Category: Avocado Tree

A list of common avocado tree diseases were listed in a previous post.  If you do not see the problems on this list, here are some suggestions.

If you bought your avocado tree just a few months ago from a nursery, take it back to the nursery. If they are a reliable nursery, they will give you a replacement tree or refund your money. Or perhaps the nursery people will tell you the problem your tree is having and if their avocado trees had suffered from the same problems, they will tell you their solution.

If this avocado tree was a gift from someone, ask that person if they are having similar problems with their trees- you may have planted an unhealthy tree that is not worth saving. If their trees are not having problems, see if they will give you a replacement. Plant this replacement in another location to be sure there are no diseases in the soil that may have been in the tree’s present location. Planting instructions are presented in the video above.

Continue reading “Having problems with your avocado tree?”

TheGardenLady received this question from Ray.

I have an avocado tree that is over 15 years old. The leaves keep falling off. This year it produced about 15 small avocados, they keep falling off. I live in Central Florida. What coud be the problem?

Avocado trees can have a host of problems. Here is a list of problems and diagnosis that might be helpful. I have also written about problems with avocado trees. You can read some of my posts here and here.

However, the first thing this Garden Lady would do to try to find out what is ailing the tree would be to have the soil around your avocado tree tested. You can buy a soil test and do the soil testing yourself or to make it easier, go to your local Master Gardener office and buy a soil test. The Master Gardeners will explain how to take the soil for the test and how to send it to your agricultural extension to get the results.  The results will be sent back to you with information about what is needed to grow your avocado.  And if you need help understanding the information, you can take the results back to the MG office and they will go over the results answering your question. The soil test costs a few dollars but the information you ask the Master Gardeners will be answered for free.  This is always the best first step in trying to diagnose any problem one has when growing plants. This is what good p not need an avocado tree is having some insect problem or some disease that needs to be treated.

Go here to find your local Master Gardener office to get your soil testing kit.

Here are some more suggestions for yellowing avocado leaves.

Since avocados are considered a plant that is generally free of diseases, TheGardenLady offers this list of possible problems an avocado tree can have.

Continue reading “Yellowing Avocado Leaves”

TheGardenLady received this question from Larry about his avocado tree:

My tree is 7 years old and is now bearing fruit. There are many avocados that are turning black and are falling off. We’re in California near the coast in Arroyo Grande. I water my tree twice a week. Most of the fruit looks great, but I’m concerned about the black ones that are dying?

Fruit trees in general often have problems that may be beyond a home owner’s ability to manage.  Often fruit trees need to be sprayed and some of the sprays are toxic.  One horticulturist I know does not believe home owners should even waste their time raising fruit trees in the home garden and should leave this job to the professionals. That being said and not seeing your avocado problem, I am guessing that your tree has a fungus. I am not saying this because I know for certain, but “Fungus is the most serious avocado disease in California.” Here is a chart of some of the problems avocados can get.  Since that is my educated guess, it is still a guess so I would not want to diagnose any problem without seeing your tree or its fruit. Read this:

“Fungus thrives in excess soil moisture. Over‐irrigation and poor drainage can by your problem because you are growing the plant in a pot. The fungus may attack trees of any size or age. Your plant may have an absence of feeder roots that prevents moisture uptake so soil under diseased trees stays wet.”

What I suggest is that you go online or call the California Avocado Comm or (949) 341-1955 from the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m to see if they will diagnose the problem and recommend how to treat your tree.

Or take a good sized sample of your avocado fruit to your local Master Gardener office and ask them for their diagnosis and recommended treatment. Each California county has a Master Gardener office.  One such county has this site. Visits to these sites are usually free.

TheGardenLady received this question from Yvonne.

I planted a hass avocado tree in my garden about three years ago and it has been doing great until a week ago.  I live in the NE side of Houston TX and have had so much rain in the last 30 days that the leaves are wilting and turning brown.  The tree is about 11 ft tall.  What should I do?

Flooding or too much rain is not good for most plants. It deprives the roots of oxygen. Avocado trees are particularly stressed from getting water-logged. (see here)

With all the rains the news has been reporting that Texas is having, there will be lots of plant problems – not only with your avocado tree. It is sad to say, but you might lose this avocado tree because of the excessive rains.

You can leave it in the ground and hope that it does not die.

Or, to try to save it as you asked, if the tree is not too big for you to handle you can dig it up and re-pot it with new soil. Get rid of as much of the mud as you can, put the tree in a pot large enough to put soil underneath and around the root (it should not be planted deeper in the pot than it was in the ground), prune back the tree from the top of the plant so that the tree is short (this will allow the plant to concentrate its energy to growing the root, not the entire plant) and then bring the newly re-potted plant into the house. Because you gave it the new dry soil, water it a normal amount – do not over water.

Though the video above shows how the transfer is done from pot to pot, you will be putting it in from the ground, but the instructions are the same (see here). Get the soil recommended in this video and give the tree a good start with azomite.  What is azomite? (see here)

Avocados growing from seed by joeesabol

Jonathan from California has an avocado tree growing nicely in a pot on his deck.  He asked if this avocado tree that he has raised for many years from the pit of a delicious avocado he used in a salad will ever bear fruit if he were to plant it in a garden.

Sadly, Jon, the answer is probably not and if it does produce fruit, you might not want to eat it. “Avocados grown from seed rarely produce fruit before 8 – 10 years, and such fruit may be of poor quality. Commercial avocado orchards are planted with budded or grafted trees of named varieties of known fruit quality.”  See here.

So enjoy your avocado tree as a house plant.  If you do get a garden large enough to grow an avocado tree, buy a grafted one that is guaranteed to produce delicious avocados. But you have to have a fairly large garden because avocado trees can grow quite large and have large strong roots.  See here.