Avocado seed finally

Finally got one avocado seed to grow. We now have a tree that is over 3 feet high.  This is a huge success after years of trying and only getting mold.

As a teacher,  growing things in the classroom is super fun.  The kids love it.  They measure & image fast results.  We grow beans, flower bulbs & try avocado seeds every year.  Most years the avocado seed is forgotten about cause is does not grow.

During circle time, I present the large fruit and ask them if they can guess with their hands: How big is the seed inside? Some kids know it is huge. It is fun to have an apple there too & cutting both open to compare the size of the seed inside is a fun lesson.

Toothpick method

Every year, we clean the seed off, stick 4 toothpicks in, balance it over a cup of water & set it in the sunny window.  We usually grow only mold.

The outer layer of skin

This year we peeled off the outer layer of the skin on the avocado. The seed coat.

The Seed coat should peel off easily if you let it dry out for a few hours.

Put the toothpicks in and balance over a cup of water with the rounded bottom down & pointed end up.

The water was also replaced with clean water every few days.  The only other difference was possibly a warmer room & more sun.  I really think that peeling the skin off helped the most.

Root growth

Root growth felt like a huge success; the tap-root grew a few inches before it branched out and looked more root-like.   It took months before the top finally split open, and this tender little branch popped out.

Tree growth

We waited for this large amount of growth before we planted it in the dirt.  Four leaves and a healthy stem to support the tree.  It worked, and the tree looks healthy after almost a year.

• We did plant one in the dirt too soon.  The root had branched a little, but the top branch never popped out.

Try this easy Guacamole recipe!