Avocado is a delightful and irresistible food, versatile enough to be added to a myriad of dishes or enjoyed on its own (add a spoonful of olive oil and a pinch of salt, and it’s a treat!). However, being a tropical vegetable, it’s often challenging to find in supermarkets, and its cost can be high.

Here’s how you can plant avocado at home, starting from its seed. It’s a straightforward process that can save you a lot of money, not to mention the satisfaction of eating a self-produced vegetable.

The first step is to extract the seed from the avocado without cutting or damaging it. Once the seed is cleaned to remove any vegetable residue and thoroughly dried, you can proceed with preparing the soil.

Avocado seeds come in various shapes, some triangular, while others are more spherical. But all have a bottom part (from which the roots will emerge) and a top part. It’s crucial to determine the end from which the roots will emerge because this is the part that should be immersed in water.

Insert toothpicks into the sides of the seed and place it in a glass of water (ensuring the bottom part is completely submerged, see photo).

Allow the seed to germinate for 3-6 weeks. After this period, a sprout will emerge on the top of the seed, and roots will develop on the bottom.

When the stem reaches a height of about 15-20 centimeters, cut it in half to encourage new growth. Finally, transfer the plant to a larger pot, making a hole in the center to accommodate the plant.