Who doesn't LOVE avocados?

A step by step guide on how to grow and care for your sweet little alligator pear 🥑 🌱

ITEMS NEEDED

• Avocado pit, any will do. I took mine from a Hass avocado, this is the most common avocado you can find in the supermarket
• Pot, I used a plastic container to begin with, this way it's easier to see how the roots are doing
• tooth-picks/cocktail sticks / marshmellow sticks or hair pins
• Pot 20-25cm diameter in size
• Wood chips / gravel or small stones
• Soil. I used normal gardening soil from my local supermarket

STEP ONE 🥑

Clean the pit and suspend it in water using cocktail sticks. The pit looks somewhat egg shaped, the wider side needs to be placed in water, whilst the narrower part of the tip will remain dry. I used marshmellow sticks to suspend the pit in water. Careful not to push the sticks too far into the pit, it should only pierce the surface so that it can hold them in place. The roots will be the first to grow, then the stem will gradually grow sproating leave over time. It's best to start in Spring/Summer time, as avocados love sun they will grow quicker in the warmer months. Once the plant has grown to 15-18 cm you will have to cut it so that it is about 8cm. This will encourage the plant to grow more 'bushy' as opposed to growing upwards. I cut the stem off straight using a pair of scissors, a new stem will emerge from the side. Make sure the water is topped up so that the bottom part is always in water. Change the water weekly, you can gently clean the roots incase algau builds up.

STEP TWO 🌱

Once the plant has grown to 15-18 cm again, it's time to pot your avocado in soil. Choose a pot which is 20-25 cm diameter in size. Put woodchips/small stones on the bottom of the pot and the rest with soil. Make sure your roots are settled to the bottom of the pot and spoon in soil around the plant. The avocardo pit should be exposed, as it had been in water so that the top half is peaking out the top. Water on a daily basis, the soil should be moist but not saturated. If the leaves start turning yellow/brownish colour, let the soil dry for a couple of days before watering again.

STEP THREE 🌿

Keep your avocado plant on a window sill, or where it is exposed to sunlight. They love the sun and will grow quicker if exposed to warm and sunny conditions. When your plant reaches around 30cm (or has stopped growing for some time) pinch out the top set of leaves. This will encourage the plant to grow leaves form the side. This will in turn strengthen the stem. Once your avocado plant has grown another 15cm, repeat the process and pinch out the leaves on the top.

STEP FOUR 🌳

Re-pot your plant once you notice that the roots are showing through the bottom. The more space the avocado plant has, the more it will grow. Flies love damp soil, flies lay eggs just beneath the surface of the soil. Add gravel on the top of your soil and let the plant dry for a couple of days. The gravel will stop the flies from laying their eggs.It's hard to say if the plant will ever bear fruit. To encourage pollination, plant more than one avocardo tree. I mixed used coffee grounds into the soil mixture, this is a natural fertiliser and will help the tree to thrive. The plant below took about 15 months to grow to a height of 46cm.