Prepare and Root the Avocado Seed

• 1). Remove the skin and edible pulp of an avocado from the seed.
  
  
• 2). Wash the seed in room temperature water to remove any traces of the edible pulp.
  
  
• 3). Pierce the avocado seed with four toothpicks inserted to form a cross at the mid-section of the avocado seed. The toothpicks should be inserted around the "waist" of the seed, leaving a narrow end above and a wider end below the toothpicks.
  
  

Root and Plant the Avocado Seed

• 1). Fill a mason jar or glass with water to within 1/2 inch of the rim. Place the avocado pit so that the toothpicks suspend it on the rim of the jar. The wide end of the pit should be touching the water.
  
  
• 2). Place in a sunny window. Change the water twice a week to prevent mold.
  
  
• 3). When roots appear and reach 2 to 3 inches long, plant the avocado pit in potting mix in a 1 to 2 gallon pot that has at least one drainage hole. Leave 1 to 2 inches of the pit visible above the surface of the soil. Place where the plant will receive bright indirect or full sun light.
  
  
• 4). Water only when the top inch of soil is dry. Overwatering is the most common cause of problems with avocados grown as houseplants.