avocado 101

for years i struggled with that stupid elementary school experiment... toothpicks, avocado seed, water. i never was able to produce much more than stinky water. i'm quite an accomplished gardener, so this was incredibly frustrating to me. after countless pits and various water sources, i gave up. i was ready to *gasp!* purchase an already established plant online. actually, my sister was going to have one shipped for my birthday, but after hearing from every grower in the country that it was so easy, she convinced me to give it one more shot. so last july, i finally did. and that is how i began my beautiful avocado, domingo*.

this time, was different. this time was successful. what made the change? well, first and foremost i began with a certified organic avocado. i allowed the pit to dry out for two days before potting it in a well-drained 50/50 rich humus and sand mixture. by allowing the seed to dry, the seed coat was pierced and the seed itself began to crack. i planted it with the pointed end up. the top third of the seed remained visible above the soil mixture. within a week, domingo had a stem beginning to sprout. by august, domingo had a three inch stem shooting upward and roots that had filled the six-inch pot. because my deck is very hot and sunny in the summer, i left domingo on a shelf under my canopy. i only brought him indoors if the weather was especially cool or windy.

now domingo is eight months old. his two stalks continue to grow strong and leafy despite living indoors. i try to put him in the sun as much as possible. i'll need to re-pot him and pinch him back again next month when he reaches fifteen inches tall. currently, he has two new leaf buds and tons of nodes along his two stems. i allow the soil to dry out almost completely before i water again. i have yet to use any type of fertilizer. i'm sort-of torn on the issue, because i'm much more interested in organic gardening. come summer, however, domingo will return to the shaded canopy on my warm deck and hopefully will be around for many years to come. if you're interested in starting your own avocado plant, here is some information that i have found to be quite helpful.

*domingo was named in honor of my favorite schwan's delivery man whom recently left the company to pursue a career in the ministry. domingo was so, so funny and would barter in order to make sales. he would beg me to buy something to "save his marriage" or to "not get him fired. " one very mild day in january, domingo offered to clean out my car if i would help him with a sale. ky and i always looked forward to his visits, and i wish him the best of luck in his future.