Within a matter of a few days from our last avocado update, our little plants underwent an incredible growth spurt.
They went from this new stem growth, last time we checked in:
Do you even recognize them? We almost don't. Now, if you look really close to the leaf you can see the bud of a little avocado (a closer picture of this below). Come on guacamole!
We've been trying to grow these little guys for just about 5 months and all of a sudden they just took off. We mentioned they sprouted new stems and since that point, they haven't looked back. We're really wondering if it has to do with the warmer temperatures since avocado trees really crave a warmer climate.
Since we last showed progress, the new stems shot up to about 8" and 10" within a matter of a week. They formed little leaves on the top that have since opened up and look great. This is the most action these plants have seen since they began sprouting roots back in January.
We've been studying up on next steps for the plants, knowing we will eventually need to "pinch out" the stem and transfer the plants over to pots with soil — wanting to try to find the perfect timing.
Pinching out simply means cutting back the stem to promote new multiple stem growth in a Y shape. This allows the plant to become shorter and bushier as it grows indoors instead of continuing to grow as a singular tall stem with only a few leaves at the top.
To be perfectly honest, the act of "pinching" or "cutting" the stem back has been terrifying us over the past several months ever since we learned it was something that must be done in order to promote new growth. While it's a simple cut, we just had no idea when the right time to do it was, much less the correct place on the plant. We must have read every article on Google and watched every YouTube video on growing avocado plants from seed, but each one varies in direction. I guess the one thing we've learned is — there isn't a correct formula, each plant is different and experimentation is encouraged.
So, we took the plunge and cut!
We went with taking back between 3 - 5 inches and made the pinch just above the point where smaller leaves seem to be growing on the trunk of the stem. We may have made a mistake by pinching below the actual leaf growth, but are hoping for the best.
Who knows if we will have killed the plants from here or set them up for brilliant growth. Wish us luck and as always, we'll be sure to keep you posted!
Oh, and btw you did not really believe me when I said there was a tiny avocado pod did you? Even if this plant does bear fruit, it could be 3-15 years before we could enjoy any guacamole. Trust me, if you are still reading this blog and that happens you're all invited!
Anyone else had luck with growing avocado plants indoors? Did you pinch or cut them to promote growth and if you did — did it work?