Question
Hello! I know pretty much nothing about plants.. but I recently (as an experiment) put two stints on either side of an avocado seed and submerged it in water. My husband laughed at me.. until tonight I noticed it had a two inch tail growing out of it into the water! I would LOVE to plant it into soil and watch it grow into an avocado tree! I don't know weather to plant it "tail" up or "tail" down. I don't even know what to plant it in?? A big pot? Small pot? What kind of soil? Any input would be great!! P.S I live in San Diego. Thanks for your time!

Sincerely, Jill


Answer
Jill, when propagating avocados from pits, the point should be up and the root down. It should be noted, however, that growing avocados from pits or seed is not recommended due to the low success rate. Rather, you would be better served to purchase a grafted tree. Plant it in slightly acidic soil (5.5 to 6.0 PH), and make sure you grow it in an area with excellent drainage. If cared for properly, it will produce fruit within 3 years.

If you do want to experiment with this seed, plant it in a 10" pot filled with a fertile potting soil. Keep the soil damp, but not soaked. You also want to fertilize it once every two weeks with a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer at 1/2 the recommended solution. Once the seedling outgrows the pot, you can transplant it either into a larger pot, or directly outside.

I hope this answered your question. Please write again if I can ever be of assistance.

Regards,

Mike