Avocado sprouting seeds?

Question

I understand the basics of sprouting an avocado seed, using the water and tooth-pick-suspension method, but my main question is: what water should I use? Bottled? Distilled? Tap? Dechlorinated Tap? Purified? and also I would like any helpful tips about sprouting a seed.

Answer 1

Are you planning on eating the sprout? If so I would suggest some good water and remember you will have to refresh it as it drinks...

Answer 2

I don't think it matters too much, but most plants will do better with dechlorinated water, for my house plants i take water out of our fishtanks.  so its got extra nitrates and stuff in it which plants love.  but I'm not sure i would want to do that for food plants.

You could use bottled water, if your family already buys it, i personally wouldn't run out and buy bottled water just for my plants.  but we usually buy it for us anyway, since our water here is nasty, and theres nearly always a half empty bottle sitting somewhere that no one wants to drink anymore because its been sitting out too long so that would be great for plants.

  Or you could use rain water.  just put a bucket outside somewhere, but you might want to put a screen or something on it to keep bugs from using it for breeding. Alot of people have rain barrels that collect the water from there roof.. (something Ive been wanting to do)  some people say the water from the roof isn't the safest either tho, because it runs across the shingles or something? i dunno, but it would be great to water the grass or flowers with.

Answer 3

Hi Fish Guy,

Avocado's 101.

Any clean water is fine, by clean I mean no chemicals.

Usually I soak the seed in a the jar I'm going to sprout it in for about two days.  This seems to soften up the seed and jump start the sprouting process.

Then do the toothpicks, and wait and wait.  It will take a while.  (Pointy end up, with the bottom always in water, don't let it dry up.)

Periodically you will want to change the water, about every two weeks, so it doesn't get smelly while it is sprouting.

If you want to eventually plant it outside, you will need to plant it somewhere it doesn't get much of a freeze in the winter.  The first couple of years you can pamper it with plastic or cloth to protect it from a freeze, but eventually it will get too big, so you want to have a mild climate.