Hi everyone!

I have some questions about my seedling. I started it maybe in september in water. I can't recall when I got it in the soil, maybe beginning of Nov. Since, I've repotted up. When it got almost 12 inches, I read to pinch back the top leaves, so I did. Now it just replaced it self and is growing long and tall again, it's about a foot. It's got three leaves lower down, a stretch of maybe 3 inches of nothing, and now a top of 5 immature leaves. It's growing tall enormously fast, I don't know if I should pinch back again so soon. Any suggestions? I don't want a tall tree, but I don't want a stubby bush either, somewhere in betweeen....


Also, can anyone tell me why the 5 curly white and pink bizaare cotyledons are still there way down at the bottom? Very strong at that, hard to the touch. Should I remove them?

Hi Gen, You pinched the top when it got to 12 inches, and only one shoot grew from that & is now another 12 inches? That's weird that only one shoot grew. I pinched mine & it grew 2 branches. If it is growing tall & lanky, it might need more sun. Maybe try pinching top again?

>>>"Also, can anyone tell me why the 5 curly white and pink bizaare cotyledons are still there way down at the bottom? Very strong at that, hard to the touch. Should I remove them?"<<<<

I can't imagine what this is??? Any way you could post a pic?
I wouldn't remove anything.
If you just planted it in Sept & it's that tall, you did something right!!!

Hi Patty!

I don't think they lack sun, I'm on a southern exposure, and added a potent light to the mix. The light is intented for people with s.a.d., and also says the closest thing to natural sunlight, so since I have s.a.d. I got it. The plants responded just after I installed it so it must be doing something as a suppliment.

The cotyledons are very weird indeed, I had two, like normal, then it sprouted 3 more (I cut two off, for fun, dunno...). They lost alot of their pink I noticed when I took the pics. They are mostly white and green now. I've found nothing on the net about what they are or their purpose, and not for lack of research either. Just bizaare.

Thanks for your compliment! I measured it, and it seems I'm off....It's a foot and a half tall....Oy. I'm uploading pics right now.

Here we go..

This is where you can see I pinched it. Everything redish is new...once it greens, it will be seemless, no?

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o246/Eco2007/citrus022.jpg?t=1168111826

Top five leaves (looks like 4, but I count the baby leaf you can't see in the photo)

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o246/Eco2007/citrus001.jpg?t=1168112065

Not an ideal pic, but it shows the light, everything else has become a silhouette.

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o246/Eco2007/citrus015.jpg?t=1168112129

Mysterious cotyledons

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o246/Eco2007/citrus002.jpg?t=1168112213


And here's one for you Patty, my Jessamine. Now you can appreciate it's size! : )

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o246/Eco2007/citrus011.jpg?t=1168112287

I took more photos while I was at it, but nothing for this topic. I will post them elsewhere appropriately.

Thanks for your advice Patty!

Hey Gen, thanks for the pics! 1 1/2 ft high is pretty good for 3 months fall/ winter growth . I see what you mean about the weird cotyledons. It prolly won't hurt to cut them off, or let it go...they'll fall off eventually I'm sure.
I don't know why it didn't branch out after pinching. I'm NOT the pro on Avo's LOL, but mine now has several branches and is tree form (seed planted last yr Jan).
Wow, that is a BIG healthy looking orange jasmine! Mine are still 6-8 in high seedlings. You Grow Girl!

One way to speed germination of an avocado seed in soil or water is to remove the parchment like seed coat and slice a thin layer from both the top and the bottom of the seed before planting. When avocado seedling trees do not receive * VERY STRONG LIGHT* the plant sheds many buds along their stems, buds that might have grown into side branches. The result is the tree sends out new growth mostly from the tip. Therefore, indoors avocado plants are often gangly and sparse with leaves. The IDEAL spot for growing an indoor avocado is at the brightest window in the COOLEST room. The time from seed to fruiting under good growing conditions is about 10 to 15 years. Indoors, this time period is greatly lengthened and plants may never experience good enough conditions to ever flower, let alone ripen fruit. Lack of fruit on an indoor tree is no great loss, (avocado do not come true from seed) because they rarely produce as tasty fruit as those grown on commercial trees, which are grafted to good-tasting cultivars. Indoors, avocados are best looked upon as a houseplant that is inexpensive, fun to grow and somewhat attractive. - Millet

Gen, I just remembered that you said your apt is very warm. The Avo thinks it's summer & wants more summer light!!! Either get it cooler or give more light (I'd get it cooler). That is why it's so spindly. As Millet said - light & cool. They are s'posed to produce fruits in 4-5 yrs, but grown in pot & indoors in winter could take at least 10 yrs. - and the fruit could be fair or bad. I'm growing mine to graft mature fruiting stock onto them. Did you see my pics in other posts? I grafted one (of 2 varieties) on both of my seedlings & one took. It has 3 buds growing from the grafted scion, so it might fruit next yr. (I'm so happy 1 of the two took!!!). I have more branches now, so I will get more budsticks (from fruiting trees) of diff varieties to graft onto the other branches of my seedlings. I know lots of ppl that grew Avo seeds, but never heard of anyone picking fruits from them.
If you can't find the pics, let me know - I'll post it here.
I saw your cal's, meyer's & that beautiful orange jessamine!!! Nice trees!!

Thanks Patty!

I did not see your cado pics, but I would like a link, in all my searches on avocados here, I didn't stumble upon it, if you could, a link would be great!

I know about the hot temps,as posted above, I really don't know what to do about it. If we are not home, the windows have to be closed (we live in a seedy area of town) and when we are home, we do open it, but restrrictively cause te humidity drops so drastically when we do. Catch 22. Would you sacrifice ideal temp for bad humidity or vice versa? Not sure which ones mre important, but it's clear in my apart. they can't have ideally both. *sigh*

Thanks for your comments on my seedling and stuff, did you check out the light I got?

Oh and Patty,

Your comment of " You grow girl" sent me into a laughing frenzie on the floor. I called my BF and he equally laughed as hard, he wonders where you got that from, or was it on your own.

You grow girl!! LMAO!!!!!!!

LOL Gen, remember when ppl were (& still are) saying "you go girl"? It's a saying to chear a female on - like go team go! When "you go girl" was popular, I made a bumper sticker for myself that said "Yugo girl" because I am Yugoslavian LOL. You GROW girl LOL
I'll find that link.

Gen, go to "Forum for propogating fruits & trops" just under this one. In "Avo grafting' - 3rd page, & then "2 avo's ready to graft onto" 5th down.

Wow Patty, just had a look. Are they ever impressive! They are 2 years old?

No, I planted those seeds last Jan.- 1 yr. From water, went right into 4x4x14 inch tall pots. Great for root growth. The tallest (one that bud 'took') is 28 inches tall - from soil. They will be ready for bigger pots soon. I bet they're root bound. One is Reed (florida) & one is Hass. The graft that took is from mature Little Cado bud stick, so I will get Little Cado Avo's next yr!!
I can't wait to graft more varieties of avos on other branches! Hoping for a 5 in 1 tree. How fun!

I always wonder how you keep anyhting planted in pots like that from toppeling over. I will be transpanting all my seedling in spring and was thinking of going for pots shaped like that, it's just so windy here though. They'd fall over 20 times a day!