Topic: Does anyone know

[bananagirl]

about avocado seeds?? A friend of mine has an avocado plant grown from a seed, and it's got the most amazing lush dark green leaves. I want one, so I've stuck an avocado seed in some dirt, with the top poking out, coz that's what I was told to do. Any idea how long they take? Will it fruit? Am I in the right thread, even...? Oh dear.

[aquilegia]

When we were kids, my sister did that too. I can't remember exactly what she did, but it can't have been anything too complicated. It grew, looked beautiful, but never fruited (I suspect it's too cold here, even inside).

[bananagirl]

Well, I'll give it a go. I don't expect fruit, really. It probably needs to be pollinated at midnight under a blue moon, when the temp is above 30 or some such nonsense.  ;D I'll be happy if it doesn't go mouldy like my dahlias.

[budgiebreeder]

which is the one then that you stick cocktail sticks through and suspend over a glass of water then???That sprung to mind when i read this thread.Dont ask me why?

[Mrs Ava]

Advocados BB.  I did that at school.  I grew an advocado from a pip a couple of years ago and it reached a rather stunning 5 foot, long dark glossy leaves, very statuesque.  Mind you, it got terribly frazzled in my conservatory whilst on holiday last year and it died a sad death.  I just popped the pip, like you, half way in a pot of regular compost.  You can always very carefully slit the top of the pip as the outer skin is quite tough.  Good luck.

[ina]

which is the one then that you stick thingytail sticks through and suspend over a glass of water then???That sprung to mind when i read this thread.Dont ask me why?

That's the one BB. We used to do avocado seeds that way. Press 3 tooth picks in the side of the seed and suspend it over a jar of water with the bottom end of the seed in the water. When roots grow, you plant it in the soil.

[kenkew]

You're dead on BB. As kids we used to put them in the steamy bathroom when we were bathing 4 kids and animals(!) The day after we stuck them through a nylon stocking fastened over a jam-jar of water. We got quite a few to grow into lush leaf but never fruit. Who cares, it grew!

[john_miller]

  Because of the extreme cold we get here I spread kitchen waste straight on flower beds overwinter. As soon as it warms up the cells collapse and I get instant compost. I can then dig it in. Last summer I had 5 avocado seeds germinate among some Impatiens. I dug two up, they make a tap root very quickly I found out, and have overwintered them. Rather than the extended attention that potted up seeds will require (mine emerged in August from an April digging) perhaps, bananagirl, you could plant the seed in a warm spot in your garden?

[bananagirl]

Wow! Loads of info! I read about the water toothpick thing, but decided against itcoz of the very high likelihood of it being knocked over in my v. crowded kitchen. If it grows, I'll probably keep it in a pot as I don't really trust the summer to be warm enough for long enough, and I can bring it in and chuck it out as and when. Assuming it grows, of course...