sjc@mordor.UUCP (02/24/84)
In reply to the question about germinating avocados, the following approach works well for me: Hold the pit so that the narrower end (the one which was originally nearer the stem) points upward. Stick three toothpicks into the pit, equal distances apart, along the equator. Place the pit in a small cup of water so that the toothpicks suspend it half-immersed. Wait a long, long time (it often takes a couple of months, so don't give up too soon). Once you get a stem and a few leaves, transplant it to a pot. Soon thereafter, two problems usually occur. First, the plant refuses to branch. Sometimes you can convince it to branch by pinching it back; sometimes you can't. Second, the leaves start turning brown and shriveling. This supposedly results from accumulation of salts in the soil. Sometimes you can deal with this by putting the pot atop a couple of blocks so that whenever you water it, you can pour an enormous quantity of water in and let it run out the bottom into a pan or onto the ground (the blocks keep the bottom of the pot above the water level so that the salt-rich water doesn't get reabsorbed). Good luck.--Steve Correll (S-1 Project, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) MILNET: sjc@s1-c UUCP: ...!decvax!decwrl!mordor!sjc
sr@u1100a.UUCP (Steven Radtke) (02/27/84)
I used to start avocadoes in water, but I don't bother any more.
I let them dry on the window sill in my kitchen for a few days. When the brown
skin is dried out, peel it off and plant the avocado in a pot with good
drainage. Leave the pointy end sticking out a bout an inch. Water it two or
three times a week until it sprouts. I have had some sprout right away,
some sprout after two months and some start to rot. The bulbs that have
already started to split have germinated the most quickly for me.
I just clip off dry leaves and count on new ones coming quickly.
Steve Radtke
{houxm,innp4,pyux*}!u1100a!srsebb@pyuxss.UUCP (S Badian) (02/27/84)
I have found that avocado pits from early spring avocados ( the avocados in the stores now ) germinate much better. In fact I remember getting avocadoes in February and March that were starting to split and grow when I bought them. If you get a pit that is already split you can be 99% sure the thing will grow. On the other hand I've always had terrible success will summer avocados. Don't know why. Sharon Badian