Please help, avocado trouble!?

Question

I set up an avocado pit a couple months ago in water and now it has a very elaborate root system. I left for a few days, and I guess the water level dropped by a lot! Now the roots near the avocado pit's bottom look very dry and fragile. I instantly added more water. The edges of the leaves are turning brown. Should I move it to a spot with less sunlight? What should I do!

Answer 1

The reason the leaves may be browning is that there is no nutrition for them to grow on from the water or the seed---and the roots getting a bit dry may have had a small part in this also.

I have rooted many avocados from seeds. Once they have leaves, it's time to put them in a pot. You need a pot with at least a 12 inch depth and a hole in the bottom. Put a coffee filter over the hole in the bottom. Fill the pot with potting soil and wet it thoroughly. Press a hole into the soil with a trowel the size of the root system. Put the plant into the soil so that the top of the seed is just below the edge of the soil.

Spoon more soil around the seed and GENTLY press down--you don't want to break the roots but you do want the soil to be packed firmly around them because roots will not grow into air pockets. Wet again--and leave it alone for awhile. DO NOT fertilize yet. Water when the soil feels dry when you put your finger into the soil about 2 inches. Place the pot where the plant will get partial sun during part of the day

In about two weeks, water with a solution made from Neptune Fish Emulsion. Repeat once a month with the fertilizer. It will develop a good root system so that it will thrive when it's time to put it in the ground. Give it about 6 months--plant in the Spring.

Answer 2

I would just plant it in dirt now and keep it watered. Place it near a window inside til it gets stronger.

I have an 8 foot avocado tree in a planter on the porch. I also have 4 in various stages of growth in the house next to the window. I start them out in water and when they get a few roots, I plant them in a pot with dirt. I don't add Miracle grow or any chemicals. I cover each planted seed with a styrofoam cup that is upside down and has holes in the bottom. Then every day I place an ice cube on it and let the water slowly drip on the planted seed. When the sprout is about 4 inches I remove the cup and treat it like a regular plant.

I have been growing avocado trees for years. My great grandma got me hooked on it as she had one of the largest avocado trees in Galveston, Texas. Made it in the paper.
She started from a seed and eventually transplanted to the yard. We live in the south and it rarely gets really cold. If you llive where it freezes, you are better off with it in a large planter until its about 8-10 feet then plant it in the yard. Covering with a blanket when it snows and setting a few jugs of hot water around it the night before the freeze.

I never add convential fertilizer to my trees. I do dump my tea and coffee that is left in the cup or pot onto the soil in place of water when I have it. They love to drink coffee and tea. I also add egg shells and coffee and tea grounds to the soil. I am only keeping my main one. I just like to grow them and give them to people. I can't eat avocados, so it is like a curse. I can't seem to grow much else except Kumquats and jasmine.

They take a few years to start giving fruit. And the first few years the fruit is heavy to the plants so you want to stake the plant. I just buy a big piece of bamboo and tie it to it. Bamboo is less than a buck at the garden center. And you can use your leftover holey pantyhose or knee hi's to tie it. Just cut it into strips and tie away.

I know some people swear by Miracle Gro and things like that, but sometimes the old ways work better. I have been growing them like my grandma did and my great grandma did and haven't had one die. My only problem is finding homes for the trees and giving away the avocados.

Answer 3

I would carefully trim off the dead part of the root, then replace the water daily to insure it isn't sitting in old water. Once you've established a good root system, it's time to plant it in soil. Use a good potting soil and feed it with fertilizer on ocassion.
The proper mixture for Miracle grow plant food
is 1/8 teaspoon to 1 gallon of water. It doesn't sound like enough, but it is perfect for plants. Mine are gorgeous.

Take Care

Answer 4

If you have had the seed in water that long and your have leaves on the trunk. It's probably time to plant the seed in soil. I not a expert about growing them so I'll give you a couple of good websites.
P.S. My mom grew one that was 3 1/2 feet tall before she passed
************************************
After a few weeks a small root should appear from the flat end, and there should be signs of a small shoot at the pointed end. Tiny leaves will develop and grow on this shoot. Later, when the main stem emerges, plant the seed in a container with house plant potting soil.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
in Lancaster County
http://lancaster.unl.edu/hort/youth/avocado.shtml