Avocado Plant Leaf Trouble

11 years ago

I started an avocado plant from a over the winter, and now that it's Spring I planted it in a pot on my desk.

It's growing very slowly, and seems to be doing alright, but the oldest leaves are starting to go brown around the edges. I have a bad track record with plants, but I'm trying to reverse the trend so would like to address any problems early.

Cheers!

Featured Answer

Persimmons

11 years ago

Think about where they grow best: coastal US in/around zone 9—10! Think very humid and warm air (ambient air temp should be at least 60°F), plenty of rain (acidity removes salts!), and sandy soil (extremely well draining, again, removing salts...). You might want to repot the avocado in a citrus/cactus/orchid mix which will provide the drainage that avocados will typically receive in 'the wild'. However, it's not essential.

With my own avocado, new growth actually began burning and dying when put in direct, very-warm sunlight. The plant returned to a healthier growth habit when I moved it to the spot I keep my succulents in--extremely bright, yet indirect, light--it's certainly not baking away on a window sill like the philodendron is...

To second greenman's comments, avocados are picky as to the water level in their root zone. Keep the soil moistened, definitely not damp/wet/soggy and definitely not dry/crusty. To prevent addition of salts, you could water the plant with purified water. My avocado pit is planted in a standard houseplant mix and thrives in the brightest indirect light I can give it so long as I monitor the hell out of the moisture level in the soil, which I have the time to do.

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Comments (8)

greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
11 years ago
Not enough light, first of all.
That's why the leaves are pale, weak, and drooping.

And, second, the leaf-tips are browning from either dead root-tips from overwatering or accumulating salts in the mix. What type of mix are you using? It looks heavy and peat-based, what little I can see of it.

Josh
Patrick Johnston thanked greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
Patrick Johnston
Original Author
11 years ago
I've been watering once a week and letting it drain well, so hopefully that's not it.

The soil is some Japanese mix for ornamental plants that says is pH neutral, but I'm not sure about salt content. I think I'll just ride out the soil, if it's salt it'll eventually get washed out from watering, right?
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greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
11 years ago
No, by salts I mean leftover fertilizer or salts from water that accumulate in the soil.

Josh
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
11 years ago
You're going to have to change something, or the plant will continue to decline.

It needs more light, without question.

Josh
Patrick Johnston
Original Author
11 years ago
It's at an office, but I've started leaving it outside with some potted flowers during mornings/sunny periods. We'll see if that's enough.
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
11 years ago
That'll help somewhat.

Josh
Patrick Johnston
Original Author
10 years ago
I put it outside, but it got torn up by the wind a bit. Took it home, where I have a more sheltered spot on the veranda. It rebuilt its leaves, and seems to be doing okay. I'm not sure what to do with it now that winter is coming. I live in south Japan, and the temperature never drops below freezing, but it will be in the single digits Celsius for about a month. I'm guessing I should bring it inside?