Growing an avocado plant 🥑
I bought an avocado the day I quitted my job, made it a salad and planted the avocado seed into a pot.
When I planted it, I thought that if it grows well, then it's a sign that my master's application will go well too, and my decision of quitting my job to apply for a master's would eventually be proven a correct choice. It's superstition, but I prefer to think so, just to feel more hopeful towards my life and future.
Before planting it, I was wondering how exactly I should plant it. Most of the information online suggests placing the seed into water for it to grow its roots first, and then transplant it to a pot. Yet, I found one video comparing the growth of avocado plants that had and had not been transplanted. According to the video, the transplanting process can actually damage the roots of the plant and thus delay its growth. So, even though that plants that grow in water tend to sprout earlier than those in pots, the ones in pots actually grow better and larger eventually.
Here's the actual video: https://youtu.be/CL0IVzjmB_U?si=TCHId8ENftSnzuZR
To me, I just generally like things to be done in their most natural way. If this plant is mean to be grow in soil, then let's grow it in soil. The YouTuber did mention, that growing in soil requires more patience, since you cannot easily see the result. Unlike growing the seed in water, you cannot see through the pot and know whether your plant is actually growing or not. For up to 8 weeks, you basically receive no positive feedback, in fact any feedback from your plant. That can easily discourage many people, making them doubt whether their seed is actually viable. Some people might end up quit taking care of the plant in the middle, despite their plant might already grew out roots in the soil without them knowing, and the plant will eventually die without them keep watering.
In summary, growing the seed in soil would have better final results than growing in water, but you have to withstand the frustration of waiting and uncertainty.
I buried my seed into the pot, put the pot on my balcony to give it sufficient sunshine, and water it every 2-4 days. There were no signs of growing for almost two months. All you can do at that time, was to keep watering regularly and believe that your plant would eventually sprout. Sometimes, I really wished that I could take my plant to an X-ray examination, so I can know whether the roots had grown or not.
Then finally, on the day before yesterday, a tiny little sprout grew out in the middle of the pot 🌱. It's so small and ignorable, with a brownish color similar to the soil, but definitely a sprout of an avocado plant.
Life is like that sometimes, I guess. You don't always see the results of your efforts immediately, but that doesn't mean that your efforts are worthless. You just got to be persistent and believe that it will eventually pay off, then it may :)
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