I have been trying for months (or if I’m honest, a couple of years) to germinate an avocado from a seed. I’ve tried the toothpick method in water many times to no avail and so this summer I stuck a few avocados (we eat a lot of them) in a pot at the bottom of the steps and left them to it.
A few weeks later I noticed I had five rotten stones and, hold on a second, one stalk. We had lift off!
A couple of weeks later, we now have a tiny avocado tree with seven leaves. I also have a new batch of stones stuck in the soil in case they’re inspired by the tree already growing. Come on chaps!
I am very excited about this as it’s been an exercise in perseverance. I hope it survives the winter as I won’t be here to look after it but nature is often better left to itself.
While I’m reading that most commercial avocados grow fruit from grafts, I’m optimistic that in about ten years or so, we may have a freshly-picked avocado from the garden.
One can dream!
