Root rot in avocado seed

by Samuel
(Manchester, England. )

Rotted, as you can see it doesn’t have a stem nor green tissue.

Rotted, as you can see it doesn’t have a stem nor green tissue.

Hi there.

I’ve been growing an avocado seed for 3 months almost. First, it was in water until it got some roots (it only got a fat root, and 3 less thick roots coming out from it). Then I potted it in some soil, but for some reason this soil held too much water, and the roots turned brown and rotted. The avocado does not have a stem, yet. It only has a really small green area that you will see in the pictures.

Yesterday, I scraped off some of the brown tissue, leaving the white/cream root underneath, put some rooting powder and poked the avocado pit in some perlite, with a plastic bag on top to retain humidity.

Should I give up on this plant? Or can she be saved?


Thanks in advance.


P.S: im really sorry for not sending you a picture of the rotten roots, but I planted the pit in perlite yesterday and I don’t want to stress the plant anymore. I hope this is okay.

Comments for Root rot in avocado seed

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Jun 08, 2020
 I think you know the answer
by: Jacki Cammidge, Certified Horticulturist

Germinating seeds, of any stripe, are particularly vulnerable to any kind of disturbance. Rotting from too much moisture is a death knell, and it's only the sheer size of this seed that has made it last as long as it has. I will be extremely surprised if you get any results.

Consider this a science experiment, and vow to do better next time.

Luckily, Avocados are not rare. You can pick up another one at the grocery store, and do another experiment.

I've done them when you poke three tooth picks into them and they hover over a glass of water, but this is only so you can observe them rooting, not as a permanent growing situation. They don't like too much water, especially if it's stagnant around their roots. They are not an aquatic plant.

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