Who could dislike a fruit that gives us guacamole and an easy-to-sprout seed to boot? Avocados are nearly foolproof, and they're highly impressive. Lily regarded ours as nothing short of miraculous, from its first snakelike red sprout--"Hey, Mom, it's sticking its tongue out at me"--to its dizzying ascent toward the ceiling.
MATERIALS:
I prefer terra-cotta flowerpots for their classic good looks, but you can sprout an avocado pit in almost any type of container. If you're going the terra-cotta route, choose a 6- or 7-inch pot so you won't have to transplant too soon. You'll also need potting soil, a clear plastic cup to slip over the pit (to boost humidity) and, of course, an avocado. Any type will do, though Florida avocados--the smaller, darker, bumpier-skinned ones--tend to sprout more quickly.
PLANTING TECHNIQUE:
Carefully slice the avocado in half and remove the pit, then wash it off and set it on the kitchen counter overnight to dry. If you're lucky, the papery seed coating will come off easily after that, but you may have to work at it a bit with your fingernail (gently, please, so you don't bruise the pit). Planting is a snap: just fill the pot with soil and push the pit in, flat end down, until it's about two-thirds covered. (Don't bury it completely; avocado pits need light to germinate.) Water it well, then invert the plastic cup over the pit and set the pot on a bright, but not necessarily sunny, windowsill. Keep the soil moist throughout the germination process.
DAYS TO SPROUTING:
Avocados are highly variable in their germination. Ours took about three weeks, but you could be a lot luckier--some pits actually start to sprout inside the fruit. The first sign of germination is a split in the pit, which means that somewhere under the soil the avocado has started to send out its long, fleshy taproot.
LONG-TERM CARE:
Avocados prefer indirect, bright light and soil that's moist but not soggy. (You can cut back a little on watering during the winter, when the plants go into a kind of semidormancy.) Once they get going, avocados grow quickly. To keep yours in bounds, prune it occasionally (this will also yield a bushier plant). Wait until it has at least six good-size leaves, then remove the top two leaves along with any new growth; repeat the procedure when the avocado has grown another 2 to 3 feet. When your plant is about 3 feet high, it's time to move it into a larger container.
