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Are you among avocado lovers, but the high price in stores scares you? You can grow an avocado at home, because it’s not at all difficult. Avocado is perfect as a spread, but also as an addition to salads, sauces, or in a homemade natural mask. It hides many important nutrients.
Homegrown avocado
Avocado contains 20 different vitamins, a very high amount of fiber, lowers blood cholesterol levels and even contains more potassium than bananas. It’s a perfect fruit that tastes great.
The pit
The first step is to remove the pit from a ripe avocado and, of course, make use of it. However, it’s important that you know which part of the pit is the top and which is the bottom. The bottom (usually the wider part) will go into the water, so don’t forget that!
Submerging the pit
To make sure only the necessary part of the avocado pit is submerged, stick toothpicks into the pit about three-quarters of the way in; they will then hold it at the surface.
Place the pit in a glass filled with water to the rim so that only the bottom is in the water. Then put the glass on a north-facing window and remember to change the water regularly.
Sprouting
After approximately two to eight weeks the pit will gradually begin to sprout. The main root must remain submerged, otherwise it would die. Be patient with sprouting so that the root becomes truly strong.
Root
As the root starts to strengthen, a shoot will begin to grow from the top. When it reaches at least 15 cm, it is ready for a pot.
Planting
Now simply plant the avocado into a suitable pot together with some homemade compost. Later you’ll need to cut back about half of the shoot to encourage growth. You can also regularly trim the top of the plant if you want it to grow more wide than tall. We’ll leave that up to you. The soil should be kept moist, but there’s no need to overdo the watering. Fingers crossed!
