On 09 Feb 2004 22:12:12 GMT, (Shystev99) wrote:

Hi all,
I am going to try to plant an avocado from a seed. I have searched websites and
found 2 main ways of doing it, First let the seed sit in water pointed end up
till it sprouts.(I've tried this method once before and all that happened was
the seed split in half after about 2 weeks or so.)
The second method I have found on the web was just planting it in soil, I found
a site that suggested to cut the pointed tip of the seed off about 1/4 inch or
so and plant the seed with just the cut part exposed above the soil.
Has anybody had any success with either method and any tips? I read today that
if you try the water method it helps to add charcoal to the water to "Sweeten"
it. Would this charcoal idea also work with soil? And would a regular charcoal
briquette work?
I live in southern Ca about 30-50 miles from where Avocados normally grow, It
may be to cold here but just not sure, Still like to try. Also not sure about
what type of Avocado seed I have to plant, A friend brought some over a few
weeks ago and there were mixed varieties.
I am soaking the seed completley submerged in tap water for the moment, Just to
keep from drying out till I figure out which method to use. But will decide
either way by tomorrow (Tuesday).
I had 4 years of horticultre back in highschool but that was years ago and we
never really started things from seed.
Thanks for any advice
Steve

My mother would stick toothpicks in them so that they would
rest on top of a glass of water with just the bottom of the seed wet.

"Janice" wrote in message
...
snip
In the case of nuts, the tree grossly overproduces. The nuts that
the
squirrel buries but never digs up is the nut that grows.

You may notice that fruit tends to be sour or bitter before the seeds
are mature. They are generally inconspicuous, too. It's only after
the
seeds are ready that the fruit ripens and changes color to attract
the
animals.

Ray Drouillard

Squirrels hereabouts don't worry about waiting for things to ripen! I
bought an apricot years ago.. sweet heart I think.. that had an almond
like pit with the apricot fruit. I never saw a one of them, squirrels
cut every one of them, and it had a heavy load of fruit on it, off the
tree while they were green.

Chickens roosting in the tree split the tree, and I didn't even
attempt to save any of it because I knew that I'd never get anything
from it with squirrels around.

Ah hates squirrels! I need a herd of trained Maine Coon Cats ..
trained to catch and dispatch squirrels to the "nut house beyond!"

Janice

You could always go down to your local tractor supply company store and
get an electric fence charger and a few yards of wire. Squirrels are
really hard to keep out of a tree, but two strands of electric fence
(one too low to crawl under, and one too high to jump over) will do the
trick quite nicely.

Of course, that assumes that there aren't any other trees close enough
for the tree rats to jump from one to the other.


Other solution? Squirrel pot pie, of course!



Ray

"Janice" wrote in message
...
snip
In the case of nuts, the tree grossly overproduces. The nuts that
the
squirrel buries but never digs up is the nut that grows.

You may notice that fruit tends to be sour or bitter before the seeds
are mature. They are generally inconspicuous, too. It's only after
the
seeds are ready that the fruit ripens and changes color to attract
the
animals.

Ray Drouillard

Squirrels hereabouts don't worry about waiting for things to ripen! I
bought an apricot years ago.. sweet heart I think.. that had an almond
like pit with the apricot fruit. I never saw a one of them, squirrels
cut every one of them, and it had a heavy load of fruit on it, off the
tree while they were green.

Chickens roosting in the tree split the tree, and I didn't even
attempt to save any of it because I knew that I'd never get anything
from it with squirrels around.

Ah hates squirrels! I need a herd of trained Maine Coon Cats ..
trained to catch and dispatch squirrels to the "nut house beyond!"

Janice

You could always go down to your local tractor supply company store and
get an electric fence charger and a few yards of wire. Squirrels are
really hard to keep out of a tree, but two strands of electric fence
(one too low to crawl under, and one too high to jump over) will do the
trick quite nicely.

Of course, that assumes that there aren't any other trees close enough
for the tree rats to jump from one to the other.


Other solution? Squirrel pot pie, of course!



Ray

"Janice" wrote in message
...
snip
In the case of nuts, the tree grossly overproduces. The nuts that
the
squirrel buries but never digs up is the nut that grows.

You may notice that fruit tends to be sour or bitter before the seeds
are mature. They are generally inconspicuous, too. It's only after
the
seeds are ready that the fruit ripens and changes color to attract
the
animals.

Ray Drouillard

Squirrels hereabouts don't worry about waiting for things to ripen! I
bought an apricot years ago.. sweet heart I think.. that had an almond
like pit with the apricot fruit. I never saw a one of them, squirrels
cut every one of them, and it had a heavy load of fruit on it, off the
tree while they were green.

Chickens roosting in the tree split the tree, and I didn't even
attempt to save any of it because I knew that I'd never get anything
from it with squirrels around.

Ah hates squirrels! I need a herd of trained Maine Coon Cats ..
trained to catch and dispatch squirrels to the "nut house beyond!"

Janice

You could always go down to your local tractor supply company store and
get an electric fence charger and a few yards of wire. Squirrels are
really hard to keep out of a tree, but two strands of electric fence
(one too low to crawl under, and one too high to jump over) will do the
trick quite nicely.

Of course, that assumes that there aren't any other trees close enough
for the tree rats to jump from one to the other.


Other solution? Squirrel pot pie, of course!



Ray

In article ,
"Ray Drouillard" wrote:

"Janice" wrote in message
...
snip
In the case of nuts, the tree grossly overproduces. The nuts that
the
squirrel buries but never digs up is the nut that grows.

You may notice that fruit tends to be sour or bitter before the seeds
are mature. They are generally inconspicuous, too. It's only after
the
seeds are ready that the fruit ripens and changes color to attract
the
animals.

Ray Drouillard

Squirrels hereabouts don't worry about waiting for things to ripen! I
bought an apricot years ago.. sweet heart I think.. that had an almond
like pit with the apricot fruit. I never saw a one of them, squirrels
cut every one of them, and it had a heavy load of fruit on it, off the
tree while they were green.

Chickens roosting in the tree split the tree, and I didn't even
attempt to save any of it because I knew that I'd never get anything
from it with squirrels around.

Ah hates squirrels! I need a herd of trained Maine Coon Cats ..
trained to catch and dispatch squirrels to the "nut house beyond!"

Janice

You could always go down to your local tractor supply company store and
get an electric fence charger and a few yards of wire. Squirrels are
really hard to keep out of a tree, but two strands of electric fence
(one too low to crawl under, and one too high to jump over) will do the
trick quite nicely.

Of course, that assumes that there aren't any other trees close enough
for the tree rats to jump from one to the other.


Other solution? Squirrel pot pie, of course!



Ray




I like squirrel quartered and lightly sauteed in extra virgin olive oil
with a touch of garlic. ;-) They are surprisingly tender and tasty!

Be sure to get them very wet tho' before you skin them so the fur does
not shed all over the meat! One of my co-workers taught me that trick.

:-) He grew up eating squirrel and I have fond memories of having the
ones that dad shot when we went boondocking during the summer when I was
little. Mom used to make squirrel stew.

K.

--
Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

,,Cat's Haven Hobby Farm,,Katra at centurytel dot net,,
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

(Shystev99) wrote in message ...
My mother would stick toothpicks in them so that they would
rest on top of a glass of water with just the bottom of the seed wet.

Thanks,
I tried that once before about 4 - 5 years ago and the seed split in half, I
did have it submerged about 3/4 of the way up the seed though, with the pointed
end up. Maybe I just had to much water in the glass and instead of sprouting
the seed just drowned and deteriorated?
Steve

We used soft drink bottles. Remove the cap, cut the top off and
invert it into the lower portion of the bottle. The top then becomes
more or less a funnel to hold the seed in position. Fill the bottle
with water, enough to cover the bottom 1/2 to 1/3 of the seed. Refill
as needed. Yes the seed will split, but still be supported by the
neck of the bottle. When it is grown enough to plant, the bottle can
be cut off using a strong pair of scissors. The bottles with wider
caps, may allow the root to be lifted through the opening without
damaging the root.

We used that method to avoid fighting with the tooth picks working
loose, and to prevent "mechanical damage" that could bruise the seed
and cause rot.

Cautions:

If the fruit was picked too green the seed may not sprout. Try and
have the avacados ripe as possible before attempting. The riper fruit
means better guacamole anyway.

Try to let the water set out long enough to neutralize the chlorine
and chemical additives if you are using water from a municipal supply,
and not make any extreme temperature changes when refilling.

Whether they bear fruit depends on the hybridization used to create
the original fruit, pollinators, and environment. All takes time. We
never tried to plant the trees in the ground, the climate was too
severe. However they made lovely tropical houseplants, until they got
too big to move around. Takes several years for that.

Good luck

Xref: kermit rec.gardens.edible:67757

We used soft drink bottles. Remove the cap, cut the top off and
invert it into the lower portion of the bottle. The top then becomes
more or less a funnel to hold the seed in position. Fill the bottle
with water, enough to cover the bottom 1/2 to 1/3 of the seed. Refill
as needed. Yes the seed will split, but still be supported by the
neck of the bottle. When it is grown enough to plant, the bottle can
be cut off using a strong pair of scissors. The bottles with wider
caps, may allow the root to be lifted through the opening without
damaging the root.

Thats a good idea,
Need to go out and buy some softdrink bottles it may work with
Thanks,
Steve

Xref: kermit rec.gardens.edible:67757

We used soft drink bottles. Remove the cap, cut the top off and
invert it into the lower portion of the bottle. The top then becomes
more or less a funnel to hold the seed in position. Fill the bottle
with water, enough to cover the bottom 1/2 to 1/3 of the seed. Refill
as needed. Yes the seed will split, but still be supported by the
neck of the bottle. When it is grown enough to plant, the bottle can
be cut off using a strong pair of scissors. The bottles with wider
caps, may allow the root to be lifted through the opening without
damaging the root.

Thats a good idea,
Need to go out and buy some softdrink bottles it may work with
Thanks,
Steve

x-no-archive: yes

In article , Katra
wrote:

snip

In the case of something that has a pit, the animal in question
generally drags the fruit away to eat elsewhere, but doesn't swallow the
pit.

In the case of nuts, the tree grossly overproduces. The nuts that the
squirrel buries but never digs up is the nut that grows.

Gods. I know. I have been digging up and cutting up pecan trees all over
the yard due to squirrels and a tree down the street!

snip

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area (Sunset Zone 16/17, USDA Zone 9) and
there are avocado trees (with fruit) around my neighborhood. I've found a
couple of healthy avocado seedlings (one in an outdoor pot, one in the
ground) near the house, likely planted by squirrels who probably mistook
the pits for black walnuts from another tree nearby. ;-)

A nice site to visit is http://www.avocado.org, for tips on home avocado
culture.

-- dkra

--
dkraatmmiiidotixdotnetcomdotcom
[Subtract two thousand and (one plus two), plus the "." of course.]

In article

co1.level3.net,
(dkra) wrote:

x-no-archive: yes

In article , Katra
wrote:

snip

In the case of something that has a pit, the animal in question
generally drags the fruit away to eat elsewhere, but doesn't swallow the
pit.

In the case of nuts, the tree grossly overproduces. The nuts that the
squirrel buries but never digs up is the nut that grows.

Gods. I know. I have been digging up and cutting up pecan trees all over
the yard due to squirrels and a tree down the street!

snip

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area (Sunset Zone 16/17, USDA Zone 9) and
there are avocado trees (with fruit) around my neighborhood. I've found a
couple of healthy avocado seedlings (one in an outdoor pot, one in the
ground) near the house, likely planted by squirrels who probably mistook
the pits for black walnuts from another tree nearby. ;-)

A nice site to visit is http://www.avocado.org, for tips on home avocado
culture.

-- dkra

I envy you... ;-)
I don't really have an ideal climate for Avocados!

Am planning tho' on building a greenhouse, and maybe trying to dwarf an
avocado, and maybe a lemon tree.

Thanks for the link!

K.

--
Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

,,Cat's Haven Hobby Farm,,Katra at centurytel dot net,,
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

In article , (Shystev99) wrote:
My mother would stick toothpicks in them so that they would
rest on top of a glass of water with just the bottom of the seed wet.

Thanks,
I tried that once before about 4 - 5 years ago and the seed split in half, I
did have it submerged about 3/4 of the way up the seed though, with the pointed
end up. Maybe I just had to much water in the glass and instead of sprouting
the seed just drowned and deteriorated?

The splitting is normal, the seed does that when it germinates. We
used to grow them as house plants in Montana. They are not cold-hardy,
but will grow fine indoors in near-darkness, and can be pruned to any
shape or size. None of our indoor avocados bore fruit, but they looked
nice.

We got tired of doing the toothpick thing and just started sticking
them into pots with any soil that was handy, point-up, and every
single one grew (sometimes they take a while to sprout). This was much
better than the success rate with the water and toothpick thing.

~REZ~

writes:

We got tired of doing the toothpick thing and just started sticking
them into pots with any soil that was handy, point-up, and every
single one grew (sometimes they take a while to sprout). This was much
better than the success rate with the water and toothpick thing.

I always thought the water/toothpick method was not for realistic starting
for a long-term plant but was for children to learn about roots and leaves
and how they grow in relationship to the soil line (water line in the
experiment). Rather like an ant farm, not practical but it's educational
for seeing the process while putting accuracy and actual "implementation"
by Mother Nature aside.

The avocado seed, being a large seed, has all the basic characteristics of
other seeds (roots, leaves, seed splitting, etc.). Unlike a bean seed, it
will do very well in full light for an extended period of time living only
on water (and much easier to keep upright and watered!). By the time the
child is bored of it all, the plant usually hasn't yet given up. Slower
starting than smaller seeds, it's more realistic to compare with the seeds
they start in the soil. If memory serves correctly, when started at the
same time, the avocado will start sprouting about the same time the bean
seeds start poking their heads through the ground.

Glenna

The method I have used to start avocados is to place the seed with damp
paper towels in a ziploc bag. I place this under the sink (or another
dark place where I will not forget about it) and check it every few days
until it has a root. I then plant.

Even if you do forget about the seed, I have had luck planting a seed
that spend a couple months forgotten about under the sink.