Avocados and dates have pits, and that means indoor plants can be grown from them. Indoor-gardening expert Larry Mason shares some tips for growing your own. Use an avocado that is relatively ripe. By all means, go ahead and eat it and enjoy the flesh. Just be careful not to cut into the seed. Using a sharp knife, cut all the way around the avocado, and twist slightly to reveal the seed within (figure A).
Remove the pit, and clean the seed gently with a paper towel. Allow it to dry for a day or two. Once the seed is dry, pierce it with toothpicks (figure B) and suspend it over a jar of water. Allow the bottom of the seed (the flat end) barely to touch the water. Keep your eye on the water level. Once roots begin to form, allow the water to evaporate away from the bottom of the seed.
Here's another method for growing an avocado. Remove the pit, peel off the outer skin of the seed, and place it in a plastic bag with the flat side down (figure C). Place some moist peat moss inside the bag.
Close the bag, and place it in a warm location. Keep the peat moss moist but not too wet, and watch for root growth. Once you begin to see active top growth, remove the seed from the bag, and pot in a rich, loose potting soil. Avocados need light to germinate, so don't bury the seed. Dates are easy to propagate too. Buy fresh, whole dates in winter when they're in season, remove the pits, and enjoy the fruit. The seed has a tough, papery coating that should be removed; it peels away easily. The seed should be cleaned, washed and dried before planting: if any of the sweet fruit is allowed to remain on the seed, it could attract insects or cause the seed to rot. To grow dates, fill a pot half full of moist peat moss. Place the seeds on the surface of the peat (figure D). Cover with peat moss. Dates don't need light to germinate and can be buried in the soil. Provide bottom heat, if possible, for fastest results. Without bottom heat, the seeds may take several months to germinate. With bottom heat, you may see results in just a few weeks.
Keep in mind that both avocados and dates are tropical plants and need ample warmth to germinate.
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