🥑 Grow an Avocado Tree from a Pit? Now What?

When I wrote an article on how to grow houseplants from kitchen scraps a few years ago, I have to admit being surprised at the huge response that I got from the article and continue to get. While gardening is always a miracle, and watching plants grow, flower and fruit is a magical experience, there’s something particularly compelling about taking produce scraps after you’ve enjoyed eating them and using them to grow a garden.

 

Sticking toothpicks inside an avocado pit and watching leaves emerge is definitely rewarding, but what do you do once the plant roots in the water? New avocado trees can thrive in water for a time, but eventually they’ll begin to falter and stop or slow down growth. Rather than lose the plants, you can repot and enjoy growing them as houseplants for years to come.

To pot up the avocado plant, prepare a well-draining, rich potting soil by adding water. You want the soil moist, but not soggy. Add a starter fertilizer, such as a 2-3-2, and mix it in well.

Use a container that comfortably fits the rootball of the avocado tree and leaves some room for growth. Whatever pot you use must have drainage holes. Fill it 2/3 of the way with potting soil.

Remove the avocado tree from the water and check the rootball of the plant for any mushy or stray pieces of root and remove them. Then place the rootball in the soil, fanning out the roots so that they can readily make contact with the new soil.

Cover the rootball with soil, tamping down gently as you go. Fill so that the soil just covers the avocado rootball and seed. Leave 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch of space between the top of the soil and the top of the container. This will prevent soil from overflowing out of the pot when you water.

Water the plant well and place it in a sunny window, such as an eastern or southern exposure. You may not have to water for a week to two weeks. Only do so when the top inch of soil has dried out.

If you would like to see how this repotting procedure is done, check out this Healthy Houseplant’s video on how to plant an avocado tree grown from a pit below.