We can either let it grow, take root and bear fruit. Or we can weed it out to prevent further damage.

What a positively charming book! While the seed-to-tree story has certainly been done before, the combined effort put into this quietly majestic version makes it a standout. The text flows beautifully, giving the plot a weighty yet soothing feel, like a cozy blanket. The pen-and-ink illustrations are finely detailed in a realistic style reminiscent of nature guidebooks, and bring the tree, its features and its inhabitants to fascinating life. Even the quality of the paper and binding fit the tone of the book, which will leave little readers appreciating the full life lived by every tree. The length was perfect, and JJ and I both loved it. Absolutely Baby Bookworm approved! The words in this song made me feel stronger again, like I was prepared to face anything. They stirred up an energy inside me and I was buzzing. Complete contrast to how I was feeling an hour before!Once the roots are at least 3 inches long, transfer the avocado seed to an 8-inch terracotta or clay pot with drainage holes. Fill the pot with sandy potting soil (a cactus soil can work). Plant the seed in the middle of the spot and ensure the pointed end is facing up! The top of the seed should be level with the soil surface but not cover the stem. Water thoroughly. Place near a brightwindow. To stratify seeds, first soak them overnight in water. Drain the seeds and place in moist sand or peat. Alternatively, place the seeds between moistened (but not soaking wet) paper towels, and wrap in plastic wrap. Some seeds will require storage for varying periods at warm temperatures (50° to 80°F), cool temperatures (34° to 50°F), or some combination of the two. These same conditions can often be obtained under natural conditions by the proper timing of outdoor planting. Warm, moist conditions are provided by summer planting while cool, moist conditions are provided by fall planting. Treatment length varies with the type of seed from one to six or more months. Scarification The length of the growth phase varies for different types of plants. Some plants, like common poppy, do all their growing in a single season, germinating in spring, setting seed and then dying by autumn. These plants are called annuals. Wait to fertilize until seedlings develop their first set of true leaves, which follow the first leaves to unfurl, known as cotyledons. Apply a water soluble fertilizer such as fish emulsion or seaweed at half strength every two weeks. Thin seedlings:

Continue to keep the mix moist, but not overly wet. Seedlings should be watered once a day or every other day, depending on how much sun and heat they get. Remember that seedling roots are fairly close to the surface and they’re growing in a small amount of media, so they don’t need a deep soak the way larger plants do. No matter how rotten you feel, there is a seed within you that contains the essence of who you are. Do not cover extremely tiny seed such as petunia, begonia, and snapdragon; simply press them into the medium or water them in with a fine mist spray. I was completely floored! Everything became so clear. Time felt like it had stopped while I remained still, almost craving more. And it's not just the corporations that have been hit with difficult questions about how the world's genetic resources are being handled. Recently, the Seed Savers Exchange, a repository for heirloom seeds, sent seeds to the Svalbarg Global Seed Vault. Kent Whealy, the co-founder of the Seed Savers Exchange, said the donation could undermine the intellectual property rights of indigenous seed savers because the Svalbarg seeds could potentially be bred and patented without fairly compensating the traditional, regional seed savers who gave them to the Seed Savers Exchange.

Discard or thoroughly wash any pots that previously housed diseased plants. Avoid using leftover soil from the nursery container you brought home, as it might harbor weed seeds and bad bacteria. The avocado tree originated in south-central Mexico, sometime between 7000 and 5000 B.C. Archaeologists in Peru discovered avocado seeds buried with Incan mummies from 750 B.C. The tree itself is an evergreen. It can grow 30 to 80 feettall. If the plant had successfully set seed, its genes will survive into the future as the cycle begins again. Organisms in the soil, like earthworms and fungi, feed on dead plant matter, helping to decompose the nutrients and carbon accumulated over the plant's life. This makes them available for future generations of plants and creatures further up the food chain, like the birds that will eat the earthworms. Eventually, even the longest-lived plant will die. This is the end of the life cycle for that individual, but the legacy of death is life.