We eat a lot of avocados at our house. We love them, and so do the kids. Not only are avocados very healthy, but they also add an amazing taste to our food. And with an abundance of avocado pits and three curious children wandering around the house, we decided to learn how to grow avocados indoors.
Can you grow avocados indoors?
Like with any plant, you can start growing avocado indoors. If you are like me and live in a cold climate, the avocado will need to be grown indoors. This is completely acceptable because there is nothing wrong with having plants in the house. So, yes, you can grow avocado indoors.
What you need to grown an avocado indoors
This list of supplies for growing an avocado is small and simple:
- Avocado pit – the best place to get this is from an avocado you have just eaten
- 3 toothpicks
- A cup, glass or jar – any container to hold the avocado pit
How to start Growing an Avocado Tree
Get an Avocado
The first thing you need to do is to get an avocado pit. This is easy if you eat them regularly, but if not, go to your local store and buy a ripe avocado and eat it. It goes great on sandwiches, with tuna or as guacamole.
How to remove the avocado pit safety
Avocados pits can be tricky to remove from the fruit itself. With a sharp knife:
- Cut the avocado in half. You will be stopped at the pit in the center of the fruit. Cut all the way around.
- Using your hands, twist the avocado halves in opposite directions.
- The avocado will pop into 2 pieces, on one side you will have the pit, and on the other side will be hollow. If the avocado is ripe, there will be no avocado on the pit.
- Holding the pitted avocado half in your hand, with the pit facing up, take a sharp knife and hit the avocado pit with some force. The blade of the knife will stick into the pit. Now, twits the knife, and the pit will pop out.
Your avocado pit is ready for use!
Prepare the Avocado pit for Growing
Using your three toothpicks – insert them into the avocado pit.
Ideally, you want the fatter/rounder side to be at the bottom, the pointier side facing up. Then, try to evenly distribute the three toothpicks around the circumference of the pit.
There will be some resistance, as the pit is hard.
They only need to be in about 1/3 or a 1/4 of the length of the toothpick. Just far enough so that it is stuck in the pit.
Place the Avocado Pit on the Container
Fill the container with water. You want the water to be all the way to the top so that bottom of the avocado will touch.
Place the avocado onto the container. The toothpicks will hold it at the top.
Place the container and the pit in a location that gets lots of sunlight, and wait for it to start growing!
1 Weeks Growth
3 Weeks Growth
11 Weeks Growth
20 Week Growth
Some helpful Tips on how to grow an avocado indoors.
How long does it take for the Avocado to Grow?
Typically it takes about 2-4 weeks before the avocado will grow. You will notice that the pit splits open after a few weeks, indicating that growth is happening.
How Often to water the Avocado Tree?
Before the roots have started to sprout, you want to keep the water level to the top of the container.
Once the roots have started to grow, allow the water level to drop and let the roots reach for the water. If the container is always full of water, the roots won’t grow as far or as fast.
When to replant the avocado Tree?
Once you have a large root system in the container, you can plant the tree into a pot. You want to use nutrient-rich soil.
You want the pot to be large enough to allow the plant to grow. Ideally, your first pot should be 5-6″ in diameter.
After you have had your plant for a while, you will want to consider replanting the avocado every 2-3 years. But this will be dependent on how large it is growing, and how the root system is. If the pot is completely full of roots, it is time to replant.
Can you take an Indoor Avocado Outside in the Summer?
Yes, you can, but you need to be careful. If your avocado is an indoor plant, you need to gradually introduce it to the outdoors.
You need to make sure that the day and nighttime temperature remain above 60F before it goes outside.
When bringing the plant outside for the first time, it will need to be placed in a shady area. This will allow the plant to acclimatize to the temperature, wind and other elements Slowly, over a week, expose it to more sun each day.
If you put the plant into full the sun on the first day, you risk burning the leaves and having the tree die. It has never had full exposure to the sun, so it will burn.
Once the plant has acclimatized to the outdoors, it can stay outside all summer long.
How long does it take for Avocado tree produce fruit?
Typically, it takes 2-3 years for an avocado tree to produce fruit. But that is based on a tree growing outside.
Will an avocado tree produce fruit indoors?
Indoor avocado plants will not typically produce fruit.
Did you find this tutorial on how to grow avocados indoors helpful?
Did you find this tutorial on how to grow avocados indoors helpful? Let me know in the comments below!
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