Has anyone ever grown avocado?

[anna.symcox]

I now have acollection of avocado stones on my windowsill - I kept them just in case they could be grown in UK, its warm and sunny on the Isle of Wight but maybe not warm enough!!!

Anyone got any thoughts??

[gcroft]

avos

I was thinking of having a go too, might try them in a heated propagator but i suppose you can't tell if they are fertile or whether they need special stratification treatment, i think a google search is necessary......

take a look at this for some advice

http://extension.unh.edu/Pubs/HGPubs/hpkitchn.pdf

[rauni]

My sister succeeded in growing an avocado once as a v. large houseplant. Started by half submerging the stone in water (stick three match-sticks into the avocado to rest it on top of a jam jar til it roots). It grew to about 5 or 6 foot tall, and then suddenly died! Maybe you need a big glasshouse?

[blackkitty]

Its easy to get an avaocado seed to grow by using the matchstick method or simply finding the right diameter jar and I've known people who have kept them going in a greenhouse for years but I doubt if you'll get one to fruit in the UK, it simply isn't warm enough for enough months in the year. Its fun to grow the plants though.

[leona]

i used to live in israel infront of a whole field of avocados. needless to say, i got sick of them very quickly..only now starting to eat them again....3 years later...

[SueA]

I have grown an avocado plant from the stone (see pic. attached) I just planted it in a small pot of compost & kept watering it until it eventually grew. I had tried the balancing it over water but it didn't work for me I just ended up with a stone with a soggy bottom! They have to grow to a fair size tree to produce fruit I think & it isn't warm enough to grow them outdoors all year round in Britain so most people just keep them as attractive house plants. You need to pinch out the top to keep it the height that you want it & it will fill out a little.

[Squirrel]

We had huge avocado trees back home - the avos were double the size of the ones you get here - about mango size. Lovely and sweet and buttery. I look at them in the shop and wish .... Do eat them over here but a very different taste. Still one of my favourite fruits/veg

[Sug]

My neighbour has an avocado which stands about 6 feet high and has over-wintered stood outside next to a wall. She has now planted it in the garden as it is too big to move about so we are all waiting to see how it comes through the winter next year. We are not holding our breath for fruit.

[herbivore]

I tried growing avos speared with matchsticks for years but they always went rotten and foul. Now I get loads of plants accidentally because they grow in my compost heap (maybe because it gets hot).

[hils]

I grew an avo from a stone/seed/pip whatever. Grew like a triffid, took over the housein one year. Only way out for it was through the back door. Handsome plant, all leaves though. Eventually had to sacrifice it to the great god of outdoors. One sharp frost - dead as a doornail.

[Nicos]

I knew an old bloke who had one growing in his living room and it went up to the ceiling and then around 3 sides of his room nailed to the ceiling!! must have been about 30 ft long