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Fun With Kids

Growing an Avocado          

 Patty Johnson

You’re sitting around on the weekends, watching TV and eating chips and guacamole.  You know, that green stuff that is now the number one best selling dip on the market.  I’m sure you also know it is made from the fruit of a tropical plant called the Avocado.  Did you also know that you could use the seed from this fruit as one of best ways to get kids into gardening?

It’s an easy project and fun to do. Buy an Avocado at the store and cut the outer fruit off and be careful not to slice too deep and injure the large seed inside, also called a pit.

Step One: Pick out a nice ripe Avocado.

Step Two: Slice it carefully in two. 

Fill a glass or jar with water and pull the pit out.   Insert three toothpicks about halfway down the side of the pit, evenly spaced. Place the pit in the glass of water with the water covering the bottom half of the seed.  Be sure the pointed side is up. Place the glass at room temperature in the windowsill. Change the water, using luke-warm water, every couple days to keep it from getting full of bacteria.

Step Three: Add the toothpicks and place in water.

 Before long, roots will appear and a shoot will burst forth from a crack in the top of the pit.  Imagine the excitement of the kids when they see success!  It is now time to plant this into a pot using potting soil. Place in a sunny window and keep the soil damp.  Avocados cannot tolerate wilting and will loose their leaves if allowed to do so.  They will often times come back though, but

it takes a little while. When the plant is about 8 inches tall pinch off the upper stem to allow it to branch out and become a lush and bushy tropical houseplant, otherwise it will grow straight up and become too tall for the house.  What better way to get the kids gardening on a dark and rainy day?

This plant is about three years old and spends the summer on the deck and winters in the greenhouse.

 It also grows with a scented geranium as a companion plant which gives it a little color most of the year.

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Unless otherwise noted all photos are taken by Dale Johnson or Jon Valley and are Copyright © [Dale Johnson - Driftwood Gardens - Summers Seeds] All rights reserved. No picture may be reproduced, in part or in whole, without the written consent of the owner/publisher.