sheez, I just always stuck a couple of tooth picks in it, pointed side up, suspended it about a quarter of the way in water, and it'd grow.

you didn't slice the bottom off, did you?

no. and tried to get one that hadn't ended up in our refrigerator too.... just in case that stunted germination.

Having been in the fridge never seemed to retard germination when I've planted the pits. I usually just stick them in a pot with the top 2/3 (pointy end) above the soil. I don't think that peeling off the outer skin makes a difference either.
Karyn

I actually have luck with just planting the whole fruit in the ground. It sprouted fast and was looking good until a rabbit or something ate it.

Biggest differnces is that leaving the outer shell on the seed makes it take 30 - 60 days longer to germinate and often makes the sprout break out the sides rather than the top.

I so far have noticed that since the first day of being in a sunny window sill in a glass of water with four toothpicks at four different angles, the first evening of being exposed to a sunny window sill, Friday March 2nd, I noticed a subtle crack/fissure in the avocado pit(by the way I actually got the avocado pit set up and started late the evening before), now 3 days later, I have noticed that the original crack is much wider and now I have a second hair line crack forming as of Today.

I use toothpicks and water. Works great.

I just stick them in the soil and wait and see as we eat enough avocados how many sprout does not matter. Yes water could be the easiest.

I've always used the toothpicks and water in a glass or jar route. That's been pretty much standard since I was a kid (which which was many, many years ago).

-Ron-

I always just stick them in a pot. I have had problems in the ground here as the ants will eat the pit before it can germinate. Same problem with mango seeds. I hate these army ants.

I do the water and toothpick method also and have had some nice avocado fruits from my trees after just a few years.

Just started another one last week and the green shoot is already about 4 inches tall....but a lot depends on how ready the seed was to shoot up in the first place.

Does anyone of you know why some of my pit grown avocado leaves are yellow and some other green, when their soil, sun exposure and watering are identical.
I can only come up with a different breed of store bought avocados. But would the one with yellow leaves had a problem with chlorophyll? but it's growing fine.

Avonut,
An avocado seed doesn't produce a plant identical to the parent or other plants grown from seed from the same tree (just like you aren't exactly like your parents or sibs). Different kinds of avocados look different; leaves lighter, yellower, bigger, rounder; so your plant may have nothing wrong with it.

Or it could have a nitrogen deficiency, a common cause of yellow leaves. Give it a little fertilizer and see if it darkens.

Well, you guys have inspired me! Plan is to eat an avocado per day, and use the water toothpick method, then pot up, and bring to our next property where we plan to have acreage.

I've got 2 avocado seeds potted, but no signs of germination yet after 2 weeks.

I've got about 20 guava seedlings going, and a bunch of fig cuttings. Doing air layers on my olive trees. Trying to get a couple jackfruit seeds to germinate too.

Thanks steiconi.
But those 2 avocado trees with their yellow leaves died. The leaves turned all brown. Yes,certainly a nitrogen deficiency.
Its ok with me, the other 4 are doing great.
I cut one to see the difference with one I haven't cut. Here are some pictures.

and the other

I also came up with a technique to water my Wurtz avocado tree.
As you all know, avocado trees require a large amount of water.
Mine is in a pot. And every other day when I water it, I can see an excessive amount of water leaving the bottom of the pot, being wasted.

So I put my pot onto a 5gl bucket (#1).
On another bucket (#2), I fill it full with water.
Then I water the plant.
The excess water end up being collected in the one under (#1) the pot, with all the nutrients that flushed with the water.
When my water bucket (#2) is empty, I remove the pot from the newly collected water bucket (#1) and place the pot on (now empty) bucket #2.
And I repeat the process 3 to 4 times.
After everything is done, my water consumption went from about 20gl (before using the buckets) to 2gl.

This is the water being reuse.

Also, when I first use the bucket with the recycle water, I top it off with fresh water.
By using a house hose, the pressure will incorporate oxygen in the reuse water.

To make sure my avocado tree gets lots of nutrients, I top of its pot with some home made compost.
Since I use that process, all my trees have been happily growing strong.