Many people do not know that there are herbs and vegetables that you only have to buy once, since then you can enjoy them daily. How is it possible? Planting avocado is super easy , much like taking your bone and planting it so that in a very short time we have a beautiful avocado tree.
Avocado is an exquisite fruit with great properties and health benefits that, fortunately, you can find almost all year in the market. This fruit, originally from Mexico and Central America, has high quality proteins and is full of antioxidants. It has essential fatty acids, also called Omega 3 and many other vitamins such as A, C, D, E, K and those of the B complex, more minerals such as potassium, among others. There are approximately 80 varieties of avocado, although the most common is Hass.
The next time you consume avocado, save your heart or seed and you can have your own tree at home in an easy way. In addition, you can make your children become part of the process and can plant their own tree.
How to plant avocado?
Before you start planting avocado, the first thing you should do is preserve its seed, which should not be damaged. Wash it very well to remove the rest of the fruit and locate the top and bottom. The pointed part of the stone will be the upper part, that is, where the bud will grow, while the flat end will be the lower one, where the root will grow.
Drill the stone with four sticks, evenly distributed, as shown in the image. Place the seed in a glass of water, and put this where the sun sets. It is good to make use of a transparent container to be able to visualize properly when the roots begin to sprout.
Change the water twice a week to prevent mold, fungi or diseases that could affect the avocado. In order for the avocado to sprout correctly, it will be necessary to wait approximately two months, always depending on the weather conditions and the variety of avocado you have chosen. The top of the seed will dry and break, and the outer layer will come off.
It is essential that the root is always contacting the water, since if it is not submerged it could die. Wait for your plant to measure approximately 15 cm and cut the stem to 7 cm to stimulate avocado growth.
When it reaches about 18 cm again, it will be time to transplant the avocado. To do this, prepare a pot of 25 cm in diameter with compost and prepared soil, remove the sticks and put the plant in the pot, leaving the upper half of the seed exposed.
Place the pot with the avocado in a sunny place inside your house to keep it protected. It is essential that the soil remains constantly moist, but not saturated. If the leaves turn yellow it is due to excess water; Let the plant dry for a couple of days.
Once the avocado has reached 25 cm high, prune the first two pairs of leaves and repeat the process each time the plant grows 15 cm.
One of the main problems of avocado are aphids. To remove the pest, wash the leaves and stems carefully until they disappear and then apply a solution of water, neem oil and biodegradable soap. Remember to check your plant twice a week to prevent new pests from forming. Do not forget that avocado loves warm climates and, therefore, during winter you will have to keep it protected from temperatures, especially if it falls below 7ºC. I advise you to take your plants inside and autumn and winter.
Avocado takes many years to grow and bear fruit , it can be done at 3 years or take many more, or it may never do so. Anyway, do not be discouraged.
