White Spots On Avocado Seeds

Question

Hi, there are white spots growing on my avocado seeds roots. I really don’t know if they’re a part of the root itself, or are some sort of fungus. I change the water every other day to make sure no fungus/mold grow in the water, but still I’m seeing these. They’re puffy stuff, like tiny pieces of white sponge that I can scrape easily with a tooth peak. Except one of the seeds, the others have suddenly stopped growing, and I’m afraid it’s related to these white spots. So, I have 2 questions please: 1. Should I scrape these off, or I should let them be? 2. If the stem is long enough and I plant the seed in soil, will these white stuff grow more under the soil and gradually rot the root? Thank you all.

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Answer 1

They are, likely, root nodules.

It is good to be aware that starting avocado in this fashion is for novelty, and it usually end in the tree's demise from infection. Seeds started with the toothpick and water method will lead to infections, almost, always. This is especially true if the toothpicks were not thoroughly sterilized before doing this.

I would plant that in soil, and skip this step, altogether, in the future. This will make things faster, anyway. They germinate and grow very well when planted, naturally, in soil.

From here, I would plant the seed, and apply a fungicide.

Here are some articles that will help:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/using-fungicides-in-garden.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/avocado/avocado-tree-growing.htm

Answer 2

Thank you BushDoctor for the explanation. I was under the impression that planting the seed directly won't work. Now I wonder why the toothpick method is all over the internet?! Haha...
Thanks again, Cheers!