That really doesn't look bad. The brown tips are probably the result of too little water last summer. Twice a week was probably not enough during the really hot spells but could be too much when it isn't hot.

How about varying the watering according to the weather?

It also looks like it could use some mulch. Leave the fallen leaves around the tree. They are important for the health of the tree.

It will probably get better once better established.

This post was edited by GregBradley on Sat, May 10, 14 at 22:24

It doesn't look like you will lose it to me either. I would be interested to know what you have put on your soil besides water? The burned leaf edges resemble salt burn. Al

That tree does not look really bad to me either, perhaps a bit troubled, I would have thought the tree was old enough that once a week deep watering from a hose trickle would be plenty. I see a soaker hose in the background ... I have never tried that for an avocado, just a hose with the valve cracked open. My Fuerte is 40 years old now, and really made last night's tacos ;-)

It's time to lose the support post and the bands that can choke the tree. Water the tree well and then ease it out so you don't damage the tree at the base. If it still needs support set three posts a distance from the tree and then tie with something soft.

And as already noted, MULCH.

Zeuspaul

I found a link which I hope is not related, about the long term effects of circling, bound, roots.

I still lean toward weaning it off drip, to just rainfall and occasional deep watering. I don't think we ever watered the Fuerte in a month that had rain.

Here is a link that might be useful: buried alive

Salt burn. Very, very typical of where we live, james. Just check out some of the commercial avo orchards in our area. Some cultivars are much more susceptible. The cure? Flood the tree with water every once and a while to leach out the sea salts that accumulate in our soils since we're so close to the ocean. Not sure why you would go to the effort of building a french drain system if you're on sand. You have the exact opposite problem - water doesn't stay long enough in sand for plants to absorb the water (too well draining). Unless you're on clay, I wouldn't waste my time but instead, I would make sure you've got a nice large well built up around the tree. Also, never remove the dropped leaves from under the tree. Avos love to have their own leaves accumulate under the tree to protect their sensitive roots. Apply mulch for now, and let the dropped leaves accumulate. And, be sure to deep water VERY Well this week - 3 times this week in fact - due to our ridiculous heat wave we are again experiencing. They can be on drip, but let the drip run for a significant amount of time so you know you're getting a deep watering. Keep the tree staked, but loosen up the ties so the tree can sway with the wind. That will strengthen the trunk. I suggest leaving it loosely staked, as we're in for a bought of Santa Anas this week, so to protect your tree from blowing over or snapping, you should leave it loosely staked. John, we do not get NEARLY enough rainfall in San Diego county to rely on rainfall to water an avocado tree. Especially a very young one. Be sure to fertilize frequently. Commecial growers actually fertigate (irrigate and fertilize simultaneously). They need more water and more fertilizer than citrus do.

Patty S.

It does look a bit lanky. Is it getting a good dose of full sun?

In addition to the DEEP and occasional watering feed the heck out of it.

FWIW Patty, "my" tree is in my parents yard in Hacienda Heights, San Gabriel Valley. Very good avocado country, but I wouldn't think wetter than SD.

The tree looks like it may not make it unfortuntaly. The trunk is scorched and cracking open. This is a result of direct sun on the trunk because the leaves weren't there to block it. You'll often see the trunks painted white in commercial orchards, this is for sun protection. Make sure to give your tree the appropriate fertilizer as well to make sure the leaves grow in thick.

This post was edited by SweetTreesSomis on Tue, May 13, 14 at 17:31

John, not wetter. Can't imagine growing a young avocado without irrigation. Your parent's tree is very well established, and you would be shocked at how far those feeder roots reach. I would not be surprised if it's drawing water from surrounding sprinklers, especially if they're lawn nearby. All my avos are on a drip, and I need to really dial it up if we have hot dry weather or I'll lose my trees. And sweet has a good point - since the trunk is exposed, a good painting with 1/2 strength flat outdoor latex paint certainly would not hurt.

Patty S.

Sure, Patty. I think we are saying the same thing. When I put the tree in in '75 we did water it frequently, and deeply to establish it. But 5 years later we were watering it less frequently. We didn't try to keep it on a fixed irrigation schedule. Trees in the area make it pretty much, almost, without that.

It's possible that because the area is a long, miles long, slope that it gets some subsurface water draining off the La Habra hills, and that makes a difference. There might be a water table, much of the year, that the tree can use.

Given current water conditions, it's nice to be in a place with an agriculturally useful water table, even a seasonal one.

Edit: Our Concorde grape lived off the water table for about 20 years, until one year we really should have watered it, and it did die.

This post was edited by johns.coastal.patio on Wed, May 14, 14 at 10:34

BTW (and rather than extending above comment) Don Shor on the Davis Garden Show likes to make frequent mention of the Figs he grows up in Davis, on native water only.

That's the benefit of a fruit suited to local conditions.

I wouldn't suggest that Avocados can make it everywhere on native water, but it might be worth thinking about how much they are getting from the environment, and working that into irrigation schedules.

They are thirsty trees. They are native to areas with plentiful rainfall so they have that in their DNA. In commercial production the cost of the water is the biggest cost.

My Fuerte really began to shine the year its sprinkler head broke and it was deeply drenched for several months. It's on a slope so drainage is not an issue. We got over 500 fruits this year from that tree. We fed the neighborhood with it.

Yours looks okay--what it looks like is under-watered and under-fertilized. I would give it monthly deep drenchings this summer and avocado/citrus fertilizer according to package directions and it will likely take off. It is a young tree still and needs more at this point than you are giving it.

Well, I found a serious piece on irrigating avocados in San Diego (PDF)

It sounds like we were fortunate in our Hacienda Heights slope, but I could note this as well:

"If winter rainfall is short, the first irrigation of the season should be a deep one in order to fill the soil profile with moisture. This insures the soil will be leached of any salts in the root zone. Subsequent irrigation should be applied in such a manner as to refill only that portion of the soil which has been depleted of water."

So there is some expectation that rainfall will provide moisture in winter.

Here is a link that might be useful: Irrigation of Avocados in San Diego County

While I'm at it, another PDF

"Irrigation water requirements of mature avocado trees will vary considerably. The requirements of some mature groves have been met by a yearly application of 8 acre inches of water per acre (29,040 cubic feet). Other groves have required 23 acre inches per acre (83,490 cubic feet) of applied water."

Here is a link that might be useful: Irrigation of Young and Old Avocado Orchards

There is no way my avocado trees would exist without significant irrigation. I lost several trees before I figured that out. Now with lots of water they are doing very well.

A neighbor tried cutting back on water and lost half of his trees,

My sister in La Habra Heights has an underground water source and needs very little additional water on established trees.

I don't think the tree in question is benefitting from an underground water source. I agree with the recommendations to mulch, fertilize and water, water, water.

Zeuspaul