| How would I grow an avocado & cherry tree from the pit? Thanks |
| Sprouting an avocado pit is easy, and the plant grows well indoors. Begin with a fresh pit from a mature avocado and carefully rinse any fruit that clings to the outside of the pit. Then just barely puncture the outside of the pit with three toothpicks, about midway between the flat bottom and pointed top of the seed so you can suspend the seed in a glass of water. Only the bottom half needs to be in the water. Perch your space station looking avocado pit on the rim of a drinking glass and fill with water. The top of the pit should be above the water line. After a few weeks a sprout should appear from the top of the seed and roots should begin to form in the water. Change the water every week to keep it fresh. Once the sprout has developed two leaves, transplant your new tree into a pot filled with regular potting soil and keep your new tree in bright light (but not direct sunlight). When the stem is about 12 inches tall, pinch out the tip to encourage branching. The result will be a multistemed plant. If you don't pinch out the top, you'll get a tall, skinny, leafless stem will foliage appearing only on top. You can plant a cherry pit in a pot outdoors; bury it about a half-inch in the soil and just let nature do the watering for you. The pit has a thick outer covering which may take a year to decompose before you'll see a sprout. Don't give up on it; just wait patiently and you'll eventually have a new little cherry tree. |
