We currently have three Persea americana growing. We used to have a nice, big, bushy one but it died shortly after the last time we moved. All of our avocados were started by the standard toothpick technique. I used to think that I had bad luck with avocados, but later I realized that sometime you have to wait a long frackin' time for them to sprout. I'd trash them after 2 weeks, now I'll let them go for up to 2-3 months. Also I'd always try to sprout them upside down (the point goes upward!).
The tallest one is my oldest plant. I started it in 2002 or 2003 when I was living in DC. A roommate went to Miami and brought back a Florida avocado. I'd never had one before. In my opinion they are kind of bland compared to the varieties we get here in CA (based on an n of 1); however, it was the largest avocado I'd ever seen and the pit was huge and fuzzy so I stabbed it with 3 sharpened wood matches and he grew. The Florida avocado was the only plant that I brought with me on my solo 3-day repatriotic drive from Brooklyn to San Francisco. I named it Plant-o on the trip. Every time I stopped the car along the way, I'd take Plant-o out and put him in the shade. Driving across the Nevada desert, I had to balance using the AC to keep him from wilting and turning the AC off to keep my engine from melting. My grandmother talked me into pinching off the growing tip about 5 years ago and it took him 2 years to put out another leaf. Now he survives with about 2-6 leaves at a time.
The other 2 avocados are from Hass pits that my wife and I started in late 2008. I have no particular loyalty to these. Also note, I like to hang plastic insect/spider rings on our plants to surprise visitors.
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