Planting an Avocado Seed

Materials

• avocado seed
• water
• clear plastic cup
• toothpicks

Directions

• Carefully remove the avocado seed from the avocado (fruit).
• Clean the seed (gently rinse and/or wipe the seed with a paper towel).
• Have students observe the seed with a hand lens and sketch a picture in their science notebooks.
• Using the pointy end of the avocado as the top, insert 3 toothpicks into the sides of the avocado seed. (Place the toothpicks at a 45 degree angle from the horizon, if you want the seed to sit below the rim of the plastic cup.)
• Place the seed in the cup (pointy end up).
• Fill the glass with water so that half of the seed is in the water.
• Place the cup in a sunny spot.
• Be Patient!
• Add water as needed.
• In approximately a few to several weeks, the seed will crack open and roots will start to grow from the bottom and a stem will sprout out from the top of the seed.
• Have  students continue to observe the seed and sketch its growth.
• When the roots and stem have grown a bit more, you may want to plant the seed in a small pot with some fertile soil.
• The plant can later be repotted to a larger pot or to a sunny spot outdoors.