Gardening with Gary

Gardening Advice from an Expert

Children's Gardening

Julie writes~
I want my son to have a "come grow with me" 5th Birthday Party. I want to have each child plant something easy in a small pot and take it home with a ruler in it to watch it grow! What plant/seeds would you suggest that would grow fast (little patience at 5) and be easy for me to find in South Florida. The party is Jan. 7th; I'm anxious to get your advice.

A. Avocado pits [seeds] are excellent for youngsters. They can be secured with three toothpicks pushed into the pit at intervals about a third of the way from the bottom [large end]. These support the pit when placed in a glass of water. The base of the pit should be in 1/2" water. Maintain level by adding water but never change the water. As long as the water remains clear, the pit is not rotting. If the pit does rot, discard it and start another pit. Small roots will appear on the bottom, then the pit cracks and reveals the developing stem. There may be more than one stem and these should always be left alone. When the top stem reaches 6", cut it back to 3". This induces a bushy leafy plant. Do not wait more than 3 weeks after cutting it to plant it. Be careful not to injure roots. Remove or break toothpicks off before planting. The upper portion of the seed must be exposed to allow new stems to grow. The avocado should be potted in a large clay pot in a light sandy soil mix. Kids can watch the roots develop followed by the green stalk and then the foliage all rather quickly. They can measure daily so they would enjoy that and learn.