"Tropical" Plants-Avocado, Mango, & Pineapple

Gardening is not only relaxing, rewarding, and fun, but it's also one huge science experiment for me. What works, what doesn't? What helps, what kills? What happens when I do this or that? Really awesome. I have more plans and ideas to try. This blog is kinda an online science journal of my trials and errors. I started it over a year ago, but then I kinda let it die, and instead started a lesser version on Facebook. I decided it was time to update. 

(*Further updates can be found on a more recent post here.)

2016

These were my first attempts. They started sprouting roots, and maybe even a little stem, but then they all failed. About 30 or so pits just gone.

This is my second attempt. I finally started having success. My first avocado started growing in around April 2017. After that, it was just a matter of figuring out what works and what doesn't.

June 19, 2017- 6 new avocado sprouts. The closest one you can barely see, but the tallest ones jumped about 3-4 inches while we were in Alabama for 3 days. I'll need to transplant soon. I have 10 avocado trees growing so far!

June 24, 2017- 7 avocado sprouts. I measured them today. The tallest is about 14", the shortest is about an inch.

June 24, 2017- My first successful avocado plant is in the green pot. It's about 19" and has the most leaves. My second is the shortest at about 17". The third and fourth came about the sane time. The tallest is just over 25", and the last is about 23".
The small square containers were more sunflowers. The squirrels and birds killed them again.

July 7, 2017- Look at how pretty the bright purple stem is with those brilliant green leaves!

July 7, 2017- 15 sprouts altogether.

July 9, 2017- Transplanting: done.

August 6, 2017

Getting so big.

My new additions: mango trees! Super easy and fast to grow.

This little guy was our one casualty of our out-of-town calling trip. Poor plants were really dry when we got back. Like the one time it doesn't rain at all in Houston for a week!

Here's a better picture of my two mango trees I've got. The one on the left had to have a stake to try and straighten him out. He grew a pretty long stem while in the paper towel and ziploc bag, but the stem didn't know which way to grow. The other guy got a good stem in the bag, too, but not as long. It only took a day or two to straighten him out. Pretty leaves, huh?

My new crop of avocados.

August 12, 2017- Four of the six plants I took to New Mexico for my parents and sister. We'll see how a tropical plant does in the desert.

August 15, 2017

The tallest avocado is about 26.5". It may be time to transplant into some 5-gallon pots soon.

This little guy I planted in the ground for the homeowners and future tenants.

My mangoes. The one in the back is my newest tree, but now is the tallest. These things grow pretty fast. Those leaves are only about 4-5 days of growth. I may trim them again, but I'm kinda curious how big they'll get.

My new avocado crop. Sitting in water to crack open/get started. I'll be transferring a lot of them to dirt soon.

First to crack. You can see a little growth starting at the bottom.

August 20, 2017

5 avocados in 4-gallon pots.

1 pineapple in a 4-gallon pot. My ground avocado is doing well, too.

9 avocado pits in dirt cups. 2 of my biggest avocados have been having a rough time. I had to pinch the tops. Hopefully they'll recover. 3 mango plants doing great!

My new, fourth mango.

September 21, 2017

I tried to get all the pots in one picture. I can't stand back very far. New place has a tiny patio.

Transplanted out of cups. 6 new, thriving avocados. 5 were already there. I had to toss 3 or 4.

My new crop. Well see how well they actually do. These poor guys got REALLY neglected due to the flooding. They were in water cups with toothpicks when the storm hit. We'll see.

My mangoes. The little one on the right fit really confused. He should have come out the other side, more in the middle of the pot. But it seems he decided to burrow under himself and pop out the opposite side. Planted all at the same time, but I think that guy is pooped.

My pineapple is doing amazing since I transplanted it into a bigger pot.

Here's my confused mango. I may have to re-pot him to put the sprout more centered, so he has better room to grow.

It's hard to see, but this avocado has a dead stub. That was its first sprout, but that stem died during all the flooding, moving, and neglect. But I saw it had a little stem bud next to the dead one. So I pruned the dead stem off and waited to see what would happen. It grew. And now it's doing just fine. Leaves and everything.

These two have double stems. The one on the left might stay that way. They're keeping up with one another and don't seem to be competing, but sharing. The one on the right will probably eventually kill off and absorb the smaller stem. That's what usually happens. But it's cool.

I think it's fascinating that this mango pit has grown about 3x the size it was when we started it. It seems like it is supposed to become part of the tree, rather than being absorbed by it. Just really cool.

My big guys seem to be doing well. They had a rough couple of weeks, which I think is why their leaves are a much lighter yellow-green than usual. But they seem to be doing better. I'll probably help then out a bit with some Epsom salt.