become smooth, while its removal can destroy the sprout and the roots. If the sprout never appeared, it speaks of two reasons. First, the fetus does not have ripened bone. Secondly, the problem may lie in the ground itself. When planting in the soil, the ground was dry or poorly permeable to moisture. In addition, you should not despair if the bone did not give germ and roots in a month. This is the minimum time of emergence.

For information on how to grow avocados from the bone, see the next video.