Leaf by leaf, an exotic green plant grows out of an inconspicuous core. It goes by the name of 'avocado'. No fruit will ripen on it. It will also not grow to be a stately tree, as is customary in its home country. But it will always be a graceful appearance. Do you have a core left too? This will help the avocado to emerge from its brown shell.
Origin and appearance
Far from the tropics, it finds its way to us: the wrinkled green avocado fruit. In their native South America, the evergreen avocado trees, with their simple elongated leaves, grow up to 20 meters high. Yellow-green flowers with an intense scent develop at the tips of the branches. Wild varieties grow everywhere there, but the avocado fruits available from us only come from the variety 'Persea americana'. The avocado plant is rarely available from us, which is why it is often grown from the brown kernels. In the room, the avocado remains relatively small at around 2 m. Unfortunately, the avocado plants grown from the pips hardly ever bear fruit, so even the best care does not help.
blossom
In our latitudes, self-grown avocado trees bloom less often than their counterparts in the tropics, but it is not impossible. If you take good care of your tree and give it a sheltered, sunny spot outdoors in summer, it could reward you with yellow-green flowers. However, it does not bloom until the age of 2-4 years at the earliest. If the male and female flowers bloom at the same time, you can try pollination with a brush. With a little luck it could work. Otherwise, fruits are extremely rare in this country. Regular pruning and occasional flower fertilizer stimulate flower formation.
core
To start growing avocado, you first need a core. You don't have to buy it expensive in a garden center or online, a trip to the supermarket is all you need. In every Essavocado that you can buy there, a single core about the size of a table tennis ball is hidden inside. When buying, make sure that the avocado is undamaged and ripe. Shake the avocado back and forth. Do you hear a light knock? If so, then the stone is no longer firmly attached to the pulp. This makes it much easier to remove the core later. This is how you free the core from its green dwelling.
1. Cut the green pulp in half. It doesn't matter if you are
Cut lengthways or crossways. Just be careful not to damage the core.2. Grasp each avocado half with one hand.
3. Now turn the avocado halves in opposite directions.
4. The two halves separate from each other and the brown core becomes visible. Take out the core.
5. Wash the core and then dry it off with a piece of kitchen paper.
6. The brown skin is prone to mold. Remove it now if it can be removed easily. If necessary, this is also possible at a later point in time.
The kernel is now ready to germinate.
Tip: You can recognize a ripe fruit by its dark green, almost brownish skin. The flesh is soft and easily yields when pressed with a finger. Cuts on the surface do not hinder germination, but can later become moldy.
Germination time
The ideal time of year for your own experiments with the brown avocado seed is late winter. Then there is the best chance of success. Because the avocado kernel takes a long time to germinate. It can take several weeks or even a few months for roots and leaves to form from the core. Then spring is already here and gives the little plant with its rays of sun an extra portion of light and warmth. With this good timing, the avocado can develop optimally.
Germination in water
One of the methods that is often recommended for germinating the avocado is by germinating it directly in the water. For this you need:
- an avocado seed
- a glass
- water
- three toothpicks
The avocado core is placed in a glass filled with water. However, it may only be halfway in the water, the other half of the core must remain in the air. To do this, you need the three toothpicks.
1. Insert the toothpicks at equal intervals around the center of the core about 5 mm.
2. Place the core in the water glass with the tip up. The toothpicks are placed on the edge of the glass and prevent the core from diving deeper into the water.
3. Put the glass in a warm place, 25 degrees are ideal.
4. Always refill evaporated water.
5. At the latest when the shoot is visible, the glass must be in a bright location.
6. After germination, the avocado seedling will grow
fast.7. Repot it as soon as it has developed enough roots and a few leaves.
8. Only pot in the roots! The avocado kernel remains visible on the surface of the earth.
Tip: If mold appears during germination, gently wipe it off with crepe paper.
Germination in the soil
You can also plant the avocado seeds directly in the soil. You may miss the root half of the act, but it works. A mini greenhouse is ideal, but not a must. How to proceed with core planting:
1. Fill a small pot with potting soil.
2. Place the core halfway in the ground. The other half must protrude visibly from the earth.
3. Pour the soil a little.
4. Always keep the soil moist but not too wet.
5. Spray the core regularly with water to prevent it from drying out.
6. Transplant the avocado seedling in spring.
Note: With this method, too, the pointed side of the core must point upwards. The blunt side is buried. This is the only way to germinate.
Location
This tropical plant has an insatiable hunger for light. A brightly lit, sunny window sill is well suited. A winter garden with a large glass surface that lets in a lot of light is even better. If the avocado is too dark, it tends to be soaked. Horny growth and just shoots up. In summer, the avocado tree, or better said in this country "the avocado bush", is welcome to go out into the garden. After all, it is not a typical houseplant and would grow continuously in the fresh air in its home. The location outdoors must meet a few requirements.
- sheltered from the wind
- sunny
- without night frosts
- very young plants should not go outside yet.
Staying outdoors should be based on the temperatures and less on the calendar.
In addition to light, warmth is the avocado's second basic need during the growing season. It won't be completely tropical here, but it should be 22-25 degrees if possible. It can also be damp whenever that can be achieved.
In winter, the avocado in this country needs a cooler location for the upcoming rest break, which is due to lack of light.
Potting soil
Your avocado plant is quite humble and flexible when it comes to the composition of the substrate. Good experiences have been made with the following mixtures:
- normal potting soil
- Plant soil and some clay
- 1: 1 mixture of sand and potting soil
- Special soil for palms or Citrus
Always use a suitable substrate, both when planting for the first time and when transplanting later. The soil should be loose and well drained, with not too much salt. Older avocado plants prefer loamy soil, young plants prefer soil for palm trees.
to water
In summer the Persea needs a lot of water. Keep the soil moist without causing waterlogging. Spray the plant daily, preferably several times, with lukewarm water. High humidity is important, otherwise the small avocado tree or Pests are spreading. In winter, the amount of water given must be reduced significantly. Only a little water is then required so that the avocado does not drop its leaves. In winter you can let the root ball dry out and only then water it again.
Fertilize
Very young avocado plants do not need fertilizer. You get all the nutrients you need straight from the core. You can only use the young after about 6 months
Slowly accustom the plant to fertilizer. To do this, add some liquid fertilizer to the irrigation water about every 14 days. Use only a quarter of the usual amount of fertilizer. Older plants need more fertilizer, but less so. A cycle of four to six weeks from March to the beginning of September is sufficient. The following fertilizers are possible:- Fertilizer for citrus plants
- Fertilizer for green plants
- Universal fertilizer
- Container plant fertilizer
If you want the avocado to continue to thrive in winter, you can continue fertilizing. If, on the other hand, you should take a winter break or overwintered cooler, stop fertilizing altogether.
Also repot the avocado annually in the spring. Replace the earth completely.
Cut
Strictly speaking, an avocado tree does not need to be cut. So that it remains suitable for indoor use in terms of its size and develops a beautiful, branched growth, it should still be cut regularly.
- optimal time: end of winter period
- combine with repotting
- Cut the tips with a clean, sharp pair of secateurs
- The circumference of the cut can be determined individually
- then spray the avocado plant with lukewarm water
Tip: Don't cut a young plant too early. You can only encourage new branches by capping the tip when you are three months old or later.
Repot
The avocado bush needs to be repotted annually. On the one hand, too narrow pots can cause root rot in avocados, on the other hand, the plant likes fresh soil on a regular basis.
- Time: every spring
- replace old earth completely
- Use loose and well drained soil
- the new pot should be bigger
Tip: Simply mix your avocado soil yourself. Mix normal potting soil with sand in a ratio of 1: 1.
Diseases and pests
With good care, diseases and pests usually stay away. If the tips of the leaves become dry, it could be a sign of a lack of water or little fertilizer. If the window is too sunny, it can also cause sunburn. A too warm or dark location in winter is associated with leaf loss.
Scale insects and spider mites are occasional. Usually dry heating air is the cause. Take appropriate measures and also check the current maintenance. If there are care errors and are not remedied, the infestation can recur and permanently weaken the avocado. Shower the plant occasionally to prevent it.
Overwinter
It would be ideal if the avocado plant could enjoy the same amount of light, warmth and humidity all year round. If you have a bright room or a winter garden, you can overwinter the avocado tree warm. Otherwise, the avocado in our latitudes has to take a short break in growth in winter. During this time it needs a temperature reduction. The cool place may be 10 to 15 degrees room temperature. However, it should still offer a lot of light and, if possible, a high level of humidity.
If you do not have suitable winter quarters, it is no longer tragic. The avocado tree can also remain in a heated room at all times. If the light is not enough for him, however, he can shed a few leaves. In the spring it drives out again. In winter, the avocado tree needs less water and less fertilizer. The amount of water given also depends on how warm it is in the winter location. Therefore, pour as needed. In winter, the earth is allowed to dry out between two waterings.