beth@gymble.UUCP (Beth Katz) (03/05/85)
>> I'd be interested in knowing if anyone out there has had >>any luck in germinating avocado pits. >> >>Helen Anne >> I started an avocado pit last year about this time. It took a long time, but my plant is now about 20 inches tall with two major branches. It was pretty dormant for a while, but now it's growing like crazy. To sprout: 1) Wash pit to remove leftover slippery stuff. 2) Stick 3 toothpicks into pit so that it will sit round-side down in water. 3) Keep in warm place with water covering about half the pit. 4) Wait. Wait. Wait. Replace water. Wait. Wait a long time (months?). 5) When the pit finally splits open and sends out a shoot and some roots, transplant it into a container of potting soil. Mine is in a six-inch pot and doing well just sitting in the window. Water every so often. 6) When it gets to be 8-12 inches tall, pinch the budding leaf at the top to get the plant to branch. 7) You have a new friend. Beth Katz {seismo,allegra}!umcp-cs!beth
ems@amdahl.UUCP (ems) (03/12/85)
> >> I'd be interested in knowing if anyone out there has had > >>any luck in germinating avocado pits. > >> > >>Helen Anne > >> > I started an avocado pit last year about this time. It took a long time, > but my plant is now about 20 inches tall with two major branches. It was > pretty dormant for a while, but now it's growing like crazy. To sprout: > 1) Wash pit to remove leftover slippery stuff. > 2) Stick 3 toothpicks into pit so that it will sit round-side down in water. > 3) Keep in warm place with water covering about half the pit. > 4) Wait. Wait. Wait. Replace water. Wait. Wait a long time (months?). ... more of the traditional way ... I tried this several times with poor success. Nothing wrong with the method, I would just forget to keep the water level right or knock it over or something... I now have three avocado trees all grown from pits. How did I do it? Easy. I took the most rotten avocado I could find (where the seed had already split and a root was starting to eat the avacado mush ); removed the seed (with baby root in two cases) and put it in the ground with the point up just at the dirt surface. Water. Wait. Wait. Wait... -- E. Michael Smith ...!{hplabs,ihnp4,amd,nsc}!amdahl!ems Comedo ergo dorum This is the obligatory disclaimer of everything.