Who doesn’t love a good slice of avocado toast right? Well I do, and I can’t get enough of this fruit. I have seen so many people show off their avocado plant that they grew from a seed, but I never could get my seeds to sprout.

Well apparently this is a fool-proof guide to growing an avocado plant at home, and who knows, maybe in your lifetime, you can even enjoy its bounty!

Step 1: Remove And Wash The Pit

To grow an avocado plant, you will first need to extract the seed from the fruit. Just be sure to remove the flesh around the seed without damaging it. Wash off any of the flesh still attached and it’s OK if some of the brown skin on the pit comes off.

Step 2: Prep The Soil

Avocados grow best in slightly acidic soil (pH of 6–6.5) with good drainage, so fill a 6- to 8-inch pot with a drainage hole with a cactus/succulent potting mix. This mix is formulated to be loose, fertile, and quick-draining for plants preferring drier soil conditions, like avocados. Add enough water to moisten the soil but do not make it too soggy.

Step 3: Plant The Pit

Depending on the variety, avocado pits can be oblong or sphere-shaped. Regardless of its shape, all pits have a top and bottom. The top is the slightly pointier end and is where the plant stem will emerge. The flatter end is the bottom, where the roots will emerge. It’s essential to place the pit with its bottom end down into the soil. Gently press the bottom of the seed into the ground so that only half of it is still visible above the soil line.

Step 4: Keep It Warm And Bright

Keep the pot in an area with temperatures between 65 to 85 degrees where it will receive indirect, bright light for at least six hours a day.

Step 5: Wait Until It Sprouts

The soil needs to remain moist but not soggy for the seed to break dormancy. Check it daily to ensure it’s damp. It can take two to eight weeks for the pit to sprout. You will see the seed start to crack—this is a normal part of the avocado seed growing stage.

You can also grow your avocado seed in water, but I think the soil method seems to be easier (in theory, as I am still waiting for my seed to sprout).

Avocados only need a general purpose fertilizer, like 10-10-10. Apply as directed every couple of months, and do not fertilise too frequently or heavily.

You can pinch back its leaves as this pruning will help the plant’s stem stay strong and give the plant an overall bushy growth. When the plant reaches 12 inches tall, trim the tip and top leaves right above a growth node. This will encourage healthy lateral growth. As the plant grows, you may need to stake the stem to help support its weight and keep the stem from bending over or snapping.

I really hope this works, so that before I die, I will be able to eat avocado from my very own tree, every single day.

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