Anyone grown an avocado from the stone?

[Seahorse]

Bought three avocados yesterday, on a whim, thinking I might be able to get at least one of them to grow. Seen a few ideas on Google but would love to hear if anyone has had personal success (or failure!) with a particular method. I reckon I might as well try three different techniques!

[esrikandan]

Sounds like it will work, although they say about 10 years before you'll see any fruit...

[SueA]

Hi Seahorse, I grew one from a stone a couple of years ago & it grew into quite a nice houseplant, I threw it out though when it got a bit straggly & sickly looking. I tried the growing it balanced on cocktail sticks over water method & didn't get anywhere so just put the stone in a pot of compost on it's side with just the top not quite covered & it sprouted. I don't think you're likely to get fruit on it though as they need to grow into a large tree-like plant size before that happens & it's too cold here to plant them outside & leave them through the winter - maybe with global warming though we might be doing that one day! Here's a pic. of the one I grew.

[jeannine]

I've never got beyond the nice houseplant stage. Oh for a big conservatory with a tiled floor so I could potter about planting seeds after work and have the room to grow exotic veg!

Does anyone know if avocados are self fertile? It would be just my luck to grow one for 10 years and then find I needed another one to get fruit...

[HeyWayne]

I got blood from one once, but never an avocado.....

[Nicos]

I've never grown one , but I know a man who did!

No idea what method he used ..and he died years ago so I can't ask him.
Anyway this avocado was in a pot on the floor and went up to the ceiling, along the top of the wall about 20 feet and then along the top of the next wall of the room ... 30 -40 feet maybe( might have been less cos I was smaller then - and rooms looked bigger!)
So- it was more like a vine than a bush.

[momol]

Seahorse,

I didn't really grow them purposely from seed but one of the seed germinated in the compost bin .
It should be possible to germinate yours too. The avocado tree is really big ( reaching 6 to 8 metres) plus they need warm area to grow, it will be difficult .

[Seahorse]

Hi Seahorse, I grew one from a stone a couple of years ago & it grew into quite a nice houseplant, I threw it out though when it got a bit straggly & sickly looking. I tried the growing it balanced on cocktail sticks over water method & didn't get anywhere so just put the stone in a pot of compost on it's side with just the top not quite covered & it sprouted. I don't think you're likely to get fruit on it though as they need to grow into a large tree-like plant size before that happens & it's too cold here to plant them outside & leave them through the winter - maybe with global warming though we might be doing that one day! Here's a pic. of the one I grew.

I'm impressed!

I've never grown one , but I know a man who did!

No idea what method he used ..and he died years ago so I can't ask him.
Anyway this avocado was in a pot on the floor and went up to the ceiling, along the top of the wall about 20 feet and then along the top of the next wall of the room ... 30 -40 feet maybe( might have been less cos I was smaller then - and rooms looked bigger!)
So- it was more like a vine than a bush.

And now I'm REALLY impressed!

Seahorse,

I didn't really grow them purposely from seed but one of the seed germinated in the compost bin .
It should be possible to germinate yours too. The avocado tree is really big ( reaching 6 to 8 metres) plus they need warm area to grow, it will be difficult .

Lol Momol, perhaps I should just compost one and see if that works for me too!


I don't really expect to get one to fruiting status (even if global warming suprises us, I haven't really got room!) but I'd be very happy with a nice houseplant

[gojiberry]

Grow one many years ago but threw it out when I found out they grow to about 60ft but wont withstand frost.

[rustylady]

Been trying the standing the stone in water method, but no results. I think I'll just put the stone in compost and see what happens.

[Sue]

Hi
I read somewhere that you can germinate them by leaving them in the worm bin, and the worms love the flesh left on the stone, This worked really well and I got one to 3ft and now I read they're not frost hardy which is why mine now looks very ill indeed.
Not really practical for me to cart it back home from the allotment on the bus, especially if it starts legging it to 60foot.... Perhaps I'll start again and give it a fleece jacket in winter.
Very lovely looking plant though, fruit or no fruit.
best wishes
Sue

[kethry]

i grew a plant from an avocado stone last summer.. its still in the kitchen now! there's a photo of it here, i just planted it in a pot with compost, and left it alone, just made sure the compost was moist at all times. I also put it in the (plastic) greenhouse over the summer, the heat may have helped with germination. I didn't cover it or anything, just put in the compost, with just the tip of it sticking out. As others have said it makes a very nice houseplant - what you see in the photo was taken a few weeks ago, and that's the growth its put on in a year. its been potted up once already, i think its gone into winter mode at the moment though, i brought it in over the winter to sit on the kitchen windowsill and it doesn't get a whole lot of light there.

go for it - but do give it a good couple months for germination..

keth
xx

[Alison]

Hi
I read somewhere that you can germinate them by leaving them in the worm bin, and the worms love the flesh left on the stone, This worked really well and I got one to 3ft and now I read they're not frost hardy which is why mine now looks very ill indeed.
Not really practical for me to cart it back home from the allotment on the bus, especially if it starts legging it to 60foot.... Perhaps I'll start again and give it a fleece jacket in winter.
Very lovely looking plant though, fruit or no fruit.
best wishes
Sue

I heard that too so tried it last year, kept checking on it and nothing. Still nothing, nothing and then it went rotten! Typical. Don't buy them very often as I prefer to buy local but may try again if I get another one.

[Sue]

Alison
I too prefer not to eat imported veg now which was why my avocado plant was so precious! Having succumbed to the frost I see I've been given a second chance, it's resprouted.
Don't know why I'm growing it really, just interesting to see what it does I suppose, a 6' x 6' greenhouse is hardly suitable for anything outsize.
Sue

[brooklynodog]

I grew one by putting in compost in the greenhouse through spring and bringing it into the house. Got to about 2 foot, went on holiday, daughter forgot to water it so it died