Seeds

Avocado seeds come in all kinds of sizes, shapes, and textures; some are extremely large and some are small, some are round and some are shaped like a drop, some are smooth and others are knobbly.

Germination

I highly recommend peeling the seed if germinating in water, as this will both speed up germination and reduce the probability of the seed rotting. However, take care not to scrape the seed itself as this will create bright red “wounds” that can get infected. In my experience it is better to leave some of the seed coat on if it adheres strongly to the seed. The best way to prevent the seed coat from sticking to the seed is to put it in water as soon as it is removed from the fruit and leave it for a few hours before attempting to peel it.

I like to use shallow plastic containers with water to germinate my seeds. There is no need to use toothpicks; the seed can sit on the bottom of the container. I try to put the seed the right way up (with the pointy end up), but this is not super important. I then put the container in a sunny east-facing window that receives direct sunlight in the morning and light throughout the rest of the day.

It usually takes 2 to 8 weeks for the seed to crack open; sometimes the seed will start cracking open after just a few days and sometimes it may take as much as 3 months or more. There seems to be a loose correlation between seed size and the time it takes to germinate, in the sense that smaller seeds tend to germinate really fast in my experience, but it’s not a strict rule. I think it has to do with how quickly the water is absorbed into and saturates the seed.

My main reason for germinating avocado seeds in water is just to keep an eye on when it germinates and starts putting out a root. Seeds will germinate just as well in soil, but you will not be able to easily tell how far it has progressed without potentially disturbing any roots it may have produced.

Broken seeds

If you accidentally drop your seed and it splits in two, don’t despair! Even if it had a root and it breaks off, the seed may still grow a new root. I’ve had 4 seeds break this way and all of them produced healthy roots and stems.

You can attempt to put the seed back together with a rubber band; this worked well for me.