Avocado

Persea americana · Tree/Shrub

Quick answer: Water: When the top inch is dry, evenly moist (estimated). Light: Bright light; a sunny window to start. Soil: Well-drained potting mix; add sharp sand when repotting. Pets: ASPCA's plant list names avocado as toxic to horses because of persin, and ASPCA notes it can cause vomiting and diarrhea in dogs and is especially dangerous for pet birds. Keep leaves, pits and fruit away from pets. If in doubt, ask your vet.

A subtropical tree that is easy to start at home from the pit of a store-bought fruit. Kept in a pot it makes a leafy indoor tree; fruit is rare indoors, so grow it for its foliage.

Care at a glance

Light

Bright light; a sunny window to start

Water

Keep evenly moist, never soggy; less in winter

Soil

Well-drained potting mix; add sharp sand when repotting

Temperature

Seeds sprout at 68–77 °F; winter minimum 55–65 °F

Pot size

Move up one size when roots show at the holes

Pot

Pot with drainage holes; repot yearly in spring

Growth

Fast when young; fruit can take 10–20+ years

Lifespan

Many years, but indoors plants often decline after 3–4 years

When?

Start a pit at any time of year in a warm room; spring is easiest. Repot each spring and prune young plants as they reach about 6 in.

Step by step

1. Clean the pit and push 3–4 toothpicks into its sides.
2. Rest it, broad end down, in a glass so the lower half is in water.
3. Keep it warm and top up the water; roots and a shoot appear in a few weeks to two months.
4. Pot it in well-drained mix once the shoot is growing, leaving the top of the pit exposed.
5. When the stem is about 6 in tall, cut it back by half to make it branch.
6. Pinch the newest leaves again after the next 6 in of growth.
7. Keep the soil evenly moist and raise humidity with a tray of damp pebbles.
8. Feed occasionally in the warm months, following the product label.

Common problems

Pets

ASPCA's plant list names avocado as toxic to horses because of persin, and ASPCA notes it can cause vomiting and diarrhea in dogs and is especially dangerous for pet birds. Keep leaves, pits and fruit away from pets. If in doubt, ask your vet.

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