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.
