Avocado tree: care and cultivation at home. How to grow an avocado tree from a stone at home: a step by step guide

Let us consider in more detail all the stages of caring for an avocado plant at home, the photo of which is given below:

Photo of how avocado blooms:

Features of care after purchase

Should I pinch an avocado?

How to pinch an avocado? 3-4 shoots should remain on the trunk, after reaching a length of twenty centimeters, pinching the tops is carried out, thus the next level branches are formed. The first pinching is recommended to be done over the eighth leaf, after activating the branching, they should be pinched over the fifth or sixth leaf. With this approach, in two or three years the tree will take up most of the room.

Bloom

At home, flowering, and even more fruiting, quite hard to achieve. Despite the fact that avocados can self-pollinate, a good harvest is achievable only if they are cross-pollinated. It is worth noting that even in natural conditions Not all flowers produce fruits.

When flowering, if this still happened, a large number of flowers appear on the crown of the plant, some gardeners manage to cross-pollinate with a brush. It is recommended to do this in the morning when the sun has risen; on cloudy days, additional illumination is required.

Lighting

Avocado needs good lighting, it is not recommended to place it under direct rays; in autumn and winter, it is recommended to additionally illuminate the plant with a special phyto-lamp.

Temperature

The optimum temperature for a plant is eighteen degrees, its level should not be lower than sixteen degrees.

Air humidity

Avocado belongs to the category of tropical plants, for its normal development humidity is very important, the space around the tree must be sprayed regularly, trying not to get on the leaves.

A good solution would be to install the plant in a tray with wet moss or expanded clay.

Watering

The plant needs water, but it is not recommended to do this very often, the soil should have time to dry out between waterings. To avoid flooding the substrate it is recommended to lay drainage at the bottom of the tank. The soil for the plant should be sufficiently moist and loose throughout the year.

Priming

When choosing a soil, preference should be given fertile mixtures, plays an important role good drainage. The flower does not tolerate a substrate with high acidity, the substrate must be neutral. Land for avocados at home can be prepared independently, for this you need to mix humus, earth and sand in equal proportions, add lime.

For avocados, a citrus substrate is perfect, the earth should be loose. If transplantation was not carried out for some reason, in order to prevent salinization of the substrate upper layer land must be replaced, the remaining land should be shed with water.

fertilizers

It is recommended to fertilize the plant after it is one year old, feeding frequency - 4 times a year.

For plant fertilization great fit mineral mixtures , as well as fertilizer for citrus.

It is recommended to apply nitrogen to the soil of an adult plant in June and December; in the presence of yellow leaves, it is recommended to include zinc and iron in the mixture.

Growth

In the first three months, the plant can reach fifty centimeters in height, to improve conditions it is recommended to maintain optimal conditions for development. In the future, the speed slows down, new leaves begin to appear thirty-five centimeters in size from the base.

IMPORTANT! An avocado can grow up to two and a half meters, so it is recommended to pinch it regularly to stimulate the appearance of side shoots.

Transfer

How to transplant an avocado? The tree grows fast enough, and therefore it need to be repotted periodically, the procedure is recommended in the spring. Young plants need an annual transplant, adults can be transplanted once every three years.

The first avocado transplant at home is recommended when the plant reaches ten to fifteen centimeters in height. The dimensions of the container each time should be larger than the previous one. The composition of the substrate is identical to the soil when planting an avocado with a stone. It must be borne in mind that the plant can reach large sizes, so the containers must be of the appropriate size.

Benefit

Avocado, like all plants, helps purify the air in the room, has other useful properties, which you can learn about.

Avocado at home can be grown from the seed. The flower is different rapid growth, moisture-loving, can reach 2.5 meters in height, needs regular transplanting and pinching. Needs cross-pollination for fruiting, blooms very rarely, can be grown in open ground.

Useful video

We invite you to watch the video personal experience avocado care at home:

In grocery stores all year round Tropical fruits for sale - avocados. In the center of each fruit is a huge bone. Its weight may be equal to the weight of the pulp. If you have patience, you can grow an avocado from a seed, and if you're lucky, then wait for the fruits.

When to expect the harvest

Avocado - fast growing evergreen tree. In nature, its height reaches 20 m. The avocado has a straight, unbranched trunk and elongated leaves, similar to bay leaves, only longer - up to 35 cm.

On plantations, each plant produces 150-200 kg of fruit. In the room, avocados will only bear fruit 20 years after sowing. Its height by this age can reach 2 meters.

To speed up fruiting, connoisseurs plant avocados on seedlings grown on the Black Sea coast. Grafted plants bloom in the second or third year. Avocado flowers are small, yellow or green. The fruits ripen in 6-17 months. It depends on the variety.

Preparing the bone for planting

The best time to plant avocados is spring. At this time, the seed is as ready as possible for germination.

Three types of avocados are sold in stores:

Californian- a stone of hazelnut color, shiny, as if varnished;
Floridan- the stone is covered with a white peel;
Pinkerton- the peel of the stone is light brown, rough, matte.

Bones of all three types germinate well at home. The main thing is to extract the seed from a ripe fruit.

The ripeness of an avocado can be determined by its firmness. You need to press the pulp with your finger. In a ripe fruit, when pressed, a small dent forms, which quickly disappears. This avocado is suitable for sprouting.

The pulp can be eaten. Pay attention to the bone - it’s good if its peel is colored in the color that is supposed by nature - this means that the seed has formed and is able to germinate.

If you have several avocados at your disposal, you need to germinate the most large seed. The larger the bone, the more nutrients and energy for growth.

Remove the peel from the bone and lower it into the water about halfway, with the blunt end down. To hold the seed upright, drill three holes in its sides, no more than 5 mm deep, and insert toothpicks. Relying on them, the seed will be able to “hang” in the air above the glass, only half submerged in water. It is better to immediately add an activated charcoal tablet to the water so that bacteria do not start.

After 1-2 weeks, a reddish seedling will appear from the crack. It will immediately begin to grow rapidly, lengthening every day by 1 cm.

At first, avocados grow quickly. In 3 months, the seedling reaches a height of 0.5 m. After that, growth stops, as the tree begins to grow roots and leaves.

At this point, you can pinch it. Without pinching, it will quickly grow to the ceiling and die. After the top is removed, they will begin to grow side shoots. As a result, a low, but lush bush suitable for keeping in the room.

avocado care

Avocados are native to the tropics and are very fond of moisture. In dry air, avocado leaves dry out, so they are regularly sprayed with a spray bottle - this will help the exotic plant feel more comfortable.

The pot is kept in moderate light. Under direct sunlight, the plant will burn, the leaves will turn red and begin to dry out. At the same time, the pot should not be allowed to end up in an overly dark place. If the tree is rapidly stretching upwards, most likely this is not due to an excess of fertilizer, but from a lack of light. Such a plant should be moved closer to the window, and pinch the stem and the fastest growing branches.

Avocado can be shaped by giving it any shape: a tree on a stem, a bush. Often, growers use the following technique - they plant several seeds nearby, and when the seedlings start to grow, they braid them into a pigtail - not very dense, so that the stems can thicken.

The avocado tree was familiar to man thousands of years ago, but then it only aroused consumer alertness due to its pear-shaped fruits and unique taste characteristics. At present, no one will be surprised if he sees a growing tree on suburban area or windowsill. In the distant past, avocado fruits were considered something special and valuable.

Health benefits of avocado fruit

The avocado tree is translated as "alligator pear", which is due to the special similarity of the fruits of both plants. It is possible that earlier they were united by one ancestor. But through separate ecological or climate change in the regions where plants spread, they were forced to evolve and acquire new properties.

V modern world, avocados are often compared with a pear, well known in our area. Finding similarities between both trees is very easy. Just look at the photo and compare the external features.

Today, the plant is used in various spheres of human life. Among them:

Cooking.
Cosmetology.
Medicine and others.

The avocado plant is widely used not only in the culinary industry. It is also used as effective medical device for the treatment and prevention of the most common health problems.

In a special way, it effectively manifests itself in the fight against diseases of the digestive and circulatory systems. plant oil - real medical value, because it is used in the creation of powerful drugs and cosmetic products.

It's no secret that healing properties avocados are directly dependent on many characteristics of the tree itself, including its age and geographical features that affect the growth process.

Many scientists are working hard to study all these subtleties in order to achieve maximum efficiency in the cultivation and use of avocados.

Contraindications for improper use of the plant

It is worth remembering that improper use of avocados can seriously harm your health. The fact is that the fetal bone contains many harmful substances and toxins.

When stored for a long time on store shelves or warehouses, these substances can enter directly into the fetus, and then into the human body, which, in turn, will lead to to health problems.

To avoid buying low-quality fruits, it is worth considering in advance such a factor as their appearance. The main pledge High Quality is an thick and smooth skin with no noticeable irregularities.

Ripe fruits return to their original appearance even after light pressure. But even if the avocado is slightly hard, do not despair. Leave it for a few days and it will ripen at home.

Growing from the bone

It is no secret that the fruit bone, due to its rich composition and size, makes up 50% of the weight of the entire fruit. It turns out that when buying, we get only half of the edible product, but what to do with the rest?

It turns out that the fruit bone can serve for the quick and efficient cultivation of the plant by independent efforts. Basically, the process of growing a tree on a windowsill is not something too complicated. The plant is not particularly whimsical, so it will grow even in your home.

For proper cultivation fetus you need ripe avocado pit. From immature seeds, you are unlikely to be able to grow a full-fledged and healthy tree. Remove the brown skin from the bone.

After that, you need to move the bone in a glass of water about half. Use toothpicks for this, which must be inserted into the pre- drilled holes. Photos of growing avocados from the seed can be found in the public domain.

If this seems like a difficult task for you, just place the stone vertically in a glass and fill it halfway with water. Now all that remains is to wait, and it may take a very long time.

Sometimes, in order for the first green sprouts to appear from the seed, it takes three weeks, and even three months. It all depends on the conditions of light and temperature indicators.

Conditions for good avocado growth

The natural environment in which avocado trees grow - subtropical and tropical forests. In other regions of the planet, fruits can be found on the shelves of shops or supermarkets.

But growing an avocado tree in very dry or cold climates is very difficult, so the only solution for our country is home growing.

If you learn all the subtleties of plant growth and look at the photo of the care instructions, it is quite possible that in a few months you will be able to harvest your own mini-crop.

A prerequisite for comfortable and proper care of the plant - optimal temperature performance and stable watering clean water room temperature. Before proceeding to self-cultivation of this plant at home, you need to take into account a lot of nuances and features.

Basically, three basic conditions are necessary for the healthy growth of a tree:

stable watering;
room temperature;
absence of drafts.

Avocado tree in nature and at home

Consult with an experienced agronomist, and also try to monitor and record all changes in the growth of the tree at certain intervals. This will help to grow a prolific young tree that will bring a good harvest.

It is worth noting that due to excessive guardianship of the plant, even a few seconds of piercing and damp wind can lead to inevitable death. Therefore, an accidentally open window can decide the fate of your tree.

Primarily quality and proper care for homemade avocados - the main condition for its normal growth.

In order to grow a healthy and prolific avocado plant that will not be altered by careless care at home, you must become familiar with how it grows in the natural world.

If you recreate at least an environment close to natural, then the end result will meet all expectations. The avocado tree will grow healthy and prolific, and the yield will pleasantly surprise you. Do not forget to look at photos of growing homemade avocados from experienced gardeners.

Culinary uses of avocado

It is no secret that delicious culinary masterpieces are prepared from avocado fruits. And in order to produce such a dish on your own, you do not need to know special cooking tricks. And if you just add fruits to daily dishes, it will give them a special taste and aroma. In addition, avocado is actively used for serving and decorating the table.

Avocado paste is especially popular. Making this sauce is pretty easy. There are many instructions, photos and recipes on the Internet, so cooking will not become something complicated or difficult for you.

In the end, it remains to add that growing avocados at home is a great way to provide yourself with a quality mini-crop throughout the year.

How to grow avocados from seed.

Many of us prefer avocados. This fruit has an unusual oily taste, so it can be added to both salty salads and fruit salads. But what can he do with the bone, which makes up half the mass of the entire fetus? In this article, we will tell you what to do with the bone, and how to grow an avocado tree with it.

When is it better to germinate and plant an avocado seed in the ground: timing.

For these purposes, you need to purchase a ripe fruit. Unripe fruits will not work, since you will not be able to grow a culture from such a bone. It should be understood that the thickness of the peel is quite decent, so you need to germinate it initially in order to plant it in the soil later.

Drop off times may vary. When it is convenient for you, because at home almost all the time the same temperature conditions. As for the germination of the stone, usually the sprout can be seen after 3 weeks or 3 months. Yes indeed, the sprout sprouts for a long time.

Sprouting and planting an avocado pit

Which side to plant an avocado seed?

It is worth noting that it is not enough just to immerse the stone in the ground and water it. Because the peel is strong enough and is poorly destroyed. Therefore, the ideal option is to drill small holes in the bark, stick toothpicks into them, dip the avocado bone with the blunt side down. You can just put a bone on the bottom of the glass and wait for it to hatch.

Avocados need to be planted in the soil with the blunt side down, this is where the sprout is located, which will most quickly come out and break through the shell of the bone.

How to germinate an avocado seed in a pot of earth: a description

You can germinate an avocado seed not only with a glass of water, but also with the use of soil.

Instruction:

To do this, you need to take a soil that passes water well. It is best to use peat or sod.
Next, you need to moisten the soil well and bury the bone, but not completely. It is necessary that the third part of the bone peeks out on the surface.
And it wasn't covered by the ground. You need to water the soil every 3-5 days. The germination process can take up to three months, so be patient and don't rush to discard the pit.

In what water should you put the avocado seed, which end?

There are three ways to germinate a plant.

Instruction:

To do this, place the stone in a glass by a third, blunt side down, and wait for germination. Or in a hanging state, with the help of pricking on a toothpick. You need to stick the toothpicks shallowly into the crust and use these supports to set on a glass of water.
The blunt side needs to be in the water. This way you can observe the appearance of roots. First, the top now the bones will begin to peel off, and then you will see the first roots.
For sprouting, it is best to use clean water. In no case should it be boiled. The ideal option will be filtered water or melted water. It contains a minimum of bacteria. Therefore, such water will not rot and bloom.
You don't have to change the water very often. It is necessary to lower the avocado into the water with the blunt end of the stone.

Avocado seed: how many days does it take to germinate?

Regarding the germination period, you need to be patient. Because in some online publications they write that the period is 4 weeks. But in practice, the bone can germinate even after 3 months. It all depends on the density of the stone crust, as well as on the strength of the sprout and germination conditions.

Why the avocado seed does not germinate: reasons, what to do?

There are several reasons why an avocado pit won't germinate:

First of all, this is an incorrectly chosen fruit. If you chose a green avocado, then nothing will work, because the seed is unripe.
Failure to comply with the landing rules. Perhaps the soil in which you lowered the stone is dry or not sufficiently supplied with minerals. Perhaps it just does not pass water well and the bone dries up.

An avocado seed has sprouted: what to do next, how to plant a sprouted avocado seed in the ground, save the seed during transplantation or remove it?

The germinated bone is transplanted into a pot after the length of the roots is 3 cm. It is also possible that a sprout will hatch.

Instruction:

For transplanting, a plastic pot is selected with large quantity holes for water drainage. The earth is abundantly watered and the stone is immersed in the soil by 1/3. No need to completely bury the bone, it will soon become some kind of decoration.
After planting the seed, you need to put the pot in a warm place and water it often. Usually, watering is carried out in a pan, that is, a container that is placed under the pot and the soil absorbs water through the hole in the pot. The plants themselves will take as much moisture as it needs.
In no case should you break off or remove the bone. In this way, you can damage the roots and sprout. The whole thing will go down the drain, the bone serves as a kind of decoration. Don't worry that she looks unsightly now.
After a while, from bursting and rough, it will become smooth and beautiful, pink. Its size will increase, it will serve as a kind of decoration for the avocado tree.

Avocado tree from the stone: care

Caring for the plant is quite simple. It does not need to be additionally illuminated. It is enough just to put it on the windowsill on the south side, where there is a lot of sun.

Instruction:

Needs to be watered frequently. Avocado is transplanted when it grows to a level of 15 cm. Many recommend that after the plant reaches this height, cut it off. Leave only 8 cm of the stem.
This will stimulate the growth of the plant and make it more lush, and will also stimulate the growth of additional side shoots. In addition, it is sometimes necessary to spray avocado leaves and water with mineral fertilizers.
For planting, it is best to use mixed loose soil or you can cook it yourself. By mixing one part peat, one part river sand, and one part of garden soil.

Avocado from the stone: will there be flowering?

Avocado grown from a stone at home blooms and bears fruit quite rarely. Because plants such as oranges, tangerines and persimmons must be grafted. In almost 95-99%, you will not get any flowers or fruits if you do not graft the plant. You can initially buy an already grafted plant.

Will an avocado from the pit bear fruit?

Usually, an avocado tree is grown not for the purpose of obtaining fruits, but in order to admire ornamental plant. After all, this is a rather unusual culture that looks interesting and unusual.

What does an avocado tree look like at home: photo

The appearance of the tree directly depends on how you care for it. Therefore, if you give your tree little time, then most likely it will wither and will not grow. At a constant good care you can get a healthy, strong tree that will decorate your windowsill. Below are photos that show what a home grown avocado tree looks like.

You should not expect a tree to grow 2 m tall, as happens in nature. Because the conditions at home are different from those in the open field. If you have a desire to have exotic plant, you can grow an avocado tree from a seed.

VIDEO: Avocado from the stone

Many tropical fruits can be grown at home, the main thing is to comply with all requirements. There are two ways to get an avocado from a stone at home, with their own nuances and requirements. It’s worth mentioning right away that not all people manage to achieve the formation of fruits.

Can you plant an avocado seed?

Since the plant develops well, getting a tree from a stone is simple, the main thing is to follow the rules. It has been observed that there is a significant increase in spring time. As a result of growing an avocado from a stone at home, you can get a tree no higher than two meters. In order for the fruits to grow, you have to spend additional procedures and in some cases vaccination will be required. Even without fruit, an adult avocado will be an excellent interior decoration, and the plant also cleans the air well.

Will an avocado from the pit bear fruit?

It has been noticed that even if flowers appear on the tree, it is not a fact that fruits will be tied after them. This is explained by the fact that this plant has a complex mechanism of pollination of flowers. Studies have shown that the fruit is tied in place of only one of the 5 thousand flowers. You can try to grow an avocado from the stone at home, which will bear fruit, using pollination. To do this, use the following instruction:

Each flower opens twice and on the first day of flowering, only the pistils function. It is necessary to select several flowers and mark them.
The next day they will open again, and will already be functioning as male flowers. Thanks to the labels, it will be possible to independently transfer pollen to female flowers at home and try to get a fruit as a result.

How to plant an avocado seed?

There are two ways in which you can sprout a tree at home, and everyone can choose the most suitable option for themselves.

Which side to plant an avocado seed?

The result of germination depends on which side of the stone was lowered into water or earth. You need to lower the seed with the blunt part down. Another mandatory rule concerns the fact that the seed should be 1/3 part immersed in water or earth. Keep in mind that water evaporates quickly in hot weather, so the water level should be maintained. If you want to plant an avocado seed at home, then one more piece of advice will come in handy - to create good level humidity, you can close the container with a plastic bottle.

How does an avocado seed germinate?

There are several symptoms by which you can determine that the bone was good, and it will germinate. First, small roots will appear on it, and then after some time the shell will crack and a root will form on the core, and a sprout will form in the upper part. If you are interested in how many days it takes for an avocado seed to sprout at home, then it takes from three weeks to two months. After that, you can plant in the ground (if it was germinated in water). Do this carefully so as not to damage the root.

For planting, use a medium-sized pot. The soil mixture can be bought at the store or made by hand.
It is important to consider that avocados do not tolerate drought, so keep an eye on the soil moisture. Drying and stagnation of water should not be allowed.

How to grow an avocado from a seed?

After transplantation, when the tree begins to grow actively, there should be no problems with care. There are a few tips on how to grow an avocado from the seed at home:

An adult plant does not require a lot of light, so you can place the pot on a windowsill on the north, east or west side. Protect the tree from direct sunlight, but in winter additional lighting should be provided.
Avocado is a thermophilic plant, so it will do well at home at 14-21°C. An indicator of 10 ° C is already considered unacceptable.
In order to end up with beautiful tree, you should definitely pinch. The first time the procedure is recommended to be carried out after the appearance of the eighth leaf. When the sixth leaf appears from the new young shoots, then the pinching is repeated.
Avocados from the stone at home are recommended to be transplanted every year in the spring, using more spacious containers. When the age of the tree is 3-4 years, then it is possible to transplant into a tub and not disturb it for about three years.

Avocado from the stone - soil

It is important to use the soil, which should be loose and moisture-intensive, in no case should it be caked and compacted. Reproduction of avocados by a stone at home cannot be carried out in acidic soil. A soil mixture is best suited for this tree, for which garden soil, humus (damp peat) and coarse sand are mixed in equal proportions. In addition, it is recommended to add lime. For better aeration of the soil, put some expanded clay, moss or peat in the mixture.

Growing avocados from the seed - watering

A tropical plant requires regular and abundant watering, but it is important to take into account temperature indicators. If a large amount of water is applied, the roots may rot, and the plant will have to be thrown away. Care at home for avocado from the stone involves irrigating the plant a couple of days after the top layer of soil has dried. Air humidity is also of great importance, so in a dry climate, spray every day. Please note that it is not the plant that should be moistened, but the air near it. You can install a tray under a pot with moistened expanded clay.

Avocado from the stone at home - top dressing

For the plant to grow well, be sure to fertilize, and this is best done between March and April. About 2-3 top dressings are carried out every month. You can use both mineral and organic fertilizers. Another suitable option- universal mixtures for decorative and deciduous plants. When figuring out how to care for an avocado from a stone, it is necessary to indicate that it is important to alternate the presented fertilizers with each other. They can be applied directly to the soil and sprayed on the leaves. It is also better to alternate feeding methods.

Avocado stone tree - diseases

The plant does not often suffer from pests and diseases, but in some cases troubles do occur.

fungus that infects root system leads to its destruction. You can determine its presence by the appearance of ulcers on the trunk and leaves. Be sure to isolate the plant from others and remove the infected area.
The problem occurs when the humidity is low. As a result, the leaves begin to turn yellow and fall off. If you do not start treatment, then the avocado grown from the seed at home will die. It is important to provide the required humidity and treat the plant with soapy water, and it is better to remove heavily affected areas.
When figuring out how to grow a healthy avocado from a seed at home, you need to know about this disease, which manifests itself as a whitish coating on a tree trunk. The plant begins to wither and can be saved with a fungicide solution.
At home, avocados, like other plants, can be attacked by scale insects and spider mite. You can control pests with folk remedies and .