Grow This Tree...

Ceramic bird courtesy Kara Kowalczyk. Broken Pot courtesy of Leon.

       One summer night my fiance offered to cook dinner and I knew that it would include meat, red meat. It was Carne' Esada, so while it included a flat ironed spiced rubbed meat,the meal also had an avocado to pit and chop up.

      Over the eight years I was a nanny I was constantly reassuring the youngest child that you could grow your own tree from the pit inside the green guacamole' maker. After many failed attempts, I began to secretly doubt this. I had dismissed it as an agricultural urban myth. 

          However, my reluctant optimism got the best of me and we tried to sprout the seed from our Spanish feast. Maybe it was the magic window in his cavernous third floor West End Apartment,  or maybe I  had gotten pretty good at sprouting things, seeing as I became pregnant with our daughter the same week. 

           Who knows, but you can't leave it up to chance so here's some tips if you have always been curious... I assure you, this is no myth.

 

• Dry the Pit in the sun for a few hours
  
• Stick three toothpicks a half inch in the pit at the half way point of pit (lengthwise)
  
• Place the wide round portion in a cup of clean water-make sure it is submerged up to half way mark
• Place in sun and keep water level constant. Do not pour out, just refresh
• In about four to six weeks it will sprout roots and leaves
• Three weeks after pit sprouts green leaves from top, snip them off and wait three more weeks
• It's time to pot the plant- put it half way submerged in soil in a lofty sized pot with leaves open and free from soil.
• Water fairly often, keep soil moist not muddy. It also helps to mist plant. Moderate sunlight. If leaves turn light or yellow it means too much H20.
• Keep in sun-bring outside in summer-bring inside in winter if temps are below 45 degrees
• Prune your plant, I didn't keep up with this but I'm sure it helps grow a sturdier base plant
• Your tree will begin to bear avocados in a bout two years. Pollination is tough, so it helps to have multiple  plants close in proximity.

                       About half of all trees cultivated will bear fruit. So it's kind of a gamble but either way, if you win- you come up with green.