Sunny windowsills are great growing sites for avocados. In addition to ensuring that the avocados only receive sunlight during part of the day, indoor windowsills allow you to carefully control the temperature and humidity that the plant is exposed to.
Different avocado varieties have different tolerances for cold temperatures. In general, the common avocado varieties listed below will receive significant freezing damage at the temperatures indicated:[2] X Research source West Indian — 28-29o F (-2. 2-1. 7o C) Guatemalan — 27-29o F (-2. 8-1. 7o C) Hass — 25-29o F (-3. 9-1. 7o C) Mexican — 21-27o F (-6. 1-2. 8o C)
To be clear, you do not necessarily need your potting soil ready at the very beginning of the growing process, as avocado pits are started in water before being transferred to soil.
If your soil pH is too high, consider using a pH-lowering technique like adding organic matter or introducing alkaline-tolerant plants to your garden. You can also achieve good results with a soil additive like aluminum sulfate or sulfur. For more tricks, see How to Lower Soil pH.
Do not throw the avocado fruit away — try making guacamole, spreading it on a piece of toast, or eating it raw as a delicious, nutritious snack.
Make sure that your pit is sitting in the water right side up. The top of the pit should be ever-so-slightly rounded or pointed (like the top of an egg), while the bottom, which is in the water, should be slightly flatter and may have a patchy discoloration compared to the rest of the pit.
The initial stage of inactivity can take from about two to six weeks. [4] X Research source Your pit may not appear to be doing anything, but be patient — eventually, you will see the beginnings of the plant’s roots and stem begin to emerge.
Do not bury the pit completely in the soil — bury the roots, but leave the top half exposed.
This encourages the plant to grow new shoots, leading to a fuller, healthier looking avocado tree in the long run. Do not worry about hurting your plant — avocados are hardy enough to recover from this routine pruning without a problem.
If you can, try to find a “producer” tree that is hardy and disease-free in addition to producing good fruit. A successful budding physically joins your two plants together, so you’ll want to use the healthiest plants possible to avoid issues with their health down the road.
If you can, try to find a “producer” tree that is hardy and disease-free in addition to producing good fruit. A successful budding physically joins your two plants together, so you’ll want to use the healthiest plants possible to avoid issues with their health down the road.
Obviously, you’ll want to avoid cutting too far into the stem. Your goal is to “open up” the bark along the side of the stem so that you can join a new limb to it, not to damage the seedling.
Keep in mind that avocados planted from seed can take 5-13 years or more before they flower and produce fruit. [6] X Research source
If your plant’s leaves begin to turn yellow and you have been watering frequently, this may be a sign of over-watering. Immediately stop watering and begin again only once the soil is dry.
Like many plants, avocados generally should not be fertilized when they are very young, as they can be very susceptible to the “burn” that can result from overusing fertilizer. Try waiting at least a year before fertilizing.
Potted plants are especially susceptible to salt buildup. Once a month, place the pot in a sink or outside, then let water flow completely through the pot and drain out the bottom.
Cankers — “Rusty”, sunken sores on the plant that may ooze gum. Cut cankers from affected branches. Cankers on the trunk of the tree may kill the plant. Root rot — Usually caused by over-watering. Causes yellowing leaves, wilting, and eventual decay even when all other conditions for growth are being met. Immediately stop over-watering and, if severe, dig up the roots to expose them to air. Sometimes fatal to plant. Wilts and Blights — “Dead” patches on the tree. Fruits and leaves within these patches wither and die. Remove the affected areas from the tree immediately and wash the tools you use to do so before using them again. Lace bugs — Cause yellow spots on leaves that quickly dry out. Damaged leaves my die and drop from the branch. Use a commercial pesticide or a natural insect-killing substance like pyrethrin. Borers — Bore into tree, creating small holes that may ooze sap. Preventative cure is best — keeping trees healthy and well-nourished makes it harder for trees to be affected. If borers are present, remove and discard any affected branches to decrease their spread.
