Avocado Tree

Hello! I was never very successful at starting avocado plants from those large seeds (pits?), but this summer I just tucked them into the lasagna garden, and had excellent results. As frost approached, I dug one and potted in a 1 gallon container. Now, it is almost 3 feet high, with just a tuft of leaves at the top. Can I prune it to make it bushy? I seem to remember hearing that that will only cause it to send up a replacement 'leader'. Thanks, John

Avokados dont like me..........I have sowed avokados two times but nothing happened.....

i have a bag full of seeds-need any info on starting them
saw once toothpicks in sides resting on glass just above water?????

i luvz guacamole!!!

i do not know much about growing them but i have great sucess starting the seed. plant the seed 1/2 in dirt 1/2 sticking out and keep the soil wet they should start growing within a month. when transplanting them be sure to keep the 1/2 that was out of the soil out. it needs to breath. to get fruit you need at least 2 plants that you can plant in the same hole. i read that they do get some large spreading roots so be sure to plant it where they can spread. so far that is the extent of my knowledge hope it helped.

Thanks for the replies, good information, farmgirl.

Mitjo and notmartha, I always tried the toothpick and glass of water method, it NEVER worked. This time, I just put the huge seed mostly into the really good soil of the new bed, and within a couple weeks had big vigorous plants. Transplanted really well too.

:)!
I sowed in soil too........
I wish you luck!

I tried that toothpick thing many times to no avail, so when I made guacamole in mid-December and had yet another seed in hand, I decided to plant it. I had read somewhere that it could take up to three months to sprout, so I made note of the 'due date' and just left the seed alone save for a lil water now and then.

On March 10, I was gonna toss the puppy to make room for other cuttings in the window because 'the time had come', but I got distracted. When I got around to its funeral the next day, I discovered the shoot was peeking just above the top of the seed. Today, the shoot is about 1.25" tall and has a couple of, oh I dunno, branches? I've decided it can stay a while longer. :)

Who else can confess to continuing to try this fun experiment after so many failed attempts?
Donna

I had tried and tried for years to grow the pits out.....I finally did some research and realized I had been putting the wrong end into the glass of water after toothpicking it. I now have two gorgeous baby trees about two foot tall.
I raelly miss the 20 foot trees we had in our court yard in San Diego......the avocados were Oh So Yummy! :-)

I have a foot-tall avocado "tree" started from the pit in water with toothpicks. Yes, you need to have the pointed end up or it won't work! And it does take a bit of patience. :) We like this one so much that we have started another. I, too, was wondering about how to prune it to make a nice tree, so if anyone knows that, please let us know! Mine will have to be a house plant. I hope it will do okay with its roots potted up.

DG Newsflash:
"Washington State currently leads the pack in growing avocado trees"

Move over, California! LOL

This message was edited Mar 21, 2005 6:22 PM