I cannot resist planting seeds. No matter how big or small, if they are in a fruit then I plant them with a vision of having an orchard of oranges and tangerines, even a kiwi or perhaps a pomegranate tree. Sometimes they grow and die whilst growing, very rare do they survive. The pomegranates were too much of a good thing as I had approximately 20-30 growing pomegranate seeds in a pot. They were not viable and died after the first two miniature leaves appeared.

However avocados are something completely different. They are not seeds but something else, known as  a pit I believe. Every avocado that has been mixed in a salad in my kitchen had its pit washed and placed in an egg cup balanced on water. After a while I pushed 3 toothpicks into the pit to suspend it over the water and eventually a root would appear. The next step was a small white shoot that would one day develop into an avocado tree, bringing fruit.

That is the idea, but often ideas do not develop as they should. However I persevered and two years ago, or was it three, I had an avocado that was growing strong. During the Summer months I kept it outside where it expanded and grew, but in Winter it was confined to the warmth of the appartment. Even avocados are not snow and ice proof. In the meanwhile a second avocado pit was treated in the same way. I now had two plants. the first was maturing and making more branches and leaves. The second one had a problem in summer due to being put outside too early and nearly froze to death. However, I looked after it and it again began to make new leaves. I repotted both plants to give them more room for their roots. After all they would grow tall and big.

It is now winter and they are both again inside, or were. There was a little problem. I noticed that they had brown leaves now and again. I examined the smaller of the two and saw suspicious little white objects in the draining saucer. I did not touch them and they were not moving. Just a figment of my imagination perhaps. The older avocado was also suffering. It was in a second covering pot to make it look nicer. I gave it water now and again and one evening removed the second pot and washed it out. Wait minute what was in the pot. They seemed to be bluish, but were not moving as I had already filled this pot with boiling water. It was then that I saw it. It sleaked across the top of the earth, it was bluish and very centipede similar.

That was enough for me. The pots were cast outisde in the cold weather, which was no longer so cold. They are still sitting outside and even survived our hurrican that passed through yesterday. I noted the next garden rubbish disposal is at the end of the month and they they will both be tipped into my garden rubbish container and collected. In the meanwhile I am keeping them outside hoping that whatever was living in the earth will die in the meanwhile. There are some things you should just leave alone.

Daily Prompt: Let’s Kill It