Grow your own avocado plant—planting and care guide
You can grow a beautiful avocado plant at home. While it won’t bear fruit, nurturing an avocado from a seed is a rewarding experience. Find out how to plant, grow, and care for your avocado plant here.
How to grow an avocado—making the seed sprout
1. Gently remove the avocado seed from the fruit. Wash off any remaining fruit residue, as it can hinder germination. Let the clean seed dry on a paper towel for a few days until the brown skin dries and begins to peel. Carefully remove the skin.
2. Use seed-starting mix as the growing medium for your avocado. Water the soil thoroughly. The soil shouldn’t be soaking wet, but it needs to be sufficiently moist for the avocado to begin germinating. Plant the seed so that the pointed end protrudes about a centimeter above the soil. Cover the pot with a transparent plastic bag with a few air holes. Place the pot in a warm spot, out of direct sunlight.
3. Be patient—it may take several weeks for the avocado to germinate. Make sure to keep the soil consistently moist. The plastic cover helps retain moisture and creates a mini-greenhouse with the right humidity for your avocado.
4. You’ll know germination has begun when the seed cracks open. The avocado will develop roots first, followed by a sprout emerging from the center. The soil should not dry out, so continue to maintain consistent moisture. You can leave the plastic cover over the plant.
5. Once the sprout appears, your avocado will start to grow rapidly. The sprout can stretch at an astonishing rate, and leaves will begin to develop along the stem.
6. You can shape your avocado into a bushy shrub or let it grow into a slender tree. Pinching off the top will encourage it to become bushier. If you prefer a taller plant, let it grow without cutting—the tree will grow fast and can become quite large. Branches usually start to form once the plant is already quite tall.
Caring for your avocado tree
Once your avocado tree has started to grow, transfer it to a larger pot with nutrient-rich potting soil. Continue to keep the soil consistently moist and water weekly with a diluted fertilizer solution—avocados dislike drying out and nutrient deficiencies.
Even during winter, you can fertilize your avocado once a month. If the plant doesn’t receive enough water, the leaf tips may brown and leaves could fall off. In winter, your avocado will appreciate occasional misting with water.
Avocados thrive best in a bright but not scorching spot. You can move your plant outdoors for the summer to a sheltered, semi-shaded spot. Just remember to bring it back inside before the cool fall nights arrive.
