Avocados are one of the healthiest fruits worldwide. Avocado with scrambled eggs has become one of the most popular breakfast menus in the world. According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, Avocados are full of 63 calories, around 3.5 grams of carbohydrates, lower sugar levels (< 1 gram), and 3 grams of fiber. They are full of multivitamins (K, E, C, B-6), magnesium, potassium, pantothenic acid, and riboflavin. They also contain Omega-3 fatty acids (good for cardiovascular diseases) that are also in fish.
Consuming avocados helps improve vision, heart conditions, prevents osteoporosis and cancer. Their popularity is due to the nourishment it packs and is responsible for the increase in demand. Therefore, there are many benefits from including avocado in your diet. However, avocado costs have skyrocketed over the years. Thus, the consumer cost of avocados is getting higher and higher.
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Why Are Avocados Expensive?
Avocado’s popularity and fame are one of the governing factors for its expensive pricing. Avocado has become a beacon of healthy eating for Gen Z and teenagers. Avocado prices have been skyrocketing and have increased to up to 129%. Therefore, having avocado with toast can melt a golden biscuit on toast.
The cost for resources required for avocado orchids is expensive, which is another governing factor to its pricing. They require a steady temperature, protection from the sun, pruning, and fertilizers. Furthermore, they require a moderately warm temperature. Only a few states in the US have relatively warm weather, California, Texas, and Hawaii. Therefore, the remaining forty states require imports which includes taxes and transportation costs.
How To Grow An Avocado Tree
Growing an avocado is an art that will be advantageous to you financially. Below are steps to help you develop an avocado tree.
Prepare The Seeds And Extract Them From The Fruit
Hold the lower base of the avocado and twist the upper part such that the pit opens up. Now you will find the seed embedded in the fruit. You will have to extract the pit without inducing any cuts carefully. It is of utmost importance you do not remove the brown skin around the seed. Ensure to keep the top end of the seed dry and the lower end wet from which the plant roots out.
Positioning The Seed
As mentioned earlier, the top and bottom ends of the avocado have different functions and so have additional requirements to grow. Identifying the top and bottom of the avocado seed can be trickier in some instances. The top is the tapered end, and the bottom is the oblong and flat side. Even in a roughly spherical seed, the pointy part is where the plant sprouts from.
Piercing The Seed For Placement
Now, you will have to make a temporary structure around the seed. You can create this structure by thrusting the toothpicks at a thirty-degree angle from the bottom in a downward direction. This temporary structure will provide support to the seed and simulate the environment needed to grow the roots and sprout the seed.
Submerging The Seed
Now take a glass or a bowl and fill it with water. Then submerged the scaffolding from earlier such that toothpicks allow the bottom of the seed to rest in the water. The upper part will be exposed outside. Ensure to keep the seed where there is an adequate amount of sunlight at a moderate temperature.
Sprout The Seed
The sign that indicates the sprouting of the avocado is the cracks formed at the top part. This latter extends to the lower part of the seed. One can notice taproots that protrude out of the seed from the lower part. The growth of the taproot will be constant, and there will be a time where the development of sprouts onsets.
Note: Taproot should always be wet.
Potting The Plant
Now, when the roots and the sprout (six to seven inches plant) of the avocado pit are visible, it is time to pot it in mud or peat. Before planting the avocado plant, make sure to cut off the upper three inches of the stem. This allows growth due to the apical meristem and sufficient sunlight. Now, plant the avocado such that the seed is exposed to sunlight.
Sit Back And Wait
You can use coconut with the soil to instigate the growth of the plants. Another thing to ensure is to keep the plant shielded from bugs. The bugs that attract avocados are aphids. You can wash it off by spraying outside or in the shower. It is also essential to maintain the plant every four to five days.
Conclusion
The plant onsets to grow fruits three to four years after potting. The fruit ultimately grows after 15 years. It might seem like a long time, but patience is a virtue, and it rewards avocados for a lifetime. Plant the seeds now to enjoy the fruits of your labor in the future.
