How Long Does an Avocado Seed Take to Germinate?

Originally from warm and humid South America, the avocado is very popular all over the world. But the avocado is not only a real super fruit in terms of taste.

With a few correct steps and a little patience, you can grow a decorative avocado plant from the remaining core.

But how long does it take for the avocado seed to develop into a beautiful houseplant and what do you have to consider? You will find the answers to the most important questions in this guide.

The most important things in a nutshell:

In the secondary paragraphs, we would like to introduce you to the common avocado seed cultivation methods.

How to Germinate an Avocado Seed in Water

Probably the most popular method of growing avocados is in a cup or mug of water. Half of an avocado seed, freed from the pulp and peel, is placed in a jar with water.

Depending on the size and edge diameter, toothpicks help to fix it. With this method, the seed remains in water even after germination until a branched rootstock and strong sprout with leaves has developed.

In a bright and warm location, the first crack should be visible underneath after 10-14 days. The avocado seed starts to sprout.

After about a month, a stumpy root appears, which is now steadily getting longer and stronger, and after about 2-3 months, a small sprout with fine leaves.

Now is the right time to carefully plant the seed in a pot with soil.

Next, you will learn everything you need to know about the equally popular growing method of an avocado seeds in soil.

How to Germinate an Avocado Seed in Soil

Alternatively, it is also possible to plant the seed directly in a pot and let it germinate in dirt. Proper watering is essential. It must be neither too dry nor too wet.

Compared to the method in water, this method requires a little more finesse, since the seed does not germinate or rot if it is too dry or too wet.

Another disadvantage is that you cannot observe the first successes in the ground. So you have to be patient until the sprout has fought its way up.

It is practical, however, that you do not have to repot for the moment, as the growing plant can cope with the given space for a certain time. Therefore, make sure that you use a pot with a diameter of at least 14 or 17 cm right from the start.

Whether this is made of clay or plastic is up to you. Both have advantages and disadvantages.

As with the water bath method, a warm and bright location also applies to the direct method in soil. A small sprout should be visible on the surface after about 2 months.

Video: Comparison of the Two Avocado Seed Cultivation Methods

In the following video, you can see the individual steps of the two cultivation methods, again beautifully illustrated. The individual advantages and disadvantages of the two methods are also discussed.

Finally, you will receive a short summary from our editorial team.

Conclusion: Which Avocado Growing Method Works Best?

With both cultivation methods, it is possible to grow an attractive plant from an avocado seed. In our tests, we found that the method in a water bath leads to successful germination more easily and quickly.

Furthermore, you can already observe the first small cracks in the core through a transparent glass or jar.

We have also noticed that the water bath method has a higher success rate than the soil method. With the soil method, a little more finesse is required, since the right watering turns out to be not that easy and mold can quickly develop.

However, if cultivation in soil is successful, stronger roots will form there than with the method in water.

With optimal conditions (warm, bright and protected from draughts), cultivation takes about 4-8 weeks with both methods.

We recommend that you simply try it yourself with both methods. This gives you two attempts if it doesn’t work right away.

We are curious about your experiences and look forward to your feedback!