Followers

Thursday 11 April 2013

The Birth of an Avocado Tree

Avocado growing


It all began with a special offer for avocado in the supermarket and a prawn cocktail. I made the cocktail myself with prawns and a self made cocktail sauce, and just to polish it up a bit I bought an avocado, cut it in small pieces, and mixed it with the prawns. Something I prepare as an entrée on high days and holidays.

The avocado had a stone, as usual. I had done this before a few years ago, but decided let’s try it again. I took the stone, put it in an egg cup full of water and put a cup over it to keep it in the dark and to encourage some roots. A couple of days later I had a sort of accident when I was watching the progress of my master experiment. Unfortunately the stone fell onto the stone floor and split into two halves. Undaunted I continued my experiment and put the two halves of the stone back into the water filled egg cup. I noticed that a strange structure had formed in the middle of the stone, but decided it could only get better.

Today, after two weeks of loving care and constant supply of fresh water, I discovered my stone had not only formed roots, but had started growing, not with one shoot but three. I decided it was time to plant my avocado tree. applying a “Hydrokultur” method of growth. I really do not know the english word for “Hydrokultur” as I could not find it in a dictionary anywhere. However, to explain, instead of planting the stone in earth, it is now growing in water, surrounded by foamed clay (another translation I found from the German “blahton”, but do not know if it makes sense).

Here is a photo of the growing tree, which has been given water containing special liquid fertiliser. In about ten years I hope to show a photo of the tree, complete with the first harvest of avocado pears.
Avocado Hydroculture

8 comments:

  1. Congratulations in getting it to grow. I think the English term you are looking for is 'Hydroponics'. HERE is a link for more info.

    ReplyDelete
  2. How interesting! Actually, while cutting an avocado yesterday, I thought of this..if it was possible!
    Now you have inspired me to give it a try. Why did you prefer foamed clay?
    I doubt it can grow outside though, I fear the climate is too cold. It looks like you will have an avocado forest.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I prefer the foamed clay to ordinary earth. The plant more or less lives in the appartment. I just put it out through the summer when it is hot and sunny. I find that indoor plants are a bit cleaner and more hygenic with the foamed clay. I don't have earth all over the place and its creepy inhabitants that might arrive and build their home in the pot. basically it does not matter for the plant which you use.

      Delete
    2. Excellent arguments against earth and FOR clay :-)

      Delete
  3. Fascinating! I think it's a great experiment. I can't wait to see more pics.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wonderful, Pat, well done. Will it grow in your climate?

    When my children's father and I bought out first house, the children cultured avocado stones and planted the tiny seedlings, when we moved 4 years later as the house got too small with the twins arriving, we took the avocado trees and the lemon trees they had planted with us. Today over 20 years later , the avocado trees are huge. I believe he recently had to cut one down as the roots were growing in to the swimming pool. Every-time I go past I collect some lemons too, after all they were originally my trees?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can imagine that planting avocado is a success in warmer countries. I can have my plant outside through the Summer as we have very hot sunny days where I live. However, in Winter it will have to be inside, as the frosts would probably kill it.

      Delete
  5. Great Job Pat !
    A friend of mine who is into planting trees, spliced an avo tree branch onto an existing apple tree.
    This way, he did not have to wait 10-20 years for the tree to carry fruit.
    He was able to enjoy avos after 4 years already.
    I wish you the best of luck with the avo tree, and hope that it will give you years and years of pleasure !
    huggles
    Annette

    ReplyDelete