Pitted avocado - home cultivation

Recently, flower growers have shown interest in exotic crops grown at home. Lovers are ready to boast of fruit-bearing trees, decorative weaving and beautiful flowering. Growing an avocado from a stone at home has a number of features:

• the length of the tree reaches 2.5-3 m (in the natural environment, the culture grows up to 20 m);
• culture purifies the air, the original and lush crown gives the room a warm and cozy atmosphere;
• the plant bears fruit quite rarely, more often it serves as a decorative element of an apartment or office.

Avocado in apartment conditions

How avocado grows in nature

Certain varieties of avocados have characteristic features:

• West Indian prefers warm and humid tropical weather;
• Guatemalan varieties, having a high resistance to sudden changes in weather conditions, take root well on mountain slopes;
• Mexican avocados can withstand short-term frosts (4-6 ° C), develop quickly, and have small fruit sizes.

In nature, avocados easily take root in clay, limestone, loamy areas. The main condition is the presence of drainage. The culture does not tolerate high humidity, dies in flooded areas. Groundwater should run at a height of 9 m. The presence of mineral additives in the water negatively affects the yield of the plant. The pH does not affect the growth of the tree.

Mature avocado tree in vivo

The geographical distribution of avocados, according to botanists, dates back to the ancient Greeks. For the first time, people became aware of the beneficial properties of the fruit in the 15th century. Seafarers compared avocados to peeled chestnuts grown by Mexican farmers. Israel is considered the second homeland. Avocados grew en masse in Southwest Asia, and the locals harvested for export. Travelers brought avocados to Indonesia, then to Brazil, and a couple of centuries later to Australia and Africa. Europeans became interested in the exotic plant in the 19th century.

In Russia, avocados can be grown in the Krasnodar Territory. The best region for growing fruits is Abkhazia, where fruits contain the maximum concentration of oil. For temperate climates, Mexican varieties of culture are applicable. West Indian varieties in Russia are obtained in year-round heated greenhouses.

Decorative properties of avocado

Giving a decorative look is easy - just grow a few avocado seeds, periodically braiding the stems into a pigtail. A prerequisite is the gaps between the segments, which allow the trunk to grow over time.

Avocado inflorescence

Growing an avocado from a seed at home

Avocado is a tall evergreen crop of the Lavrov family.The plant is valued for the unique set of vitamins and microelements contained in the fruits, mature trees are in demand in the construction and furniture sector, due to the dense and durable structure of the massif.

For its lumpy olive peel and elongated fruits in the shape of a pear, ellipse or ball (depending on the variety), the avocado is nicknamed the "alligator pear". The green skin darkens when ripe, the flesh retains olive tones. In the center of the fruit there is a large seed, covered with a smooth, shiny skin of a chestnut shade, the shape of the seed resembles a chestnut fruit.

It is not difficult to get an avocado at home, when eating ripe fruits, grains remain, allowing an interesting fruit plant to germinate.

Conditions for seed germination

Pitted avocados begin to grow in the warm season. Capacities are placed near the battery or on the computer system unit. Warm soil and high humidity promote rapid seed germination. In practice, out of 10 avocado seedlings, 4 have a sufficient supply of vitality for active growth. The correct solution would be to sprout several seeds at once, allowing you to select the strongest sprouts.

Possible problems of germination of culture and methods of elimination

Avocado leaves dry due to lack of moisture

Stages of seed germination

Seed avocados are germinated at home in two ways: in the ground or in water, the latter option assumes the possibility of using peeled seed and with a peel.

Option 1

An unpeeled seed, suitable for planting, is placed in the soil, leaving a third at the top. The blunt end remains in the ground. The pot is placed under the jar and placed on a lighted area. The resulting greenhouse effect will protect the sprout from drafts and cold. Watering the seed is carried out weekly. It is better to use filtered water, preferably with a little salt. Next, the pot is placed in a bright area in the room, fertilized 1-2 times a month with mineral supplements.

Option 2

Three toothpicks are placed in the unpeeled bones, immersed 3 mm deep, put them in the water with a blunt end. The lower part remains in the water, the puncture sites are dry. When the sprout reaches a height of 3 cm, the crop can be planted in the ground. A stone with roots is located above the soil at a level similar to water. After 10-14 days, the tree will grow up to 11 cm and will need an increased feeding area. A second transplant will be required. In one quarter, an avocado can grow up to 50 cm.At an early age, a tree is transplanted annually, later - once every 3 years.

Option 3

Planting a peeled seed is similar to the step-by-step instructions for growing an unpeeled seed; at the stage of seed preparation, it is peeled from a black peel. The planting material is immersed in settled, room temperature (23-25 ​​° C) water, leaving a third of it on top. Support for the bone is created with toothpicks, without piercing through from four sides. The water in the glass is changed daily. After two weeks, the avocado root begins to grow.Before planting in the ground, the sprout must reach a height of 15 cm, then half of the stem must be cut off and the tree must be re-grown to 15 cm.

Avocado growing technology

How to choose the fruit of the right ripeness and separate the seed

For rooting, ripe fruit from a nearby store is suitable. It is convenient to determine the ripeness of the fruit by the shade of the peel and the density of the pulp:

1. The light green color and firmness of the avocado indicate the need for ripening throughout the week.
2. Rich green tones and firm flesh characterize the fruit, suitable for reproduction after a few days.
3. The rind is dark green with brown shades and determines the ripeness of the ready-to-eat fruit. After pressing on the peel of a ripe fruit, a small trace remains.
4. Too soft fruit with loose, easily squeezed flesh, brown skin is a sign of an overripe avocado that is not suitable for planting.
5. Also, maturity is determined by the place under the cutting. Ripe fruit is characterized by a green tint with brown veins, unripe - yellow, overripe - brown tones.

It is advisable to plant large bones that have more energy for growth. The seed is removed from the fruit with a sharp knife, making a deep circular incision along the oblong part of the fruit, avoiding knife pressure on the seed. The halves, connected by a bone, are turned against each other. The planting material remains in one part of the fruit. Pry the bone with a knife blade or spoon. The seed is ready to grow.

Preparing the place for the avocado

Botanists recommend germinating the tree in open sunny areas, when the sun is at its zenith, the culture should be in partial shade. As practice shows, avocado grows well at home on a windowsill, ideal for a tree is the western side of the house.

Preparation of soil mixture

The soil mixture for planting is prepared at home or a ready-made substrate for citrus plants is purchased. The basis of the soil is pre-calcined sand, coconut shavings, earth from the garden, humus, ash or lime. At the bottom of the container with drainage holes, expanded clay is lined, and soil mixture is poured on top.

Pot selection

For the first time, a small container with a height of 9 cm and a diameter of 8 cm is required for the bone. It is better to take a plastic pot containing many drainage holes. The clay tank will retain moisture that the wood does not want. Place the pot on a pallet of wet sand.

Growing a tropical tree on a windowsill

Watering mode

Pot-grown avocados are moistened with warm soft water. The watering regime is determined by the season. In spring, in summer, more moisture is required, watering is done every 2-3 days. Blackening of the leaves indicates waterlogging of the soil. In winter, the soil surface should have time to dry out. The lower the temperature, the less often the crop is watered.

Temperature regime

Avocado is a tropical crop that cannot withstand low-temperature conditions. The minimum allowable indicator is + 12 ° С. The optimal mode for cultivating a tree is maintained at a temperature of 16 ... 26 ° C.

Top dressing

Avocados are fertilized during the active growing season, in spring and summer, twice a month. Organic additives "Avocado" are used for feeding.

Transfer

Recommendations for a successful transplant and subsequent care of an exotic tree:

• the root of the avocado is long and powerful, has a rod shape, the tree requires the use of an unusual, tall flower pot;
• watering the transplanted tree should be gentle;
• keeping the culture in the shade is also not worth it - an avocado will need a lot of light for normal development;
• often stress occurs in dry and hot weather, it is better to plan a shoot transplant in the second half of February or September.

Topping

The first years of life, the culture grows with one stem rather quickly. The shoot needs to be formed by pinching the top and skeletal branches, stimulating the development of lateral shoots. The first pruning of the top is carried out over the 8th leaf of the tree, the lateral processes are pinched over the 5th leaf.

Bloom

When flowering, many inflorescences are formed on the crown of the tree, many amateurs manage to cross-pollinate with a brush. The procedure is carried out in the morning, at sunrise; in cloudy weather, additional lighting will be required.

Does a tree grown from a stone bear fruit

Theoretically, an avocado from a stone bears fruit in the third year of life, but it needs to grow up to 1.5-2 m. It is advisable to take the plant out to the country in summer and place it under the crowns of trees in a sunny place. In the third year of life, yellow-green inflorescences will appear. Accelerate fruiting by grafting. At the same time, the close proximity of one or two small stems should be envisaged. The condition will provide for cross-pollination of trees.

A pitted avocado will become a wonderful and unusual decoration of a flowerpot, as it grows, it will show botanical abilities to guests of the house, many will certainly wish to admire the marvelous exotic tree.