Growing Your Own Guacamole: Avocado Tree Care

Avocados: Good on toast, great as guac, and as it turns out one of the easiest foods to turn into a houseplant! Your avocado (sometimes known as “alligator pear” because of the tough skin) is actually a berry containing one large seed (or pit) perfect for propagating. The process is simple and rewarding, although you may not be able to look forward to actually getting any guac out of it — but you never know! If you want personalized tips and advice for your own avocado tree, be sure to join us on Mesh Communities or our Facebook Group.

The avocado we know and love is actually a member of a really ancient family of trees that emerged in what is now Mexico millions of years ago. The flower of the avocado tree is hermaphroditic, meaning it contains both “male” and “female” characteristics and can self-pollinate — no insects required. Outside, the avocado can grow up to 60 feet tall — thankfully inside, you can prune them to be a little more manageable!

Propagation

Propagating the pit from your grocery store avocado is easy. The most common method is water. Grab a glass or a jar and some toothpicks. Take the pit and stick four toothpicks into it at equidistant intervals (equidistant — so grown up!) so that they will hold the pit in place on the rim of the container. Pop it on top, fill your propagation container with water until the bottom 1/3 of the pit is submerged, and wait.

Another propagation method we’ve seen success with is wrapping the pits in a damp paper towel, popping them in a plastic bag, and forgetting about them. The next step in that scenario is usually the “oh no” moment when you finally remember your avocado experiment and realize you need to pot this thing, like, now.

Potting Mix

Avocados are pretty easy-going when it comes to their potting medium. I use my go-to gold standard for mine: A mix of organic potting soil, orchid bark, horticultural charcoal, and perlite. This creates a light and fluffy, well-draining soil situation that most of my plants thrive on. My avocado is a little thirstier than most, so rather than living in terra cotta (my go-to for smaller pots) it lives in a plastic nursery pot to help it remain moist for slightly longer.

Watering & Humidity

Avocado trees like to stay moist, but not water-logged. They most assuredly don’t like to dry out all the way, and if you forget to water they will let you know with very dramatic drooping leaves. They perk up after a thorough water, but try not to let it get to that point. Typical household humidity levels seem to be tolerable to them, but they also enjoy a boost from a humidifier, especially if your home tends to be on the dry side.

Light & Temperature

These light lovers want to be in your sunniest window. Find your brightest spot and give it to your avocado and it will thank you. If your home is shadier and you still want to grow an avocado, you may want to consider supplementing your natural light with some grow lights. Normal household temperatures should be fine. As with most of our indoor plants, be aware of any nearby drafts — for example, try not to place your avocado by a frequently used door where it might get an icy blast of wind during winter.

Fertilizing & Pruning

A well-balanced multi-purpose fertilizer will do for avocado during the growing season. The first pruning you should do on your avocado seems drastic so early in its life, but you should prune it when it gets to be about 12” tall — chop it in half to encourage new stems and leaves to appear. After that, you can. prune the new growth during summers to encourage branching and control the size of your plant.