germinating an avacado stone

[Veggie Mad]

I was wondering if anyone had any luck germinating an avocado stone?  I plan to use use my fresh avocado tomorrow and wondering if I can use the stone?  ???

[Veggie Mad]

[cleo]

Easy peasy-they shoot both in water and compost. Nice plants but don`t expect them to fruit

[glow777]

Plant 1/2 sticking out of compost (pointy end up) water well and cover with a bag - they take a while to germinate (months not days!), take out of the bag when the stone splits and a shoot will emerge and eventually grow into tropical style tree.

They will struggle to fruit as they need high temps to flower and plants are either 100% male or 100% female. They do look good though. Can be kept outside but frost will kill.

Glow

[Looby Loo]

My Great-Aunt showed me how to do it.  You cut a cocktail stick in half.  Stick a piece into either side of the stone and suspend it over a jam jar of water so the bottom is just touching the water and the pointy end is sticking up.  It grew to about 4ft tall but then the cat knocked it over.  Nice plant though.

[MollyBloom]

I agree with cleo - don't expect fruit. I used to throw my avocado stones into the compost bin. One spring I found one with a long sprout coming out of it. I potted it up lovingly, feeling proud and motherly (as you do). It grew and grew and grew in the conservatory, until it hit 3 feet. I pinched out the tip to see what might happen. It split into two branches which grew and grew and grew until it hit 5 feet. Conclusion: avocado stones make really boring, totally unproductive houseplants!

[djbrenton]

What a timely thread! The papers today feature a fruiting avocado in Notting Hill. It's outdoors in the corner of a community garden and fruits heavily every year. This Autumn I'm taking delivery of a 2nd hand commercial polytunnel and am planning on trying small trees in it, including avocado, apricot, peach, fig etc.

[glow777]

Ignore what I said about male & female - research has proved me wrong  :-\

[ACE]

The cocktail stick trick works well, I have two that have just started shooting. Started them  in early march.