Why did none of my avocado seeds sprout?

[BananasAreEvil]

Moths ago I did the toothpick thing with 11 of them and not a single one of them sprouted. I did make sure the water was always clean and topped up. I want to try again but what can I do to ensure at least one of them is successful? What else can I plant at home that will grow into a plant? Lentils?

You have to peel the outer skin off or they go mouldy.
I wrap mine in wet kitchen roll and leave in a plastic bag for a few months before transplanting them to the top of a milk bottle with roots dangling into the water.

You didn't wait long enough. They take months to sprout.

Oh no. Patience is not one of my virtues unfortunately.
What else can I plant at home for quick gratification?

Are you trying to grow something indoors or outside? How much space do you have? What size do you want it to be? Do you want something you can eat? Tomatoes are easy to grow. Cress grows in a few days indoors. Many herbs are easy.

Cress?

Chuck them in a compost bin. You'll have loads of spouted stones after a few months.

Peppers and courgettes are easy to grow. Just use some seeds from a pepper and plant in a pot on your window sill. They need sunlight.
Courgettes can go outside in a sunny spot once the weather warms up a bit and they have a few leaves on them.
It is colder this year than last. Mine are still indoors, but will go into bigger pots outside asap. I don't have a greenhouse, so cant grow much in terms of volume.

I do exactly what lilyboleyn does, wet kitchen roll around them, in a freezer bag somewhere dark and just check every week or so that the kitchen roll is still damp. Once the roots are about an inch long I pot them in some soil with the top sticking out. It works every time, I have given away about 15!

I would like to grow them indoors and I am interested in the plant, not in anything edible.
What is the fastest seed to sprout?

@user1495884211

Cress?

Why the ?

Chillies are easy, and look pretty when they have chillies on them.

Ooh I like the sound of chillies. How do I start? Buy a chilly and then...?

@BananasAreEvil

I would like to grow them indoors and I am interested in the plant, not in anything edible. What is the fastest seed to sprout?

Celery bottoms are gratifyingly quick, as are spring onion bottoms.

The downside is that you then have to eat more celery, of course.

Garlic grows well, but takes a while. I put my Germidour in last September and they will be ready soon. I put some elephant garlic in a month ago...possibly a bit late but they've had frosts! So we wait and see.

Sorry to jump on your thread @BananasAreEvil but I was Googling this just yesterday.
If you do the kitchen roll method, do you still have to peel them?

Meant to say Garlic is fast to sprout but takes a while to mature to harvest.

OP, I've had almost 100% success rate by potting clean avocado stones in soil (with just the tip sticking out), watering it, placing the pot in a plastic bag (to stop it dring out) and leaving it in the airing cupboard for a few weeks. Check it regularly and as soon as it started to sprout, take the pot out and put it on your windowsill. They can live several years in a large pot, and if you live somewhere with a mild climate, such as London or the SW, you can even plant it in your garden once it's a couple of years old!

I grew one to a reasonable size years ago, wasn't worth the effort, lost most of its leaves each winter, not the most attractive of plants.

But I'm a sucker for sprouting unusual seeds. Currently trying Fatsia Japonica and Loofa seeds.

And talking about plants, has anyone seen the crazy prices that variegated Swiss cheese plant cuttings go for on eBay!?

I put one in a damp tea towel in a plastic bag under the stairs and I have now got a foot high plant. I am SO proud!

You could try cress?

I need to know how to grow lychees as mine aren't doing anything

@BananasAreEvil

Ooh I like the sound of chillies. How do I start? Buy a chilly and then...?

Buy a fresh chilli of your liking, heat wise etc. Pick out the seeds and plant a few in a pot - just cover them lightly with the compost. I cover them with a plastic bag (transparent) until they sprout and keep them on a sunny window sill.

@PammieDooveOrangeJoof

Sorry to jump on your thread *@BananasAreEvil* but I was Googling this just yesterday. If you do the kitchen roll method, do you still have to peel them?

I never have peeled them, I think that can risk damage to them.

@MrsFin

Why the ?

I was giving a suggestion to the OPs question about quick things to grow instead, shorthand for "what about cress?" I suppose.

I tried loads of times to grow avocados using the toothpick method - with no success. So, I just buried a couple of seeds in pots of compost, and lo and behold, they sprouted and grew. Simple as that. I've also had a lot of success with lemon pips - though the plants are very slow to grow, at one point I had about 10 of them on a windowsill. Chillis are simple - they take a while to germinate but are fairly fast growing after that. Also, sunflowers, butternut squash, and courgettes are worth a try.

I thought you were asking what cress is!!