Avocados as house plants?
 

House plant query about Avocado plants as house plants:
I have 2 big ones and one small one. They germinated in the compost heap
from discarded stones, which turns out to be a handy way to get them
started, even if it was by accident with us. The big ones are now 2 years
old and 2.5 metres tall. Right now, they look great indoors but my
question is, is it practical to keep them any longer as house plants? If
they stayed about this size and just went a big woddy, they would be fine
but will they just keep growing OR go pot bound and straggly if we try to
keep them? Has anyone here ever kept them any longer than a few years?

Des

"Des Higgins" wrote in message
...
House plant query about Avocado plants as house plants:
I have 2 big ones and one small one. They germinated in the compost heap
from discarded stones, which turns out to be a handy way to get them
started, even if it was by accident with us. The big ones are now 2 years
old and 2.5 metres tall. Right now, they look great indoors but my
question is, is it practical to keep them any longer as house plants? If
they stayed about this size and just went **a big woddy**, they would be
fine

ooops; that will read very very strangely. I meant to type: "a bit woody"
:-)


but will they just keep growing OR go pot bound and straggly if we try to
keep them? Has anyone here ever kept them any longer than a few years?

Des

In article ,
"Des Higgins" writes:
| House plant query about Avocado plants as house plants:
| I have 2 big ones and one small one. They germinated in the compost heap
| from discarded stones, which turns out to be a handy way to get them
| started, even if it was by accident with us. The big ones are now 2 years
| old and 2.5 metres tall. Right now, they look great indoors but my
| question is, is it practical to keep them any longer as house plants? If
| they stayed about this size and just went a big woddy, they would be fine
| but will they just keep growing OR go pot bound and straggly if we try to
| keep them? Has anyone here ever kept them any longer than a few years?

Keep growing. You can prune back, but they are BIG trees.

Try a pomegranate.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
"Des Higgins" writes:
| House plant query about Avocado plants as house plants:
| I have 2 big ones and one small one. They germinated in the compost
heap
| from discarded stones, which turns out to be a handy way to get them
| started, even if it was by accident with us. The big ones are now 2
years
| old and 2.5 metres tall. Right now, they look great indoors but my
| question is, is it practical to keep them any longer as house plants?
If
| they stayed about this size and just went a big woddy, they would be
fine
| but will they just keep growing OR go pot bound and straggly if we try
to
| keep them? Has anyone here ever kept them any longer than a few
years?

Keep growing. You can prune back, but they are BIG trees.

Gulp. Define BIG. The way wrote it in big letters does not fill me with
optimism :-)

Des




Try a pomegranate.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article ,
"Des Higgins" writes:
|
| Keep growing. You can prune back, but they are BIG trees.
|
| Gulp. Define BIG. The way wrote it in big letters does not fill me with
| optimism :-)

50-80' high, and producing 200 pounds of fruit a year. Unlikely
in the average living-room :-)

They are amusing things to grow from seed, but do not make good
house plants in the long term. Do try a pomegranate - MUCH more
house trainable.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
"Des Higgins" writes:
|
| Keep growing. You can prune back, but they are BIG trees.
|
| Gulp. Define BIG. The way wrote it in big letters does not fill me
with
| optimism :-)

50-80' high, and producing 200 pounds of fruit a year. Unlikely
in the average living-room :-)

They are amusing things to grow from seed, but do not make good
house plants in the long term. Do try a pomegranate - MUCH more
house trainable.

Could one get fruit off a pomegranate? Would they grow outside in a
sheltered spot?

In article ,
"GOOD GOLLY MISS mOLLY" writes:
|
| They are amusing things to grow from seed, but do not make good
| house plants in the long term. Do try a pomegranate - MUCH more
| house trainable.
|
| Could one get fruit off a pomegranate? Would they grow outside in a
| sheltered spot?

Not in this cold, dark island - they are semi-desert plants, and
need lots of sun. But they might grow outside if protected from
waterlogging, as (like many plants from Asia Minor) they aren't
too worried by frost as such.

Mine took a few degrees last winter in a pot.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
"Des Higgins" writes:
|
| Keep growing. You can prune back, but they are BIG trees.
|
| Gulp. Define BIG. The way wrote it in big letters does not fill me
with
| optimism :-)

50-80' high, and producing 200 pounds of fruit a year. Unlikely
in the average living-room :-)

Holey mudder of divine sweet jayzes.
Aaaargh in other words.

I will prepare the family (for either removal of plants or move to much
taller house).


They are amusing things to grow from seed, but do not make good
house plants in the long term. Do try a pomegranate - MUCH more
house trainable.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Des Higgins" wrote in message ...
"Des Higgins" wrote in message
...
House plant query about Avocado plants as house plants:
I have 2 big ones and one small one. They germinated in the compost heap
from discarded stones, which turns out to be a handy way to get them
started, even if it was by accident with us. The big ones are now 2 years
old and 2.5 metres tall. Right now, they look great indoors but my
question is, is it practical to keep them any longer as house plants? If
they stayed about this size and just went **a big woddy**, they would be
fine

ooops; that will read very very strangely. I meant to type: "a bit woody"
:-)


but will they just keep growing OR go pot bound and straggly if we try to
keep them? Has anyone here ever kept them any longer than a few years?

Des




Hello Des

I am in the same position as you ie. two '2 year old' very tall
advocados in the utility room. I also have one that I stuck one
outside and it looks better than the indoor ones. It has stayed
small, the new leaves have a reddish hue to them, certainly not a
disgraceful sight on my terrace.

I am going to bin the big ones they dont seem to have that much to
offer. My next project for the utility room window cill is 2 lemon
pips and an orange pip. All 3 are about 3 inches high at the moment.

Phil

The message
from (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:
In article ,
"Des Higgins" writes:

| House plant query about Avocado plants as house plants:
| I have 2 big ones and one small one. They germinated in the compost heap
| from discarded stones, which turns out to be a handy way to get them
| started, even if it was by accident with us. The big ones are now
2 years
| old and 2.5 metres tall. Right now, they look great indoors but my
| question is, is it practical to keep them any longer as house plants? If
| they stayed about this size and just went a big woddy, they would be fine
| but will they just keep growing OR go pot bound and straggly if we try to
| keep them? Has anyone here ever kept them any longer than a few years?

Keep growing. You can prune back, but they are BIG trees.

Try a pomegranate.

There's one (at least) growing outdoors in London, and is a mature tree.
It might be worth allowing it to touch the ceiling, then planting it out
in a sheltered spot.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from (Philip) contains these words:

I am going to bin the big ones they dont seem to have that much to
offer. My next project for the utility room window cill is 2 lemon
pips and an orange pip. All 3 are about 3 inches high at the moment.

Those are some big pips...

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from Jaques d'Alltrades contains
these words:

Keep growing. You can prune back, but they are BIG trees.

Try a pomegranate.

There's one (at least) growing outdoors in London, and is a mature tree.
It might be worth allowing it to touch the ceiling, then planting it out
in a sheltered spot.

I meant an avocado, not a pomegranate.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

In article ,
Jaques d'Alltrades writes:
|
| Keep growing. You can prune back, but they are BIG trees.
|
| Try a pomegranate.
|
| There's one (at least) growing outdoors in London, and is a mature tree.
| It might be worth allowing it to touch the ceiling, then planting it out
| in a sheltered spot.
|
| I meant an avocado, not a pomegranate.

Where? And are you sure that it is Persea americana (i.e. the plant
that gives the fruit sold in shops), and not one of the several
hardier species of Persea?

Note that I am not claiming you are wrong, as it grows perfectly well
in places with winters as cold as London's. I am more than a little
surprised that it has reached maturity, though, as we had some
coldish winters up until a decade ago.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

The message
from (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:

| I meant an avocado, not a pomegranate.

Where? And are you sure that it is Persea americana (i.e. the plant
that gives the fruit sold in shops), and not one of the several
hardier species of Persea?

Note that I am not claiming you are wrong, as it grows perfectly well
in places with winters as cold as London's. I am more than a little
surprised that it has reached maturity, though, as we had some
coldish winters up until a decade ago.

ISTR it was mentioned on GQT or one of the food programmes - certainly
on Rajo4 and IIRC, within the last twelve months.

I can't remember for certain whether it had fruit but ISTR that it did.
BIC(very easily)BW

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

Des Higgins wrote:

House plant query about Avocado plants as house plants:
I have 2 big ones and one small one. They germinated in the compost heap
from discarded stones, which turns out to be a handy way to get them
started, even if it was by accident with us. The big ones are now 2 years
old and 2.5 metres tall. Right now, they look great indoors but my
question is, is it practical to keep them any longer as house plants? If
they stayed about this size and just went a big woddy, they would be fine
but will they just keep growing OR go pot bound and straggly if we try to
keep them? Has anyone here ever kept them any longer than a few years?

My parents-in-law have one in their conservatory that's
about fifteen to twenty years old. Apparently it was
planted by brother-in-law from a seed when he was a child,
and his sister did some bonsai thing to the roots to stop it
getting too big. Nevertheless, it fills half the
conservatory, and is ALWAYS thirsty (well they are
rainforest plant, aren't they?). It always looks ill, but
has never managed to do anything definite about dying.

So it can be done, but might not be terribly worthwhile,
other than to say "I've got an avocado plant!"

Rhiannon

--

http://sciethics.blogspot.com/ -- the rights and wrongs of
science.