Persea americana

The large seeds of avocados are not viable for much longer than 1 month after being removed from the fruit. Once the seed germinates it will take another 4 to 6 years before the tree will produce fruit. Additionally, avocados rarely produce seeds that result in offspring that closely resemble the parents. For these reasons, avocados are generally propagated by rooting stems.If you wish to propagate an avocado from seed, be sure to use a fairly fresh seed. You can germinate the seed with it half submerged in water that is sitting in a cup. Push 3 toothpicks into the thickest part of the seed, so that the 3 toothpicks can act as supports on the rim of the cup. Fill up a cup with water. The cup's diameter at the opening shoud not be larger than the toothpicks protruding from the middle of the avocado. Rest the toothpicks on the rim of the glass so that the seed is partially submerged. The thicker side of the seed should be facing down. Place the cup in a bright window sill. In roughly 1 month, you should see the seed sprout.When the sproutinng stem reaches 6" tall, transplant the seedling. If you live in an area that has a climate that is conducive to growing avocados, you can transplant the seed directly into the soil outside. If not you can plant it into a container. Remove the toothpicks. Make a depression in the soil where the seed will be placed with the roots facing down. Replace some of the soil around the seed so that it is not completely buried.