Need Help with My Avocado Tree

10 years ago

last modified: 10 years ago

I bought and moved into my house back in March 2014. The house was renovated, but the landscape, front yard and backyard were left to survive on there own. One of the remaining plants that has survived was an avocado tree. It was in much worse shape when I inherited it. It had blackened branches. It did produce one small sized avocado fruit, but nothing else since then.

I tried to nurse the tree back to health. I pruned off the branches that were black, or seemed dead. I provided a more consistent watering schedule. I mulched and fertilized the ground it lived in. It seem to do well this past spring. Lots of new leaves, lots of flowers and i saw about 6 small possible fruits. However, those fruits eventually fell off or just never made it past the squirrels that seem to lurk and watch while they hangout on the power lines above the tree.

The main trunk of the tree is probably 3 ft.

Parts of the branches are brown and the underside of it are green. When I inherited the tree, all the branches drooped. I trained it with a trellis and got the new branches to grow upwards instead of down.

When the last two summers hit (I live in Southern California, where we've been in a drought and have had water restrictions), lots of the leaves (the tips) would turn brown. I didn't do a great job of shielding it from the western afternoon sun, but I plan to do a better job this year.

Would anyone be able to tell me if this tree looks like it's somewhat healthy? If it will survive? Will it produce fruits? What type of avocado tree this might even be?

I was tempted to dig this tree up and put it in a large planter, but I know how sensitive avo's are and how they react to anything drastic. I plan on buying another avocado tree to keep this one company.

Any help or suggestions are welcomed.

Thanks,

Josh

Featured Answer

tim45z10

10 years ago

Loosen the tie to the stake. The brown is from sunburn. Paint the trunk with 50-50 white latex paint and water. Brown tips of leaves is almost expected .

Tree looks in good shape to me. I hope that junction point is a graft.

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Comments (7)

Josh
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks tim45z10. I've loosened up the tie to the stake. I will make sure to paint the trunk prior to spring/summer. I hope this year, this tree will produce some fruits. Thanks again for your input.
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BahamaDan Zone 12b Subtropics
10 years ago
What have you been fertilizing it with? The leaves look a bit light which may be a lack of iron or something, avocados tend to be heavy feeders like citrus. What happened to the mulch you said you put down? I would also remove that grass at the trunk as it competes for water and nutrients. I'm not sure if your irrigation water or soil is alkaline (most likely both as you're in Cali) but if the lack of iron is due to high pH then fertilizing with c chelated iron for alkaline soils (iron EDDHA not iron sulfate) should fix the nutrition situation.
Josh thanked BahamaDan Zone 12b Subtropics
fireduck
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Often times answers can come with the simplest of advice. Avocados like moisture in the soil. Drought or no drought...the tree needs constant moisture to thrive...just not standing water for a long time. Once it starts to thrive (next Spring)...the tree will shade itself with new growth. As tim says...whitewash the tops of those sunburned branches. Save this nice tree!
Josh thanked fireduck
Josh
Original Author
10 years ago
BahamaDan ZTropic - Thank you for the feedback. The fertilizer I've been using is worm casting (vermicompost). I don't have a schedule I follow, so I haven't been consistent as I'd like to be. The mulch I had down, prior to the picture were a bunch of leaves from my other plants. I have removed the grass that was surviving near the trunk. I wouldn't be surprised if water and soil is high in alkaline. I'll buy a soil/pH test to confirm. I plan to to use the Iron EDDHA you suggested as well. I also plan on providing this tree actual mulch (wood chips) and a better watering schedule. You have any suggestions on fertilizer I should be using?

fireduck(10a) - Thanks for your feedback. I can't wait. I will definitely whitewash the tops and provide better care for this true, especially during the summer months.
mjhuntingtonbeach
10 years ago
Avocados need a lot of nitrogen - vermicompost has hardly any. I'd recommend getting a standard citrus fertilizer mix and give that plant a handful or two every 3-4 months. Also, the soil looks dry, uncovered - have you thought about putting a good 2 cubic feet of garden compost around it? Water more? If you have a lawn, spreading an inch of fresh cut grass around the tree every time you cut the lawn creates a very decent mulch, and it feeds the tree as the clippings rot.

Here is a link to the California Rare Fruit Growers' culture sheet on avocados:

http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/avocado.html
BahamaDan Zone 12b Subtropics
10 years ago
No problem Josh, I have pretty alkaline soil here too (island sits on limestone bedrock) and water (pumped from the bedrock and maxed out the pH test kit I used which tests up to 8.3, and this is treated water the city provides lol), I just ordered some Iron EDDHA this morning for a couple plants. Avocadoes definitely love a good mulch, your plan sounds good. Pine bark mulch should work very well and be locally available. Like Mj said any fertilizer that is formulated for citrus should work fine as they have very similar nutrition requirements (and are both greedy). Shredded grass after mowing does make a cheap/free mulch too.