How to Grow a Tree for Free!

VEGETABLES AND OTHER CHILDHOOD PHOBIASI never liked avocados as a kid, but like seafood and salad, it's something for which I developed a taste as I got older. After slicing one up one night, I was about to toss the pit in the trash, when I suddenly flashed back to my wonder years and remembered the kitchen windowsill in the house in which I grew up. There seemed to always be a little juice glass on top of it with an avocado pit resting inside, supported by four toothpicks. It kind of reminded me of a building under construction, supported by scaffolding. Honestly, I don't ever remember seeing the pit evolve beyond that. However, stirred by that visual memory, I felt compelled to try growing one for myself.

TOOLS OF THE TRADEI found a small glass and four toothpicks, then gently speared the pit half way down on four sides so that the toothpicks would rest on the top of the glass. The avocado pit was suspended half in the water and half out. Of course, figuring out which end went in the water and which end remained above it required a phone call to Mom. It's subtle, but if you look at the pit, you'll find that one end is rounded more than the other. One end is more pointed, but again, it's a subtle difference. The wider, more rounded end, goes in the water.

NOW THE FUN BEGINSWatching and waiting for a change or growth in your pit is about as exciting as watching grass grow or paint dry. Every morning, I'd eagerly rush to my little pit, hoping for something, anything, to be evident. The only distinguishable difference was the water level. Either the pit was absorbing or the water was simply evaporating into thin air, but everyday the water level seemed to drop. Instinctively, like a waitress in a coffee shop, I topped off the glass each morning with fresh water. I did this for a month with no apparent change taking place. Calendar pages flipped by and after several months, still nothing.