In addition to being incredibly creamy and delicious, avocadoes have several attributes that make them truly appreciated treats in a vegan diet. Of course, as with any fruit, there is an element of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, but avocado is unique for its high dose of healthy fats, particularly omega-3 fatty acids.
Some of the benefits of avocadoes are better cholesterol levels, improved vision, stronger bones, efficient digestion, and natural detoxification. More so, avocadoes add a flavor and texture to a plant-based diet (any diet, really) that is worthy of stopping to savor.
Aside from eating, avocadoes are cool in that they usually provide a viable seed that can be fun to sow. It turns out that avocado trees aren’t so difficult to grow, but what to do and expect from there is something altogether different. There are a few important things to know about growing avocado trees.
Starting a Tree from Seed
Avocado pits are massive seeds, and these seeds are somewhat famous for growing readily in a science experiment fashion. The seeds are held half in and half out of a glass of water with toothpicks, and soon enough roots and a sprout will begin to form.
Once this happens and the roots get to be about three inches long, the plant can be put into a pot with potting mix and set in a bright, sunny window. The plant will grow happily from there. They grow quickly compared to most fruit trees.
The issue is that one of these avocado trees will not produce a lot of quality avocadoes. Avocadoes, the fruit, requires a much more complex natural alchemy to grow than does an avocado tree.
Most avocadoes grown for consumption come from grafted trees because trees grown from seed don’t necessarily produce the same fruit as the parent plant.
Facts about Growing Avocadoes
Avocado trees are frost-sensitive and, thus, require tropical and subtropical climates. In most of the US, the trees will not survive outside year-round. As a productive potted plant, they will require a delicate balance of transferring inside and out to get a harvest.
For trees to be productive in the United States (USDA Zone 7 and warmer), they’ll need to be grafted and most likely potted, moving indoors and outdoors as the weather changes.
The trees also need to get plenty of sunshine, somewhere between four and six hours a day, and they need to be kept clear of freezing and frosting temperatures. They need well-drained soil but plenty of moisture.
Watering avocado trees is a careful dance. They require deep watering once or twice a week, but they do not want overwatering. Rather, they’d like to be misted daily.
Pruning an avocado tree is considered less intensive than other fruit trees. Basically, it’s about removing dead wood and keeping the tree the size you’d like it.
Harvesting Avocadoes
Avocado trees can start to produce fruit within a couple of years but may take much longer (up to seven years) in sub-optimal conditions.
The fruits should be left on the tree as long as possible, waiting until the skin darkens before picking it. Then, the fruit should be given up to a week off the plant to ripen well.
Avocadoes will need to be fertilized much differently than normal temperate climate fruit trees because they are evergreens from the subtropics. They aren’t accustomed to a dormant time without much growth, and they actually flower in the wintertime. Thus, they need to be fertilized every season, with extra phosphorus in winter to help with fruiting.
Growing Avocadoes at Home
Growing avocadoes at home is possible for many of us in the USA. It just requires a little extra attention to get fruit. But, avocadoes are totally worth it, aren’t they? These trees make fantastic projects. They are great houseplants for the wintertime and patio plants in the summertime.
Related Content:
Easy Ways to Help the Planet:
- Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
- Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take initiative by standing up against fast fashion Pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that raise awareness of important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing that is designed to be returned and remade repeatedly.
- Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
- Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
- Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and important stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
- Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!
