Avocado Seed Not Sprouting (4 Reasons Explained)

To coax a hard avocado seed to crack, all you need is patience. But sometimes, even that won’t work. Avocado seeds not sprouting can be very frustrating at times.

Which gets you thinking, avocado seed not sprouting.

Your avocado seed may not sprout for a couple of reasons. A few of them are the avocado you retrieved the seed from and was exposed to gamma rays. The growth rate of the avocado you’re dealing with is slower than the rest. The organic produce you’re using for the seed is chemically treated. Or you’re just using the wrong method for the seed to sprout.

We dive a bit deeper into these issues in our article below. So if you have a bit of time and want to know more,  keep on reading. 

Let’s get started. 

4 Reasons Behind Avocado Seed Not Sprouting

Growing an avocado plant needs patience. Because sprouting takes six to eight weeks on average. According to some sources, it might even take two to six weeks. But sometimes no matter how long you wait, the seeds won’t sprout. 

In that case, your seed may not sprout for a different reason. We noted down a few of the top reasons below behind avocado seed not sprouting. 

Reason 1: Exposed to Gamma Rays

It’s not frequent, however certain avocados are exposed to radiation. This is done to comply with international trade regulations, depending on the originating region. 

If the avocado seed you’re using was exposed to gamma radiation, it will not sprout. This is because of the gamma-ray messes with the growth rate of the food. 

But don’t worry, not all areas do this. If the seeds are from Central or South America, you should be fine growing them. So make sure to use avocado from this region. 

Reason 2: Growth Rate

Avocados are tenacious and might take months to mature. If you begin with hundreds of them, dozens will fail. It can take months for them to take hold. Furthermore, different kinds of avocados have different growth rates.  

“Hass” avocado pits are a little more difficult to start than the larger Florida kinds. But they will eventually start. So be patient during the entire process. 

Until they have their first set of genuine leaves, the seeds should be kept in the dark. It’s a good idea to store it in the back of the closet. Make sure the water is fresh every day and that the closet isn’t too cold. 

You can also use a seed germinator kit to make things easier for you. Here are some of the best. 

These kits will surely help you in this seed germinating process. 

Reason 3: Chemical Treated Organic Produce 

Unlike other plants, growing avocado is a tough nut to crack. As we mentioned before, it may take months for the seeds to sprout roots. So it needs to be kept in the right environment till it starts sporting. 

But for that to happen, you also need to use the right products, especially organic produce. Certain produce sold for mass consumption is treated with chemicals.

This is done to prevent sprouting while in storage. The same chemicals can stop seeds from sprouting in your hands. 

If you want to make your own compost you can use fruit and vegetable scraps, eggshells, coffee grounds, dry leaves, etc.

But if you aren’t that worried about keeping it natural and want something more convenient, then go for commercial ones. But as we mentioned before not all of them would do good for your plant. 

So make sure to use the right kind of organic produce. Here are some that you can try. –

The above-mentioned organic produce will not hinder the sprout of your avocado seed.

Reason 4: You’re not doing it right 

Many of us don’t know how to deal with avocado seeds the right way. We work on the seed the same way we do it with other plants. But the traditional methods won’t work for avocados. 

There could be a couple of reasons why your seeds are not sprouting. One of the main reasons is that you are not doing it right.

To get your seed to sprout and germinate, you must use the right techniques. You can check out the next section to get a brief summary of how to do so. 

These are all the probable reasons behind your avocado seed not sprouting. So the next time you are working on an avocado seed, keep these factors in mind. 

How to Sprout Your Avocado Seed? 

First, thoroughly clean your selected avocado seed. Then insert 3-4 toothpicks into the avocado seeds. And suspend them in a glass of water, broadside down.

Fill the jar halfway with water. Leave at least an inch of space between the seeds and the bottom of the container. 

Place it in a warm, shady area away from direct sunlight. If you don’t have a place as such, place it under direct sunlight with a good commercial plant shade. Here are few to try. 

These products is sure to give you the perfect spot for growing the seeds.

Change the water every week. It will take 2-6 weeks for it to sprout. 

And that’s all you need to know to figure out why your avocado seeds won’t sprout. With the help of the above guidelines, you can definitely make your avocado seed sprout the next time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Are coffee grounds good for avocado trees?

Answer: yes they are. You can consider using coffee grounds, compost, or fish emulsion. These all will help your avocado tree thrive.

Question: Will a store-bought avocado seed grow?

Answer: Avocado pits from the supermarket do germinate. Thus, you can develop your own avocado tree from a single pit. But as mentioned above, if it is exposed to gamma-rays it won’t grow. 

Question: How much sunlight does an avocado seed need?

Answer: Avocado seeds can withstand some shade. Potted indoor plants, on the other hand, require the strongest light possible. If you’re beginning from scratch, place the seed on a sunny windowsill. Until the roots emerge and the first leaves appear.

Conclusion 

Now you know the answer to avocado seed not sprouting. So the next time you are planning to sprout an avocado seed, you won’t be left in confusion. 

But remember when dealing with Avocado seed, patience is a virtue. We hope you found this article insightful. 

Thank you for having the patience to stay with us till the end.