Did you know you can actually grow a plant from your avocado pit? It’s the coolest thing!

Since I’ve been getting into gardening, I’m learning there are actually quite a few plants you can grow from your own groceries (you just want to make sure they’re organic, non-GMO).

In the case of avocados, when growing from the pits of avocados bought at the store, they won’t actually bear fruit. So, if you’re looking for something to supplement your harvest of food, doing this wouldn’t really help.

But if you are just looking to grow a nice houseplant, or give your kids a project to work on, using avocado pits is a great choice!

Materials

So let’s get started! Here is what you’ll need (you can replace with similar items you can find around your home if supplies are in short supply or inaccessible):

• avocado pit
• mason jar (some sort of tall, water-proof container)
• toothpicks (all I had at home were skewers so I just cut them into smaller pieces)
• water

Instructions

• First, you’ll want to wash and clean your avocado pit. Make sure to dry it very well.
• Then, fill your container almost to the top with lukewarm water (leaving about an inch to the top)
• Next, find the larger end of the avocado pit. This is the part of the pit that’ll be in the water.
• Take your pit and insert toothpicks so that at least the bottom inch of the pit will be submerged in the water.
• Make sure the toothpicks are at a distance from one another, and an angle that they can just rest on the top of the jar/container while still allowing the pit to be partially submerged in water.
• Your avocado pit will need indirect sunlight to help it grow.
• Replace the water every 2-3 days.
• In most cases, your avocado pit should start sprouting within a matter of weeks. In some cases, it could take up to a month or two.
• By about month two, you should try with another pit if no sprouts begin to show.
• Congratulations!! If you have some stems growing you’ve done it right!
• You do need to prune them back once they’re about seven inches tall to allow your roots to thicken.
• Plant your pit in soil once leaves have started growing back.
• The pot will need to be about ten inches in diameter, and you’ll need to keep half the pit above the soil.

Not Too Bad Right?

How did it go? Is your plant making progress and growing big? How many of you tried this with your kids? How did they like it? Would you do it again or recommend it to others?

Let us know how your thoughts in the comments below or on our Facebook page!

Also, be sure to check out our other simple gardening projects like germinating using paper towels and starting seeds with used toilet paper rolls!