The single large seed of an avocado germinates, grows rapidly, and may become a tree several feet in height. The seed should be barely covered with soil in a large flower pot and kept warm and moist. If a pineapple with a crown of fresh green leaves is selected, the top can be made to grow if it is cut off just below the base of the leaves. It should be planted a half inch deep in a pot of moist sandy loam and kept in a warm sunny spot. Roots usually start within a week or two and it is not unusual for it to produce another small pineapple, on an upright stem, after four or five months.
Any kitchen has the makings of a botanical garden.
Argonne National Laboratory, Division of Educational Programs, Harold Myron, Ph.D., Division Director.