What's your question? Ask

Avocado Trees

Q.Avocado plant grown from seed.

Zone Exeter, United Kingdom | Anonymous added on October 2, 2018 | Answered

Hello there!

While I was at university, I started growing an avocado plant from the pit of a supermarket avocado I had eaten. It was a fun experiment and it’s still alive almost two years later and doing very well!

It’s probably now around a 2.5 feet in height, lots of leaves, and has 3 new branches (plus a tiny set of leaves at the very base of the plant). Overall it looks very healthy from my naive gardening knowledge!
As just a bit of extra information – I live in Exeter, United Kingdom. I think it’s hardiness zone 9a (ish). I’m guessing its a Hass avocado as that appears to be pretty much the only avocado type that’s sold in the supermarket. It’s currently grown in a 25-30cm pot. It’s outside during the summer and I bring it inside for winter.

Basically, I keep reading online that a avocado grown from a supermarket avocado pit will never flower / produce fruit? I don’t really mind – its a fun experiment anyway and its quite a pretty plant.
But I was wondering what is the reason for this, and whether there was any way of helping it produce fruit?

I read three reasons as to why, and I was wondering which was correct? Or a different reason altogether!
1) Avocados just have to be grafted. And no amount of good climate/gardening will make a shop bought avocado bear fruit as its just genetically impossible.
2) Avocados have to be at least 10 years old to bear fruit and a shop bought pit will just never get to that age without dying. If so, then why is that the case?
3) The UK just isn’t a good climate for avocados, and so will never bear fruit.

If there is a chance it would bear fruit – is there anything I could do to help?

Sorry for the long question!

Thanks very much!

A.Answers to this queston: Add Answer
Downtoearthdigs
Answered on October 3, 2018
Was this answer useful?
00

Log in or sign up to help answer this question.

Did you find this helpful? Share it with your friends!

You must be logged into your account to answer a question.

If you don't have an account sign up for an account now.

Looking for more?
here are more questions about...
Avocado Trees
Join Us - Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips!

Do you know a lot about gardening?
Become a GKH Gardening Expert

OK