# Is growing my own avocados indoors a pipe dream? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 25, 2006, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-growing-my-own-avocados-indoors-a-pipe-dream/385549 "2006-12-25T19:21:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2006, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-growing-my-own-avocados-indoors-a-pipe-dream/385549/1 "2006-12-25T19:21:31Z")
Years ago my mother would sometimes get an intact avocado pit, stick some toothpicks in it, and leave it partially submerged in water, and often a plant would start growing. I don’t recall them ever getting much past a foot or so high before they died or something (cats, kids, vicissitudes of fate) killed them. Update to the present, I’ve discovered I really do like those little avocados in a variety of ways, but at (typically) $2 - $3 a pop they’re a bit too expensive to eat as a casual snack. In the mid-Atlantic climes of Maryland is it impossible to grown an avocado tree indoors. Would I need one of those elaborate enclosed “herb” growing systems? What the scoop on cultivating indoor avocados? How much production would I get per tree? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2006, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-growing-my-own-avocados-indoors-a-pipe-dream/385549/2 "2006-12-25T19:33:01Z")
If nothing else, I believe you’d need both a male and a female tree. Plus a lot more light than you’re likely to have naturally occurring indoors in mid-Atlantic climes. twicks, who, despite a thumb of at least a moderately respectable shade of green, has never been able to keep an avocado sapling alive more than a year or so. ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2006, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-growing-my-own-avocados-indoors-a-pipe-dream/385549/3 "2006-12-25T19:37:41Z")
I have a friend of a friend (of a friend) who grew several avocado trees inside a huge greenhouse up in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., but I don’t have any details–other than the trees were about 20 feet tall. ---
**Author:** ![outside\_artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7993a0/32.png) [@outside\_artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outside_artist)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2006, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-growing-my-own-avocados-indoors-a-pipe-dream/385549/4 "2006-12-25T22:25:03Z")
I remember my mom growing them all of the time just by putting one on the kitchen counter in a vase and sticking toothpicks all over the pit and submerging it in water until it sprouted. Mad Magazine promoted these plants and called them “Arthurs”. The pit would split in two and begin to grow, but very slowly. ---
**Author:** ![outside\_artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7993a0/32.png) [@outside\_artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outside_artist)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2006, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-growing-my-own-avocados-indoors-a-pipe-dream/385549/5 "2006-12-25T22:29:00Z")
I forgot to add that I do not recall ever eating one of the veggies, nor do I remember the trees ever being very tall, even though my Mom had a very green thumb. Some things just are not meant to be growm indoors. Maybe a hyponex unit **would** be of help. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2006, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-growing-my-own-avocados-indoors-a-pipe-dream/385549/6 "2006-12-25T23:36:52Z")
All you need to know about [growing avacados.](http://www.avocado.org/about/growing_avocado.php) The answer to thing you are most interested in: > [@](#): > > 1. Don’t expect your house plant to bear fruit. Although this does occur occasionally, it usually requires grafting. A plant grown from seed will take anywhere from five to 13 years to flower and bear fruit. Fruit on trees grown from seeds are [sic] seldom good to eat. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-growing-my-own-avocados-indoors-a-pipe-dream/385549/7 "2006-12-26T00:12:10Z")
[QUOTE=astro] In the mid-Atlantic climes of Maryland is it impossible to grown an avocado tree indoors. [/QUOTE] The short answer is “no, probably not.” My slightly more optimistic answer is that my friend in Maryland had an avocado plant growing in her kitchen for a couple few years and the darn thing grew to about seven feet tall in its sunny south-facing location. But as others have pointed out, you don’t want to invest 15 years’ growing time on an avocado seed you got from the store which was possibly grown from a graft. You’d want to get an avocado plant from a reputable garden store so you know what you’ll eventually get, and you’ll need lots of space, sun and patience. Ideally, you’d grow in in a large tall sunroom and wheel it outdoors in the summer. Be prepared to wait many years and still possibly be quite disappointed with the results. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-growing-my-own-avocados-indoors-a-pipe-dream/385549/8 "2006-12-26T00:47:24Z")
[QUOTE=levdrakon] Ideally, you’d grow in in a large tall sunroom and wheel it outdoors in the summer. Be prepared to wait many years and still possibly be quite disappointed with the results. [/QUOTE] So you’re saying it’s like being a parent? ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-growing-my-own-avocados-indoors-a-pipe-dream/385549/9 "2006-12-26T02:01:20Z")
My wife’s office had an avocado tree in the back yard, and she says her family planted it from an avocado pit back when it was their house. The thing was huge, and gave out positively huge amounts of great, fantastic avocados. So, it wasn’t a graft job, but it was close to its natural climate. I don’t recall any other avocado trees in the area, so I’m guessing they’re not male/female, either. Regrettably as soon as she left her office to live with me, it got an insect plague that caused the rest of the staff to cut down the tree. Sad, although I think it was a pretext to having some sun in their garden. ---
**Author:** ![indecisive1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/41988e/32.png) [@indecisive1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/indecisive1)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-growing-my-own-avocados-indoors-a-pipe-dream/385549/10 "2006-12-26T13:40:36Z")
I have a plant that I sprouted from a store bought avacado. I think it is about 10 years old. It lives inside in the winter and I put it out in the summer. I’ve never seen a bloom on it. It’s about six feet high and maybe four feet in diameter. It gets very very sad over the winter but always hangs in there. Dang thing is really kind of a burden. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-growing-my-own-avocados-indoors-a-pipe-dream/385549/11 "2006-12-26T14:22:28Z")
My in-laws have several large avocado trees grown from pits in their land. They all give fruit of top quality and in large amounts. I just planted one in my backyard last year. It will take a while. All things said, These are pretty large trees. I don’t know how big your house is and if there are any varieties of avocado that will bear edible fruit in a small size, but I think you could really hit the ceiling of indoors fruit growing, so to speak. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-growing-my-own-avocados-indoors-a-pipe-dream/385549/12 "2006-12-26T15:50:53Z")
When we bought a house with more than a dozen producing avocado trees around it, one of the thinkgs my father was told was to never collect the leaves from around the trees. We left the leaves in place to compost. Not sure if it was really necessary, but it kept down weeds and made the area under the tree a very different place to play. We tried growing trees from seeds from time to time and never got one over a couple of feet tall. Of course, these were all done in jars. There really wasn’t room left to plant one outside, and no point to it either. ---
**Author:** ![daffyduck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ec9cab/32.png) [@daffyduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/daffyduck)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-growing-my-own-avocados-indoors-a-pipe-dream/385549/13 "2006-12-26T15:55:05Z")
It depends on the variety. Fuerte avocados will sometimes produce edible fruit from a seedling. Hass avocados don’t. Your best bet for growing a tree indoors would be the new dwarf variety, “Don Gillogly.” You can find more information about it at: [http://www.avocadotrees.com](http://www.avocadotrees.com) Have fun! ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-growing-my-own-avocados-indoors-a-pipe-dream/385549/14 "2006-12-26T21:28:09Z")
Don’t you have to get bees inside, for an inside tree to bear fruit? I once grew a tomato plant indoors. I carefully went from flower to flower with a cotton swab, even making bee noises. No tomatoes ensued. I yam what I yam, and I yain’t a bee. (Yes, Popeye was my hero.) ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-growing-my-own-avocados-indoors-a-pipe-dream/385549/15 "2006-12-26T22:31:12Z")
Yikes! $50 a seed for a tree that might bear avocados?! I think I’ll stick to the pre-made store variety. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2006, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-growing-my-own-avocados-indoors-a-pipe-dream/385549/16 "2006-12-26T23:00:43Z")
😕 Aren’t most avocados grafted? ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2006, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-growing-my-own-avocados-indoors-a-pipe-dream/385549/17 "2006-12-27T01:28:45Z")
[QUOTE=AskNott] Don’t you have to get bees inside, for an inside tree to bear fruit? I once grew a tomato plant indoors. I carefully went from flower to flower with a cotton swab, even making bee noises. No tomatoes ensued. I yam what I yam, and I yain’t a bee. (Yes, Popeye was my hero.) [/QUOTE] Did you really make bee noises? you are kinda sick! 🙂 I believe most artificial pollination is done with brushes rather than qtips. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2006, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-growing-my-own-avocados-indoors-a-pipe-dream/385549/18 "2006-12-27T02:12:26Z")
Well, if you believe [this article](http://pollinator.com/self_pollinating_tomato.htm) on tomato pollination, making bee noises isn’t as silly as you think. The cotton swab probably didn’t do much though. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2006, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-growing-my-own-avocados-indoors-a-pipe-dream/385549/19 "2006-12-27T03:04:48Z")
[QUOTE=levdrakon] Well, if you believe [this article](http://pollinator.com/self_pollinating_tomato.htm) on tomato pollination, making bee noises isn’t as silly as you think. The cotton swab probably didn’t do much though. [/QUOTE] :shocked: live and learn, they say. How about these Year-Round indoor tomatoes I see on infomercials, now? Do they bring a buzzer? ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2006, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-growing-my-own-avocados-indoors-a-pipe-dream/385549/20 "2006-12-27T04:24:53Z")
[QUOTE=Sapo] :shocked: live and learn, they say. How about these Year-Round indoor tomatoes I see on infomercials, now? Do they bring a buzzer? [/QUOTE] I haven’t seen them but I’d suppose an electric toothbrush held against the flower branches would do the trick. Or you could set your cell phone to “vibrate” and have someone call you. 🙂