Log time ago...used to do it as a kid.
If I recall, you start it by putting 2-3 toothpicks in the sides of the fresh seed(no drying out), then hang it into a glass of water (pointy side down) - the toothpicks keep the whole seed from being submerged.
In a week or so, you should see a root growing out of it. That's when you plant it in a pot with topsoil.

I did. It was spindly tho and grew fast if I remember right.
I got tired of it about as fast! lol

Here is a link that might be useful: link on starting avocados

Whoops...Base side down in water, not the pointy end.

No wonder it took so long for mine to get a root...I put mine in the water pointy side in the water. LOL But it did get a root.

Thank you so much!

I remember doing a sweet potato like that with toothpicks and a glass of water.

I googled avocado seeds and in one article it said it could take 20 years for the tree to make fruit! My goodness...I will be 70 years old before it makes me some fruit if that is true...LOL

I am excited now!

Deb

Our neighbor had a very tall avocado tree in her front yard which didn't produce fruit, but the leaves made a huge mess every single day...she had it taken down.

Point up, wide end down, under water. I usually let it dry a day or so before putting it in water, not sure why.

Did a sweet potato, and a pineapple.

I use to have large potted plants all over my house.When I would cut an avocado I would stick the unwashed seed,pointed end up,down into the soil of one of the plants,pushing it into the soil just until the top was about 1/4 in. covered.Then I would forget about it until I would see it sprouting.Never had much luck having them grow over a few inches tall then they would shrivel up.One time though,I had one grow to the ceiling and start bending over before I let it die.It only had one stem about the size of a jumbo pencil with about 10 leaves on it.Pitiful looking thing.LOL Never had any luck starting the seed in water.

Pinch off the new buds pretty often til it starts to bush out.Otherwise it will get tall and spindly and break off.

Caroline-I did that but it just kept getting tall and never bushed out.

I have one in my kitchen and it does grow tall and spikey with a few leaves on top. My son has it in a cup with water and toothpicks holding it up.

I started one this way when I was around 9 years old and my mom said that it would bear when I went to college. Sure enough my first year it did finally have fruit. But it wasn't grafted and one part of the tree doesn't grow fruit. But the avocados are quite large and they slice like butter.

Growing up in Miami, we had one in the backyard and it was old and still gave us avocados. It is a difficult tree to keep healthy, at least in Florida it was. It would get diseases all the time. The leaves would get black and many times the fruit just fell before it was anywhere ready to eat. Didn't taste as good... My parents finally had it cut down years later.

I started one last year. We had it outside all summer and it did well except some bugs started eating it! It's about 18" to 24" tall now but hasn't really grown all winter inside. They get spindly if they aren't getting enough light. It's too cold to plant them in the ground here so I'm not sure what I was thinking with this thing! I guess I'll just see what happens to it!

I have 2 on my windowsill now, been there at least a month, I don't think they're going to sprout :-P

I did put them pointy side down, and I think they may have dried out a smidge.

Oh DARN, I'll have to buy some more avocados and try again :-P

april

It seems like mine took a long time to sprout so don't give up!

Ok, I won't give up, but I still think I'm going to get some more avocados at the store - ya'll have started a craving :-)

My current FAVORITE way to eat them is in Chicken Tortilla Soup - yum!

april