Avocados and dates are delicious and healthy. Wouldn’t it be great to have an avocado tree or date palm in your home to lend a tropical feeling to the living room – even when the weather outside is dismal and bleak?

Well, it’s possible. Growing avocados and dates from their pits is a fascinating experiment for adults and youngsters alike, allowing the grower to see firsthand how roots are formed and the life of a plant begins.

The avocado tree is a dense evergreen that sheds many leaves in the spring and grows quickly. The leaves are glossy and dark green, and some varieties have leaves that release an anise scent. The avocado’s petite, yellow-green flowers generally appear around January and bloom until March.

Avocados are chock-full of potassium, folic acid, and vitamins A and C. They may aid in alleviating asthma symptoms and can assist in easing bruising. Their monounsaturated oils lower LDL (“bad” cholesterol) but maintain HDL (“good” cholesterol) levels.

When Jennifer Catlin and her son Cooper decided to grow an avocado tree from the pit, they were not interested in the health benefits of the fruit. They were more intrigued by the day-to-day progress the little tree went through.

Avocados are easy to grow from the pit. They're also chock-full of potassium, folic acid, and vitamins A and C.

“It was an educational experiment to see how a plant works,” Jennifer says. “With the roots sprouting out of the seed and the rate at which it grew, it really provided us with immediate gratification, unlike many plants which take a long time to grow. When it would get dry, the leaves really would drop, and when you watered, the leaves would perk up almost instantaneously.

“And for a 4-year-old, patience is in short demand, so this was a really rewarding experiment that captivated his attention.”

Do it yourself

If you can find a Mexican variety of avocado or a Haas variety from California, those are more adaptable to our cooler temperatures and probably will fare better. There are two ways to start an avocado tree from seed: by sprouting it in water or planting it directly in soil. For either method, first wash the pit and let it dry.

To grow in water, pierce the pit with toothpicks to keep the seed dangling above the liquid. Three or four toothpicks should do the trick. Place the pit propped on the rim of a glass jar or vase with the bottom half of the seed immersed in the water. To speed up the germination process, slice the top of the seed. Keep the pointed ends facing upward, and in about two to six weeks the roots and leaves will be well-formed. Then you may sow the plant in loose potting soil.

Avocado pits started in dirt need light to germinate, so don’t completely submerge the seed. Use a 4- to 5-inch pot with porous soil. The top of the pit should be situated above the soil line. Keep the dirt fairly moist with temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees. Soon the leaves will begin to sprout, and a beautiful leafy plant will appear.

To grow a date palm, buy fresh, whole dates in the winter when they're in season. Remove the pits, peel off the tough, papery coating around the seed and wash and dry the pit before planting.

Once your avocado plant is in soil, it will thrive in a sunny spot in your home. Keep the soil damp but never soggy. If you need to transplant, do it in the spring. And if you move the tree outdoors in the summer, acclimate it gradually, allowing the plant to adjust to its new environment.

Growing date palms

The date palm is a thorny plant with traditional palm leaves that appear in various sizes, from small to large. Dates have their own health benefits. They’re high in iron, potassium and have modest amounts of vitamins A and B. Dates are beneficial for symptoms of anemia, relieving constipation and keeping fatigue at bay.

To begin a date palm, first buy fresh, whole dates in the winter when they are in season. Remove the pits. Feel free to eat the fruit, but peel off the tough, papery coating around the seed and wash and dry the pit before planting.

Date pits don’t need light to germinate and therefore can be submerged in soil completely. Fill a pot half full of moist peat moss. Place the seed on top and cover with more peat moss. If possible, try to provide a heat source from below.

Avocado Trees can be grown at home two ways: By sprouting a seed in water or planting it directly in soil.

Keep the soil moist but not soggy, and in a few weeks a date palm should poke its head to the surface. The plant will perform best in a well-lighted area of the home, and, if taken outdoors in the summer, should be introduced gradually.

Fun experiment

Donna Gardner, greenhouse manager at Sunrise Garden Center, used to live in California, where she experimented with growing an avocado tree. Although she didn’t stay long enough to see it produce fruit, it survived quite a few years.

“For little kids, I would imagine this would be a great experiment,” she says. “The same is true for sweet potatoes. Simply throw those in a bowl of water, and they will sprout as well, eventually becoming a lovely, long vine that you can grow in the ground or pot.”

Jennifer and Cooper Catlin enjoyed the experience so much they would do it all over again.

“We ended up having that tree for quite a few years. It grew to be almost 5 feet tall,” Jennifer says. “My husband loved the plant, but it got a little leggy and out of control after a while, so I threw it out.

“It was a fun experiment that I’d like to do again, but this time I’d pinch it back to get a bushier, more attractive plant.”

Sources: www.crfg.org, www.diynet.com, www.mothernature.com