So I got an avocado seed and after leaving it dry out, I have suspended it over a glass jar of warm water with the bottom half of the seed in the water. I'm hoping it will germinate and I can plant it then. Am I doing everything right? My other concern is that I live in Ireland, so I might need a greenhouse if it is going to survive as a plant. Thank you.
I used to let it dry for 24 hrs, then peeled it, then suspended it with the bottom half in a glass of water as you said and put it in a dark, warm place until it started to show a root... when it also started to show a shoot I'd place it on the windowsill until it was a bit bigger, and only then I'd put it in a pot. I kept mine indoors, some got almost to the ceiling. Been a long time though, I grew them when I was in high school!
avacado's are delicious and all, but why? it would take 15 years or so to grow an avocado tree from a seed, and even then, there's no guarantee that it would grow edible fruits. there are so many other things you could grow...
I always kept mine in a dark place until they formed a shoot, but I haven't ever tried it differently so maybe it wasn't necessary... I just heard that's how it was supposed to be done! And it's just a pretty plant... nice, big green leaves. It never bore fruit for me either, not inside. But most house plants never grow anything useful, that isn't the only reason to have them is it?
Avocado would be great to grow, yum! I must give it a go. Here you can pay up to AU$3 for just one avacado from the supermarket, but fortunately they grow pretty well in the Australian climate so they're alot cheaper if you buy from a local producer. A house close by to mine has a HUGE avocado tree in there yard, it must by 30ft tall and is full of fruit at the moment! It was really surprising to see such a big one so far south as they are more common further north and in the tropical areas of australia. I heard that in order to get fruit you need two trees so one can act as male and one female. Is this right? august xx
I don't think that is necessary. Most plants can pollenate themselves. I'll grow some more things for sure! I just gotta' figure out what will grow in Ireland apart from potatoes
According to the book The Australian Organic Gardener's Handbook by Keith Smith, although it is possible to grow a single avocado tree that bears fruit,cross pollinating a class A variety with a class B variety will produce far better fruiting. Class A varieties: Duke, Hass,Hazzard,Reed,Ribncon and Topa Topa. Class B varieties: Bacon,Edranol,Fuerte,Sharwil and Zutano. If you are serious about gowing avocados it is probably best to buy grafted rootstock. The fruit on a tree grown from seed can produce small fruit with large seeds.
