A few weeks ago (about the same time we planted the citrus seed), we decided to try sprouting an avocado seed. I have always heard that this is ridiculously easy, but it is something I have never achieved, despite several attempts and many moldy seeds. But I thought the kids might have better luck than I have, so we pulled out the toothpicks and popped the seed bulbous side down in a glass mug of rain water. Below are the current results. Now, in truth our experiment suffered from some initial challenges. Most sources seem to recommend that you do not wound the pit or the skin in the process of opening the avocado and also suggest that the water be changed regularly to avoid mold. Our knife scar is clearly apparent on the second photo, but I really don't know why that is a problem because the toothpicks wound the skin and pit. We also did not refresh our water, that growth at the bottom of the pit is mold or algae not evidence of roots.
So, we went back to the web for alternate advice and found the recommendations of Lee Reich (http://www.crfg.org/tidbits/AvocadoFromSeed.html). In contrast to the "don't wound" theory, he/she actually suggests that the pit be peeled and a thin slice shaved off the top and bottom. He also recommends sprouting in soil as a preferred alternative to water. Based on this advice, we peeled the pit that has been soaking for two or so weeks, sliced the top and bottom, and popped it into fresh water after carefully cleaning the mug. We also peeled and shaved a new pit that had been carefully removed from the fruit without injury. This pit was planted in a 4:1 mixture of potting soil and worm castings. We moistened this with a rain water/worm tea concoction.
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