A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 avacado questions

HI!
I hope someone here can help me determine if my 2 year old avacado is doing what its supposed to be doing.
It was started in water and when it reached 16 inches or so i planted it in a pot and put it outside in a spot that got dappled sunlight to let it adjust to the new conditions(i live in central florida and my yard is nearly all bright sunlight).

It did very well and is now over 6 feet tall not including its 14 inch tall pot. It has however begun doing something Im not sure is normal, at all the points where its first leaves were(all down the trunk to just above where the seed used to be) before it began branching out) has started putting out new branches. Is this normal? I didnt pinch it back as it was growing because I wanted to see what nature would do without my interference. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

They will do that. You can remove any you don't want or prune the main growth tip to get it to remain smaller and more manageable. In your climate, it will grow well in the ground. Excellent drainage and humus rich soil are a must.

So it is a normal thing. Thats reasuring thanks for the input.

I have since found another issue, while the trunk is more than 3 inchs around (at about the mid point,thicker below and thinner above obviously :p ) its begun to tip to the side inspite of the supporting stake.any ideas for what else I might do(aside from planting in the ground my land lady would try to keep it or cut it down) to help it remain upright.

Hi again.

Got a second stake and pounded it into the ground a foot or so away from the pot and gently tied the trunk with a piece of flannel fabric to the support with a bit of give so it can move in the wind and rain. Its potted in a good deep pot with enriched potting soil(miraclegrow like for all my plants) and it drains well.

Ok I have a new issue with this plant. I recently noticed black spots on some of the leaves, as it progresses the black spots spread then dry out as if the plant is being sucked dry of moisture. Is this an insect issue or something worse that I should be concerned about?

The plant having no strength could be from too much nitrogen based fertilizer. Making for lots of lush green growth at the expense of a robust plant. A higher potash ratio in the fert may help. That's the K in the NPK ratio on the fert container.
I'm not a fan of staking trees as it can make them reliant on the stakes but if you do so, ensure they have plenty of room to move about, as you have done, as this strengthens the trunk.
Re the blackspots, this may be a fungal disease. Not sure. When you water, try not to wet the leaves and preferably water in the mornings. A spray of bordeaux may help with the fungus. Also, additional potash as suggested above may strengthen the tree against these types of attacks.

Thanks,
the plant in question has plenty of room to move in the breeze, to, as you said strengthen the trunk and eliminate the risk of scarring or damaging the trunk. As for the black spots, they dont rub off like one would expect a fungus to do but Im willing to give your suggestion a go.

the black spots, they dont rub off like one would expect a fungus to do
+++++++++++++++++++++
No they will actually 'eat' thru the leaf and won't rub off.
If you find the plant gets too top heavy, it's fine to take the top of it off and make it bushier too.

I see
Thanks for the info, as I have said in other posts this is the first one I have gotten to survive this long and really dont want to lose it due to something fixable. I will give the potash a try and try watering from below more so than above.

What is your opinion about using a plant food stake designed for fruit and nut trees on the avacado?

using a plant food stake designed for fruit and nut trees
+++++++++++
That'd probably be fine. I'm more of an organics grower myself but check the NPK ratio of the plant food doesn't lean too heavily toward the N. (Nitrogen). Chances are it'll be OK as fruits and nuts require a little more P and K to flower and fruit.

The N is the lower level in the listing on the plant spikes so I assume it should do the trick. While i myself prefer to grow as organically as possible under normal conditions I have little opportunity to provide extensive periods of time checking soil samples and the like to find out whats needed so I try to keep Miracle grow plant food around and give in dilute form once or twice a season to give an added boost and let nature do the rest. So far its been a good system.

Thank you for the info and if I ever get a big enough place where I can devote a shed or planting caddy to the needed soil additives I will certainly do so.

snowwolf
if your tree is 6 ft tall, you need a larger pot.
also on the npk avocados need more nitrogen than other fruit trees.

LOL Someone make up my mind, Does it need high N or low?

As for the pot thing it probly does need a new home inspite of not being in the big ones its in for more than 3-4 months now. It went from a 5 gallon to the current pot(a 14") and started shooting up within a few weeks of being transplanted. When I can I will try to get a larger pot,on wheels or something so it can be moved more easily if we should get a hurricane or other nasty weather or if I should move anytime soon. That one will have to wait till I can get my hands on some money either to make a planter or buy one.

I think it has been getting ample nitrogen. Possibly too much. More may make it get weaker in the stem and more susceptible to pest and disease attack. They do like nitrogen but not excessive.
A half wine barrel would be a good size pot.

I think it has been getting ample nitrogen. Possibly too much. More may make it get weaker in the stem and more susceptible to pest and disease attack. They do like nitrogen but not excessive.
A half wine barrel would be a good size pot.

snowwolf
i don't know what variety your tree is.i have 3 gwen avocado trees.these are kmown as semi dwarf.they are about 5 to 9 years old and they are all under 7 feet tall.last year the oldest tree had over 400 avocados on it. this tree can be grown in a large pot. your tree may be a larger variety,but they can be controlled to a certain extent.i feed my trees Greenall citrus and avocado fertilizer about every 3 months. the npk is N14% P4% K8%.you should check this out at your nursery.

Well the seed was from a Florida avocado but as I know many are cross pollinated I am unsure of what it will turn out to be. Not really concerned at this stage what sort of fruit it produces, or even when it produces, just that it remain strong and healthy.

The plant food spikes I recently put in with my young tree lists the following ratio (10-15-15 plus minor elements: MicroMax® Nutrients (iron & maganese). Having read the packaging and speaking to a fellow gardener who is also raising Avocados(his are a few years older than mine and have flowered once without producing fruit) this seemed like the best option for my situation.

Art, 400 avocados from one tree????
Do you sell your fruit?
I think that's incredible-wow !

Deborah
the incredible thing is that the avocado tree is less than 7 feet tall.i've been trying to send a photo,but i don't know the procedure.by the way according to the info on this tree,it is normal.the tree is a semi dwarf gwen.

art

http://s56.photobucket.com/albums/g182/stelart/

Art,

I clicked on the link, but it was asking for your passwd.

I started a few avocado trees this year, and I'd love to see pictures of your 5-9 yr old trees, especially the one that produced 400 avocados.

Hi again, Any suggestions for an organic way to deal with a black mold on my avocado? I dont want to use pesticides/fungicides on it if I can avoid them as I have other plants in the same place that wouldnt do well with those things nor the small pools I raise daphnia in for my fish.

PAR Gardener,
i have tried to post my photos from photobucket,
but so far i have failed. maybe someone can lead me through the process,cause i'm having a hard time with it.

snowwolf,
try this site for info on avocado.
...
http://ucavo.ucr.edu/AvocadoWebSite%20folder/AvocadoWebSite/General/Answers.html

i believe your problem is Persea Mites.
good luck