If you are the type of person who likes to grow things and has what we call the ‘green finger syndrome’ then this is for you.
Nothing makes your home look more beautiful than having trees growing all around.
Some of them even have the added bonus of being fruit trees, so they look good and they taste good. Take the avocado tree for instance. A nice tree to look at but even better to eat. So here’s how you go about planting and growing one.
The seed
First of all you would need an avocado seed which more or less looks like it has the shape of a teardrop. Be careful with the seed because rough handling could make the seed split in half and then it will be useless. So, first thing is first check that you have a healthy seed.
Once you have your healthy seed then take a clean twig, preferably with the bark stripped off and carefully but firmly drive the twig through the centre of the avocado seed whilst holding it on the pointy side.
Germination of seed
The next step is to take a container (a small bucket or cool drink container cut in half will do) and suspend the seed in water. Remember I said suspend. Don’t submerge the whole seed in water. Half the seed should be in and one side out of the water.
In a few weeks you should notice long white roots growing from the underside and a long green stem protruding from the top. After about four weeks it should be ready to be transplanted into the ground.
Transplanting of avocado seed
When transferring the seed, make sure that the spot you have chosen to grow the tree is very spacious and that there are no buildings in close proximity to the tree.
This is because avocado trees may seem small at first but they grow huge in a few years. If you are not careful about where you plant it you may have to cut it down when it’s roots start cracking your foundation.
The hole you make should be about 15 cm deep. Once you do this you just bury the seed and wait for nature to take its course.
Avocadoes seem to grow best in sunny and warm temperate regions so if your tree doesn’t get enough sun and does not grow as well, don’t be surprised.
Don’t forget to water your little tree regularly otherwise it can dry out. If you opt to buy an already mature seedling from greenery, then the same also applies. Water it as regularly as possible to make sure that the roots really dig deep into the ground.
If you do this then you should have a beautiful avocado tree in just a year.
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