Growing avocado from seed - without toothpicks!

I started experimenting with growing avocados from seed about 4 years ago when I was tired of spending money buying houseplants that would die after a few months. I had a few pots filled with soil so after doing a bit of research of what was easy to grow from seed, of the fruit and vegetables I regularly purchase, avocados were at the top of the list.

I started with the toothpick method (sticking toothpicks in the seed to enable the bottom half to sit in water) and never had any success with it so researched other methods. This one proved the simplest and most successful one so I have stuck with it ever since.  

1. Cut a fresh ripe avocado, remove the seed and wash any flesh off it. Some people leave it for a few days to dry out but I don't think it makes a difference to use it straight away.

 2. Get a small pot, or I usually reuse my tin cans and make a few holes at the bottom for drainage with a nail and hammer. But put it on a surface/draining dish that you would mind getting rust ring marks on.

3. Fill the container with soil.

4. Pop the seed, root side down (if the root is not obvious, it will be the bigger end of the seed). Fill with more compost until the seed is fully covered.

5.  Keep well watered and hopefully, a young seedling will emerge in a 1-2 months.

Some end up quite bushy with lots of leaves.

If they lack light they can grow quite leggy which I think they can look good in a shallow pot.

Good luck with growing your avocados from seed.