I think plants are pretty cool... so I decided to share my love of plants by submitting an Instructable on growing your very own avocado tree. This is a pretty simple process, but if you have any questions please ask me.

I do not have any photos right now of the finished tree because I cannot travel through time. I will submit sideshow on the growing tree when it starts growing.

What you need:
Avocado
Styrofoam cup
4 toothpicks
A spoon
Something that will cut a Styrofoam cup
...and water ^.-

Step 1: Find a Seed

Avocados are potato sized greenish-black fruits (I think they are fruits). The best time to harvest a seed from an avocado is when it is ripe. If the color is Purple, green or purple-green, it is not ripe. If it is greenish-black in color it is ripe and you can harvest a seed from it.

To harvest the seed, simply cut the avocado in half ( widthwise or lengthwise,it does not matter) and GENTLY scoop out the seed (with a spoon, dork). Be sure not to severely lacerate the seed in the process of cutting the avocado in half.

Step 2: Tooth Picks

Insert your toothpicks in four main directions around the middle of the seed. The toothpicks should not go inside the seed any further that 3mm.

It should look like this:

Step 3: Containment

Now take your Styrofoam "Joe" cup and cut out a little bowl about 1.5 to 2 inches from the bottom.

It's difficult to explain so... Do it like this.

Step 4: Very Important!

This is very important! Make sure you put your avocado seed bottom first in the cup! If you do not put it in this way it will not grow. The bottom of the seed has a sort of circle-stem thing on it.

The tooth picks act as a stand to keep the avocado from touching the bottom of the container we just made.

Step 5: All Done

Put you seed in a place where it does not get to cold and has lots of light. Now you can fill the container with water. The water level should always stay right up to the tooth picks so you should check on it often and top off the water when evaporation lowers the level.

Completely change the water every week or so -- Bacteria and fungi will either kill the seed or stop its growth.

Well I can't say "have fun" because this is very boring, watching a plant grow is not 'hi-speed action'.

Oh, when it grows roots and a few leaves, you can plant it in a Terracotta pot with potting soil.