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Avocado Leaves Turning Brown
June 19th, 2009 | By: Jamie Jamison Adams
Avacado Tree 1 Year Old
Ask the Expert: What is wrong with my avocado tree?
The little thing is a year old. It did not get much sun at all this winter but now it has full southern exposure and plenty of light. I keep it inside and ensure it’s nice and warm.
When new leaves sprout from the top the older larger leaves turn brown and fall off the bottom.
I have tried giving it plenty of water and I’ve tried to dry it out.
I’ve tried a little water each day but still can’t stop what’s happening to it. Dianne
Plant Expert Reply:
It looks like you have a water stress issue. Instead of a little water each day, water it thoroughly and when the soil starts to dry out water it thoroughly again. At some point you will need to water it with a very diluted solution of water soluble fertilizer. I would remove the brown leaf. Do watch for leaf spot. If the leaves start to get rust colored spots, you will have to treat it for leaf spot disease. Try to give it as much light as possible. For the summer you might want to put it outside. Good Luck and Keep Me posted.
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August 18th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
I have the same thing happening over and over. New leaves sprout and the old ones die off one by one. The leaf gets brown on the outside, curls under, and eventually dries up and drops off.
Could it be that I have a water softener and am watering it from that? I have been using water from my Britta lately but it is happening now again, even with the filtered water. I do water it once a week. I fill the sink, soak it, then let it drain well before putting it back on my window sill. It is planted in Miracle Grow potting soil. Should I add more sand perhaps? Soil change?
Thanks for any suggestions.
August 19th, 2009 at 8:50 am
I think you may need to water a little more often. Does the soil seem powdery when you stick your finger way down in it?
August 23rd, 2009 at 6:48 pm
No, the soil does not seem powdery. When I stick my finger way down in the soil it feels like wet potting soil. It is not clay-like or sandy. I will try watering more often and see what happens with this new batch of leaves on top. Thank you.
October 4th, 2009 at 9:04 am
“If the leaves start to get rust colored spots, you will have to treat it for leaf spot disease.”
Hello. The attached picture shows the problem with my avocado tree. It is 3 months old and the brown spots attack oldest leaves first. With what the leaves should be treated? Thank you for answer in advance.
Attached Image: problem avocado.jpg
October 5th, 2009 at 7:47 am
It looks like your leaf has Cercospora leaf spot which can be treated with a basic copper sulfate spray. Usually avocados with this problem are sprayed beginning in May followed by a June and July spray and completed with a September spray.
January 14th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
Hello to all,
I have the same or at least similar problem – please take a look at the picture. After 5 to 7 days, whole leaf turn brown.
I have sprayed leaves with Captan fungicide, but without success. Could it be that I also have problem with water (I am watering it plenty every 5-7 days).
Thanks!
Attached Image: 001. Avokado fleka.jpg
January 16th, 2010 at 4:32 pm
i think I have a similar problem. didn’t water much b/c of the rain we got here in The Hill country and when the freeze came in I covered b/c it was wet. Other times the temp dropped to 14 deg but did not cover it b/c it wasn’t wet. Now the leavee look really bad, and I am afraid it has died. can I bring it back? Attached is a pic
Attached Image: tree.jpg
January 18th, 2010 at 9:04 am
Kristijan,
You may need to try a stronger fungicide than captan. Probably something with a sulfur base. I Know this sounds counter-productive, but I would remove any leaf that has a brown spot. Fungicide are used more often as a preventive rather than a cure. So remove diseased leaves and spray the healthy ones. When you water the plant do not wet the foliage.
Alex,
Avocados are a zone 9-11 plant. So if you live any where that gets colder than 25 degrees, the avocado probably won’t survive the winter. However, just because the leaves turn brown and drop off doesn’t mean the plant is dead. Leave it until spring — it might leaf back out and be ok. When it gets really cold a layer of ice on the plant can help. The ice acts as an insulator – keeping the plant at 32degrees. Leave the ice on the plant unless the weight is causing the plant to bend and break.
February 21st, 2010 at 2:38 pm
Hi. I’m new to growing avocados. I planted my tree in my yard about a year ago and last year it produced one small avocado. This year, I’m noticing that the leaves on my tree are curling up and turning brown. I have attached a photo for you to see. What should I do?
Attached Image: IMG_3401.jpg
February 22nd, 2010 at 8:38 am
It could be water stress, but it is hard to tell. Is the leaf from the bottom of the tree , top or middle. If it is from the bottom, I wouldn’t worry too much right now. However from the other places, you need to check your water situation and for spider mites. You will need a magnifying glass to check for spider mites. If you have spider mites, you will need to spray your plant with an insecticide. Your local garden center and nursery should have one safe for your tree.
February 22nd, 2010 at 12:51 pm
Thank you for your reply. The leaves turn brown at the tip and then get browner. The brown leaves are throughout the tree, not just at the bottom. Are you recommending that I water the tree more and check for spider mites?
February 22nd, 2010 at 1:50 pm
Yes check for spider mites. Also check you water moisture. The soil need to be moist but not soggy. It sounds like the plant be came too dry at some point. Be careful not to send it to the other extreme – keep the soil evenly moist and watch the new growth. If it is healthy you are go to go.
February 22nd, 2010 at 5:24 pm
Hi again. I was wondering if my problem could also be root rot?
February 24th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
Yes it could be. Take the plant out of the container and see if the roots are soft and mushy or black. If they are cut the damaged roots back to healthy tissue and make sure your pot drains well before you put it back in the container.
April 1st, 2010 at 6:36 pm
AVOCADO TREE PROBLEMS—PLEASE HELP!!
I grew my Avocado tree from a seed…it’s like my baby!! It had been doing fine, I brought it in for Winter, we had a rather long winter here in South Georgia this year, but towards the end leafs started falling off the bottom. But NOW, the top of the tree stem is a yellowish color with brown spots!! Some of the leafs have brown on them, but not very many and sometimes that goes away, but I’m really concerned about the stem color and problems there…I’m attaching pictures! Please let me know if you have had this problem, or know what to do!!
Should I cut off the top where the problem is occurring???
Attached Image: IMG_1136.jpg
April 1st, 2010 at 6:38 pm
It’s me again, wanted to attach a few more photos so you can see it better!
Attached Image: IMG_1133.jpg
April 1st, 2010 at 6:39 pm
It’s me again, wanted to attach this last photo, it is of the same spot on the opposite side, this side isn’t yellow but does have some brown spots…
Attached Image: IMG_1131.jpg
April 5th, 2010 at 9:01 am
I am sending your pictures to an avocado expert. Hopefully, he will be able to help us.
April 5th, 2010 at 3:03 pm
I forwarded the picture and Anna’s question to Eric Focht Botany & Plant Science Department
University of California, Riverside, Ca. 92521.
Eric was kind enough to send me this reply:
Hello,
It is hard to tell from the verbal description provided by the gardener what exactly is going on, but I would hazard a guess that the browning of the leaves is probably a separate issue and is most likely ‘tip burn’ which is usually caused by an accumulation of salts (from hard water etc) in the soil.
The picture does not look like any fungal issue I’ve come across and so I’m not sure what to suggest: if I was able to see the plant 1st hand, I might be able to rule out sunblotch virus, but this is the closest visual match for the symptoms I can come up w/. If it is sunblotch virus, her best bet is to destroy the plant and start over: it’s incurable. Other symptoms to look for would be discolored (yellowish) and malformed leaves…also look for a change in texture between differently colored areas: in the fruit, one finds the discolored regions to be smoother and more sunken in…in mature trunks I’ve seen extremely corky texture.
another possibility is a sun/heat/frost burn…as the one side of the tree is effected whereas the rest seems fine, is there any change in cultural practice that may have resulted in this damage such as moving tree next to or away from a heating duct/cold window/intense sun?
at any rate, I would NOT recommend cutting off the top of the tree just yet: i don’t think this would accomplish anything aside from further stressing the tree
I’ll forward this to my supervisor and see if she has anything to add
Hope this helps
Eric Focht
You can also find very helpful information about avocado on the Universities’ Avocado information page. I found it quite helpful.
April 29th, 2010 at 10:44 am
Hello,
I was wondering if anyone knew what was wrong with my avocado in the attached picture?
I have a few growing indoors here in sunny Scotland but 2 have started to get brown spots on a few of their lower leaves.
Thanks in advance for any thoughts!
Rob
Attached Image: avocado1.jpg
April 30th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
It might be Cercospora purpurea which is a fungus. It can be treated with a fungicide.
June 27th, 2010 at 7:26 am
I don’t know what it is but growing avocado plants can be difficult they are so susceptible to many disease, I am growing three myself and they start off doing well then somewhere along the line leaves turn brown and die off, I guess if it’s any consolation the stem is still green.
Attached Image: garfgif01.gif
July 2nd, 2010 at 5:59 pm
My avacado tree has a few issues I attack depending on the week. The one I am concerned about right now is that the whole tree stem system is a light green almost yellow which stands in contrast to the green leaves. The tree is still growing new leaves. sometimes the leaves come out defective but right now they seem to be doing fine. The old growths that later turn into flowers turned black and easily fell off (The new flowering growths are fine). I do have browning at the tips but i think that is due to the water problems you mentioned earlier. Is there any way I can improve soil drainage in a pot?
July 5th, 2010 at 9:20 pm
The only way to improve drainage is to repot the plant. When you repot place gravel, pebbles or broken clay pieces in the bottom on the pot before you fill with soil.
July 16th, 2010 at 5:44 pm
I have similar problems with my avocado which is about 6 months old. The bottom leaves are turning copper-brown and curl. What shall I do?
Attached Image: avocado 1.jpg
August 4th, 2010 at 11:11 pm
Hello
I have the same problem as in the image by Tania above. All the bottom leaves (the oldest ones) turn dark brown on the edges and then yellow on the whole leaf. They wither and die.
I just added some bone fertilizer. I also water the plant regularly, but not in large amounts.
I used to have a 2nd avocado plant, that was growing much slower and all its leaves had the same problem. I got rid of it.
This plant now is bigger, but I am concerned about the dying leaves.
So is it a fungal problem or is something missing? My pot is not very large.
August 6th, 2010 at 7:00 pm
I’m not sure that it is fungal. Something you might consider is the tap water you use to water the plant. It may have a high concentration of chlorine. This maybe the issue. Put the water you are going to use in a contaner without a lid and let it set for 24hrsd. This will allow the chlorine time to evaporate.
August 23rd, 2010 at 11:02 pm
Thank you for this helpful article. My sister’s avocado tree has started getting brown on the leaves. I had taken out some plastic she put on the bottom of the pot so that it could drain the day before yesterday, and cut off the edge of leaf that had brown on it and now it looks like this. Should I check the roots for rot? or what else can I check for?
August 23rd, 2010 at 11:05 pm
Heres a picture of what I am talking about.
Attached Image: DSCF1737.jpg
September 22nd, 2010 at 11:36 pm
I have my avacado sprouted from pit in a 5 gallon pickle bucket. I have this same browning issue. I am currently using an aqua globe to water the plant in hopes of more consistent growth, but so far this has not helped. IT was over watered and undersunned for a while, then I put it outside for about four hours and most of the leaves burned (phoenix) Now all the leaves burn even though I keep it inside in filtered sun. I have been trimming off the brown leaves when they are completely brown, hoping to stimulate growth and keep the plant focused on the good leaves. It is about 6 months old. I am down to my last 6 leaves and two of them are about to go! Help! Should I fertilize? I let the water sit so the chlorine can evaporate and use filtered water.
September 23rd, 2010 at 11:19 pm
You are keeping the plant in a constant state of stress. Do the following: Place the plant in an area where it can get ample light and water it thoroughly. In a week check the soil. If it is dry water it – don’t use the aqua bulb. If it is still very moist wait a few days and check it again. Watering it once a week should suffice. Wait at least 2 months before you fertilize it. This will give the plant time to work out of the stress.
September 24th, 2010 at 9:26 am
Alright. I will do as you say. My only concern is that it is very hot and dry here (I keep my house around 85-90 degrees) and the soil will be dry in two to three days. Should I still wait a week to check it or should I water when it is dry?
September 29th, 2010 at 6:21 pm
No water it when it is dry, but test the soil first by sticking your finger in the soil up to your first knuckle. If the soil is dry at that level, water it.
October 7th, 2010 at 4:53 am
These are my plants, I had 12 of them as a seed and I had to give most of them away. I am a amateur but I’m doing pretty good.
Their have been some holes in my plants, I guess its because of insects. At one point, they started to get some brown on the leaves. It seemed to be becuase of either to much watering or heat. I doubt it was becuase of fungi. I have switched the pots twice with miracle grow garden soil for fruits and vegetables. Its pretty good.
Now I am noticing parts of the stems on all 3 plants are getting these brown spots. I dont know if its a natural thing or what. They actually went away when I at one point got some rusty nails and wet them and inserted the rusty iron in the soil. I thought they had some iron deficiency, and they seem like 3 months ago to help. Now they have these brown spots in the stems.
Can someone give me some ideas?
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October 7th, 2010 at 6:59 pm
Your plants seems to be very healthy. There is some insect damage on the leaves as well as some water damage. The one leaf with the round brown spots with yellow edges could have been from a fungus. Since the other leaves look fine, I would not worry about a fungus. THe spots on the stems could be scab, but it is hard to tell from the pictures. I recommend taking the plant to your local garden center nursery or your state extension service. They should be able to make a clear cut identification of the problem.
October 27th, 2010 at 3:41 am
PLEASE help! I have an avocado tree that I rescued from my boyfriend (he started it from a sprout but never transplanted it so it was just growing in water, and his apartment was really dark so it didn’t get much light).
The little tree had only a few leaves left when I transplanted it into soil but they were curled and brown. They have now fallen off and a few tiny leaves have sprouted from the top and I thought they would grow in healthy, but they too are curling and turning brown.
Is there any hope left for my plant? What should I do to save it?
I water it but don’t let it stay soaked, the roots look healthy… It lives in the widowsill behind the blinds so it gets sunlight. The only thing i can think of is maybe it gets too cold right by the window? Or it needs fertilizer?
Attached Image: avocado1.jpg
October 29th, 2010 at 8:44 pm
I can’t tell what kind of soil you plant it in, but it may need a very light solution of water soluble fertilizer. It may need a warmer location that will still have plenty of light. It will also need a little time to recover from the lack of attention. Give it a couple of weeks.
November 4th, 2010 at 9:06 am
I have a 4 month old Avocado Tree that was doing really great, then all of a sudden the leaves are getting spots, then they dry up and die.
I’m keeping the soil damp not soggy and there is plenty of drainage. Using worm castings too.
Can you tell what is wrong?
Attached Image: Damaged Leaf.jpg
November 4th, 2010 at 8:46 pm
Ramona,
is your plant indoors? If so an air vent maybe causing the problem. Extreme temperature changes or direct air constantly blowing on the leaves may cause the plant’s leaves to become overly dry or damaged. If the spots are more circular, your plant may have Cercospora purpurea in which case you will need a fungicide.
November 4th, 2010 at 9:55 pm
Hi again,
my avocado has developed bronze spots on the leaves and the new ones that have come out are dry and look really sick. Is there anything I could do?
Attached Image: IMG_0833.jpg
November 4th, 2010 at 9:56 pm
here is another one (sorry couldn’t upload two at the same time)
Attached Image: IMG_0834.jpg
November 8th, 2010 at 8:12 pm
Tanja,
I think you may have a fungus – perhaps scab. You will need a fungicide probably something like captain. Your local garden center should have what you need. When you go to your loacl garden center/nursery take a leaf so that they can examine it.
December 2nd, 2010 at 2:49 pm
Hello,
A year ago, I planted 5 kernels of avocado and get 5 healthy plants that developed very fast and looked really nice. I’ve kept them indoor in the pots. However, a couple months ago, the leaves of my plants started to turn brown, to wrinkle and die off. Now, there is only one avocado tree left and started to exhibit the same symptoms. Please, check the photos (observe that some of the new leaves seem to be damaged). Is it anything that I can do to save this plant?
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December 2nd, 2010 at 8:07 pm
To determine what is happen we must first determine the condition around the plants. Did your watering practices change in the last few months? As plants grow or are repotted the watering habits may need to be revised. Once we have ruled out water-issues, we can look at fungal and viral issues.
December 3rd, 2010 at 3:29 am
I have followed the advice to keep the soil slightly moist but not soggy (I was afraid of Phytophthora Root Rot, as I have read that is the most common disease of Avocado trees). Depending on the season (heating or not) I needed to water each 7, 10 or 14 days. When I have re-potted the plant a couple months ago, I put a little bit of sand in the soil hoping that this will improve drainage.
December 5th, 2010 at 1:23 am
When a avacado plant is about 1 years old you should use a fertilizer, but Ive found out that it does burn the leaves if you give it to much. So what I have done is a teaspoon of coffee grinds around the stem of the tree not touching the stem but around the stem cause it will cause a burn to the stem if light is to bright. I keep my avacados inside. I always leave a floresent light on them. I have 6 avacado trees. Ive been growing them for many many years. Water is the key to them. Also they like light but not in the sun light. They need shade. They will freeze like other plants.
Sand is a good way of drainage but to much sand will opt out water and will wash nutirents the tree needs. Fungal or viral issues can result in the soil and water, Nutrients is a way of keeping a plant healthy. Also skimming the top surface of the soil around the plant can help of fungus or viral issues. Use fresh soil to replace the soil which has been skimmed. Root root is usually a form of the plants roots that can not freely move with in the surface.
December 27th, 2010 at 10:45 am
Hi Jamie. First off, thanks so much for answering all the avocado questions. I was really happy to find this thread given my current avocado dilemma.
I have raised my avocado from seed and it is now 2 1/2 years old and about 3 1/2 feet tall. Since I live in upstate NY, it has always lived inside quite happily until about a month ago. I’ve had bottom leaves brown and fall off and didn’t really think they were an issue until the entire end, leaves and part of the stem, of the right side branch of my plant turned brown and withered about 2 weeks ago. I cut off the withered stem and leaves but now the leaves, brand new and still quite small, on the left branch are also starting to wither. The stem on that side is still perfectly green but I’m very freaked out. There are no big leaves left on my plant and the new ones seem to be dying before they can fully mature. The plant lives right next to a window and a baseboard heater. This is the first winter the pot has been near the heater but nothing else has changed. The temperature in my apartment is about 70-75 all the time. I water once a week and the soil looks fine.
Is my plant in danger or am I just overreacting? Should I move it away from the heater? Is its pot too small? Will the bare right branch leaf out again?
Attached Image: December 2010 136.jpg
December 27th, 2010 at 10:47 am
Close-up of withering baby leaves.
Attached Image: December 2010 125.jpg
December 27th, 2010 at 10:53 am
Close-up of bare main stem and right branch. All the little nubs are where large healthy leaves used to be.
Attached Image: December 2010 133.jpg
December 27th, 2010 at 8:58 pm
Abbie,
First, move the plant away from the direct path of the baseboard heater. I can’t tell if the pot is too small. If you can see the roots of the plant coming out of the soil, then you need to increase the pot size. To be honest I’m not sure if the plant will leaf out from the stem or only from the top. Give it a few weeks and you should see leaf buds start to form. My quess is that they will only come from the top of the plant.
Good luck.
April 17th, 2011 at 3:12 pm
PLEASE help my husband! he has an avocado tree that is 20 feet tall, but has started getting a lot of small holes on its leaves, what can be done? Is it anything he could do? thank you for your help
Attached Image: IMAG0803.jpg
April 18th, 2011 at 9:27 am
It looks like your husband’s avocado has some kind of chewing insect (like a looper) attacking it. To get rid of the chewing insect you have 2 choices: 1) use an insecticide or 2) use a beneficial (biological) insect to get rid of them. Your local garden center nursery can help you with the insecticide and your local extension service should be able to help you find a source for beneficial insects.
May 5th, 2011 at 12:22 am
I put my young seed grown plant outside for a day, but forgot to bring it in for the night and the temps got to about freezing. The next day I noticed the top leaves started turning brown and now one is curly. I don’t know if it is sunburnt or frostbit. Will it survive? If so how could I help it become somewhat normal again?
May 5th, 2011 at 1:46 pm
Hi,
I’m new to this, but my husband and I bought a house and I wanted an Avocado tree. At first it was doing fine. I watered it when it needed water and pretty much just left it alone. After about 1 month, the leaves started to turn brown. We had recently gotten a lot of rain, so I figured it had gotten too much water. Now, all the leaves are brown and dried out. And, today, I noticed one of the branches turning black. What should I do?
May 5th, 2011 at 3:53 pm
If you pot didn’t have good drainage the plant is suffering from rot root. Trim off the black branches. I would repot the plant into a container that drains well. In a few weeks you will know whether or not the plant will survive.
May 6th, 2011 at 1:25 pm
Hey, im new to avocados. I live in sacramento california and i have 4 avocado plants that I originally grew from seed. 1 has died and im having problems with 2/3 of the remaining. 1 of them the leaves are curling inward and starting to turn brown. I do have pictures for this one. and the other one the leaves are white/clear. i can put my finger behind the leaf and see it through the other side. The main stem is even starting to turn pale. i dont have pictures for this one. And all this started to happen after I pinched both of them back. before that they were both perfect.
Attached Image: avocado 002 - Copy.jpg
May 9th, 2011 at 8:36 am
Are the avocados planted in an area with plastic weed barrier and rock? If so the plants may not be getting the right amount of water and may be receiving too much heat from the rocks and plastic.
May 9th, 2011 at 8:39 am
It should still survive. The brown leaves may fall off but it should put out new ones in a couple of weeks.
May 14th, 2011 at 10:36 pm
My Avocado looks like its dying. The leaves have wilted and drying, stem seems yellow. I initially though the leaves were drying due to the heat and wind we have been having recently but its cooled down and I have protected the plant but its still getting worse!
Please help!
Attached Image: avo1.jpg
May 15th, 2011 at 1:30 pm
It is in a plastic pot atm. and it always has been. mabye the sun is heating up the pot a little too much. it gets about 4 – 5 hours of morning sun everyday.
May 16th, 2011 at 9:13 am
Rob can you send a picture? Also what are your watering practices?
May 16th, 2011 at 9:14 am
Gabriel,
Are the leaves turning brown from the outside in or turning brown as spot of the leaves?
May 18th, 2011 at 4:48 am
Jamie, I thought I added one.
Here is another link http://i.imgur.com/MBzN6.jpg
May 18th, 2011 at 9:09 am
Rob,
The plastic around the plant – is it for cold protection? If not, I would remove it during the warm season – it might be heating the plant up to much. The brown looks like a water issue. The best I can tell the plant has gotten dry at some point. Make sure the soil is moist but not soggy. Remove the damaged leaf and monitor the plant closely for the next two weeks. Once the water issue has been taken care of the plant should make a full recovery.
May 19th, 2011 at 4:48 am
The plastic was for wind protection. It was very very windy recently, this has subsided. We did have a few really hot days where the soil may have dried, but i am thinking the plastic may have done more harm than good. I will monitor it now, its cooled down quite a lot. The good news is the shoots keep growing so I guess thats a good sign.
May 19th, 2011 at 8:36 am
Yes as long as the new shoots look good, your plant should be ok.
May 21st, 2011 at 7:45 am
Hello Jamie,
I grew my avocado from a seed about 8 moths ago and since 4 months it has big problems: There are nerotic spots on the leaves and as well on the stem. First the older leaves become infected and when new leaves have grown, the spots are showing up within a week. Sometimes when I touch a not- so- bad looking leaf, the leaf falls down. It is too bad… poor plant.
Could it be a fungus? What do you suggest which one it could be? And how to treat?
And what is your special tip for watering?
Greetings from Germany
Judith
Attached Image: P1110429.jpg
May 25th, 2011 at 6:22 am
Please help — my 8 year old daughter is devastated. Over the past year+, she has cherished and nurtured her avocado plant, grown from a pit. It has been watered by tap water — I don’t think the water is particularly hard. It was doing fabulously well — grown to ~4 feet tall, very leafy + green, healthy appearing — until around 4 weeks ago. I’m not sure what’s wrong, or what triggered it, so I’ll mention random things, in case any of it helps.
Around 2.5 months ago, we noticed dozens of ~3-4 mm white worm-like centipedes/millipedes on the dirt surface. We removed them and haven’t seem them since. No insecticide treatment used.
Around 1.5 months ago, we repotted the plant in potting soil that includes Miracle-Gro.
Around 4 weeks, we brought it outside in 60F weather for half a day. Around 2-3 days later, we noticed the bottom leaves turning brown (no grown leaves had ever turned brown or fallen before). We thought maybe it was natural part of life cycle.
Over the past 2 weeks, we’ve had much more significant leaf-browning and falling. Most are from the edges inwards.
We’ve also had a lovely new growth in the past 2 weeks, at the top. But even those healthy green leaves are worrisome — we see tiny holes in the leaves that are enlarging, as well as some “notching” at the leaf edges. There may be browning starting from the *center* of a leaf, spreading outwards, on one newer leaf, too.
We may have seen a single spider mite on a tender leaf 2 days ago, but it was crushed by my daughter before we could get a good look at it. No more seen.
I’m attaching a panel of images, all taken at the same time today. The “full-plant” shot shows the lower browning leaves (not including those that have already fallen), and the top, new, healthier (for now) green leaves. The top two right pictures show the browning bottom leaves more closely, and the bottom 2 pictures show the holes + notching of the top, new growth leaves.
I suspect we could have any combination of watering, fungal, bacterial, or insect infections?
Please help — my daughter loves this plant, and is very upset. Any advice, diagnosis / prognosis would be appreciated.
Attached Image: Avi panel.jpg
May 25th, 2011 at 8:41 am
At this point, I believe it is a watering and potting issue not bacterial or fungal. First – when you repotted the avocado did you plant it deeper than it was originally? If so, the plant needs to elevated to the level it was originally (this means the top of the original root ball should not be covered with extra soil). All plants will go through transplant shock when moved or repotted which could explain the problem with the bottom leaves.
The leaves look like they are under water stress – either too much or too little. The soil should be completely saturated when you water it, yet it must still have the ability to drain. I am concerned that you have two issue – the dropping can be a sign of root rot, but browning from the outside in usually indicates a lack of moisture. You might want to take a look at the roots if they are healthy then we can rule out root rot. You need to also check the soil moisture level it needs to have consistent moisture, yet it doesn’t need to be soggy.
It may also need more light. I suggest placing it outside where it can get more natural light. Watch for insects and treat if necessary (although I don’t see any insect damage).
I only see two spot that could potentially be a fungus. However, I don’t think they are based on the other factors I see. If you have a state extension service near you, I would take a couple of the leaves and see if they can test them for disease. Residents in the state of Arkansas have access to a free program that tests plants for disease. So check with your state extension service to see if they have the same program.
Please let me know if I can help with anything else.
May 28th, 2011 at 6:27 am
Thank you very much for your suggestions. Based on those, our current guess is underwatering — when we repotted, it was into a much larger pot. My 8yo did not realize that a far larger volume of water would be needed to keep ALL the soil moistened, and may not have given enough to really saturate the soil.
We’re going to try a change in watering, and when the soil is less dry, try examining the roots.
Thanks again.
July 15th, 2011 at 11:27 pm
I have a problem with my potted avocado plant that was growing very strongly and in the last week the leaves began falling off,lowest first, with tiny scaley spots following the leaf veins.
This plant was going places and it started as a sandwich! How do I save it!? Photo’s attached.
Thanks
JSE
Attached Image: AvacadoDisease3.jpg
July 21st, 2011 at 9:50 am
Stuart,
Didn’t get photos. Please send them to Jadams@flowershopnetwork.com. I think you may have scale which is an insect, but without seeing it I can’t be sure.
September 21st, 2011 at 12:43 pm
I have a baby dwarf avocado tree that I got at my local Lowe’s and planted in the corner of my backyard in the beginning of August. I followed all the planting guidelines re: soil and and hole depth and width. It gets about 6-7 hours of sunlight each day and I do a thorough watering about every 5-7 days (depending on how the soil feels to the touch). I live in SoCal about 5 miles from the ocean…perfect climate for an avocado tree from what I understand. The tree was droopy after I planted it but kept it’s color and leaves until last week, suddenly the leaves were turning brownish and falling off. Now the tree has 3 leaves left, they are green and healthy looking, as are all the branches but I don’t see any new growth. Am I slowly killing this poor tree or is it just in shock or responding the the weather getting cooler? Please help!
September 21st, 2011 at 1:12 pm
It could be the effects of prior care. Sometimes the damage of under or over watering doesn’t show up for a few weeks. This in conjunction with the resent transplanting could cause the leaves to turn brown and drop off. You should see some new growth in a week or two. In the meantime, scrape a branch lightly with your fingernail to make sure the plant is still alive. If you see green, I would continue with the current care. If it is brown, it means that part of the plant is dying and needs more immediate care. If this is the case, send me a picture of the leaves and the plant (I will need both far away and up-close shots or take a leaf to your closes state extension office.
February 24th, 2012 at 8:32 am
I have grown My Avocado tree from seed 10years ago Contd. Tree picture
Attached Image: Avocado tree.jpg
March 23rd, 2012 at 9:26 am
Hello!
I have two wonderful indoor avocado trees. One is 16 years old and almost 3 meters high, the other 13 years old and about 2meters,20cm. They were sprouted in the summers my children were born, so you can imagine just how partial I am to them.
I have to clean them EVERYDAY of white specs ( egg casings) and soft scale insects-
The windows have been closed all winter, so I am wondering how these insects breed. ???
It makes my floors and wall sticky too.
Now that it is finally warmer here in Germany,I am able to put them outdoors in the daytime and in the rain, but still have to bring them in at night so that the temperature change isnt too drastic.
I do know that ladybugs help this problem as a natural predator but they are NOT in abundance at the moment.
I continue to clean them with a mild soap solution, have tried, plant oil solutions, but they really come on strong when the weather is warm.
Any other suggestions,other than the hard pesticide route of getting rid of them??
HELP!
March 23rd, 2012 at 11:23 am
You can try using an insecticidal soap (it is usually not as harsh as other insecticides and usually is only topical). I’m not sure what brands are available in Germany, but one of the local garden centers should carry some kind of insecticidal soap. This issue is timing of the application and often will have to be done off and on through out the season. If you can do anything to encourage ladybugs, that will also help.
Good Luck and let me know how it goes.
April 1st, 2012 at 1:20 pm
Here is a photo of my avocado tree that we bought and planted in our front yard about a month ago. Some of the leaves (older leaves) and stems have been turning yellow (some brown splotches on stems). Newer growth is green and fine. We live south of Tampa, Florida where it has been very dry and warm this month (80s); I am watering this tree about every other day for about five minutes because it is so very dry. Any help much appreciated.
Attached Image: garden 021.jpg
April 1st, 2012 at 1:43 pm
Another photo of same tree (incidentally, the Lula avocado variety) showing the tops of leaves.
There is no evidence of bugs. Thank you again…
Attached Image: garden 018.jpg
April 1st, 2012 at 1:56 pm
Finally, here is a photo of the entire tree, if that helps.
Attached Image: avocado1.jpg
April 2nd, 2012 at 1:06 pm
It looks like a water stress issue rather a disease or pest issue. I would soak the ground for about 30 minutes – slow soak turn water hose to a small almost dripping stream and about 3 inches from trunk. Then wait a couple days and see if the soil has drier out. This will help you stabilize the water stress.
April 2nd, 2012 at 6:27 pm
Thank you so much for your prompt response! I am used to asking a question and waiting weeks (or longer) for a reply, so I really appreciate your help.
I am thrilled with your diagnosis. I was hoping you would say it was lack of water, but also afraid it was some kind of fungus due to over watering (I lost a lot of tomatoes last year due to late blight, and I have come to dread brown splotches on stems). I did exactly as you suggested and gave the tree a good long soaking this afternoon. Our yard is naturally made up of sandy soil, but we planted this tree with a peat/compost/garden soil mixture in a very large hole, so I wouldn’t think the soil has a problem holding moisture. However, I’ll post back in a few days with another photo.
April 5th, 2012 at 6:03 pm
This tree was planted in nov. of last year… growing great! Now i see these leaves with holes and many of the new buds are eater off the stem. I was told it could be a type of snail?? Im in s.west flA.
Does anyone have any pertinent info. or experence this in this area or the same climate?
Lee
Attached Image: leaves.jpg
April 12th, 2012 at 4:36 pm
Hi,
I’m hoping you can help with my avocado tree. Attached is a picture. It’s about 2 years old. I have it in a pot on the porch. It gets afternoon sun. I live in West Palm Beach, FL. I try to water it once per week and just started giving it Logee’s Organic Avocado fertilizer last month. The fertilizer doesn’t seem to be helping. It’s strange because I have two trees that get the same care and are in the same spot, but this one is struggling. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Foster
Attached Image: photo.jpg
April 13th, 2012 at 10:03 am
Foster,
The tree is suffering from one of 2 things: 1) Not enough water which may be the result of needing to be repotted. 2) Fertilizer burn – which could be the result of not mixing fertilizer correctly for that plant.
If the soil is not completely saturated when you water it, increase the amount of water you give it. If you think the problem started when you applied the fertilizer, stop giving it fertilizer and see if the plant rebounds.
Please let me know how things go.
April 21st, 2012 at 10:52 am
Hello! Please help me with this guy!
Leaves of my avocado start to dry out beginning from their tips, then there appear dry stains on leaf edges. These dry areas grow and the whole leaf dries out…
I’ll attach some more photos.
Maybe it’s antracnose or similar fungi disease?
Thank you!
Attached Image: IMAG0113.jpg
April 21st, 2012 at 11:01 am
Here’s another view.
Dry parts are dry. I don’t notice any watery edges o;r parts. What’s this? And what should I do?
Thank you again!
Attached Image: IMAG0120.jpg
April 23rd, 2012 at 12:49 pm
Anna, what is your watering schedule? It’s hard to tell from one leaf, but it appears to be a watering-related issue. The post above outlines good watering practices you can use for your Avocado.
May 18th, 2012 at 1:40 pm
Hello I have an avacado tree that is about 2 years old. I keep it as an indoor plant as I live in the northwest and you never know what the weather is going to be like. I planted two and lost one, but am now starting to have problems with the good tree. At first all the leaves turned brown and fell off and now the tip of my tree has turned brown and is progressively moving down the tree, twords the trunk, to where I have new growth. I thought that you didn’t want to give them too much water, so is this my problem ? What can I do to save it? I will post a picture so that you can see what is happening. I tried cliping the brown off at the tip and the process just starts over. So????
Attached Image: Photo0150.jpg
May 21st, 2012 at 9:06 am
Kaili,
You don’t want to keep the soil soggy. However, you do want to keep the soil moist and the plant fertilized. Make sure that you saturate the rootball completely and then monitor the soil. Stick your finger in the soil up to the first joint. If the soil is moist leave it alone. If the soil is dry give it water. Once the moisture level is sufficient the plant should make a full recovery.
May 27th, 2012 at 11:44 am
Hi Jamie,
Thanks for your previous help. Changing the watering schedule helped with the leaves. I am having another problem with the tree and wanted to get your opinion. Some kind of pest is attacking the trunk and branches. The only bug I see on the trees are ants. I read ants don’t attack the tree but are there because of a different pest. I have two pictures to show the damage. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Attached Image: photo.jpg
May 27th, 2012 at 11:45 am
Here’s the second picture
Attached Image: photo(1).jpg
May 30th, 2012 at 10:33 am
I think your plant has avocado stem canker which is usually caused by environmental stress in conjunction with mites or another type of insect. The only other culprit could be an attack from borers which is another type of insect. In either case you would need an insecticide to take care of the attacker. In the case of the canker it is common practice to remove the effected tissue.
You might discuss your option with a local garden center nursery or someone from your state extension service.
June 20th, 2012 at 4:06 pm
Hi,
I grew my avocado plant from a seed a couple of years ago, and recently some of the leaves have brown spots in the middle and edges of the leaves (picture attached). I live in Sacramento, CA so the temperature can range from 90-108 degrees Fahrenheit in the summertime. The plant is outside; however, it receives shade from the patio and I water it every other day.
Should I prune the brown leaves or leave them on the plant? Also, if I do prune the leaves, do I cut just the leaf itself or near the base of the stem attached to the main branch? Thank you. Any kind of help or information would be great.
Attached Image: picstitch.jpg
June 28th, 2012 at 6:13 am
Hi everyone,
I have been reading through these posts with great interest. I have grown two acvocado trees from a pit. They are about one year old and used to be indoors. I put them outside in May (England weather) and have noticed brownish spot development on leaves which then fall off. Both trees are affected. I attached pictures of both.
Growth which used to be rapid has nearly stalled.
I noticed that the bottom side of affected leaves turns a shade of red-brown.
I treated/sprayed the tree with Bayer Systhane Fungus Fighter, to no avail. To rule out root-rot I checked the roots: they look fine to me (brown, sturdy, plenty of them).
Any idea what I am dealing with and if it is a fungus what type of fungicide to use? Any help is super appreciated!
Attached Image: Tree 1_Resized.jpg
June 28th, 2012 at 6:15 am
Here the second tree
Attached Image: Tree 2 resized.jpg
June 28th, 2012 at 8:43 am
Kat, it looks like you might have a fungal issue. Either a basic copper sulfate spray, or something a little stronger that is sulfur based. Usually avocados with this problem are sprayed beginning in May followed by a June and July spray and completed with a September spray. Fungicide are used more often as a preventive rather than a cure. So remove diseased leaves and spray the healthy ones. When you water the plant do not wet the foliage.
You will remove the leaves at the base. Hope this helps.
July 16th, 2012 at 6:33 am
I started my plant in Florida and it was doing great now that I am in Alabama it’s leaves have been getting brown. Any suggestions?
July 16th, 2012 at 4:19 pm
Crystal, how long has it been since you moved it? It could be going through transplant shock. If it has been a few weeks since it was moved, try to figure out what has changed. Does it get more sun? Is it getting the right amount of water? Avocados are a shallow rooted tree that needs good aeration and prefer a soil pH of 6 to 6.5. Hopefully it’s just adjusting to it’s new home and will be back to normal in no time.
September 8th, 2012 at 6:26 pm
hi ,,my avacardo tree is a year old and has just been tru a cold autralian winter,,its still going strong ,it has a little browning of the leaves ,,however it is covered in little clumps ,like seeds where the leaves meet the stem..can you tell me what is going on with that …cheers
September 9th, 2012 at 12:11 pm
Mark,
Not sure can you send me a picture of it.
September 9th, 2012 at 6:14 pm
hope this helps
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September 9th, 2012 at 8:17 pm
Mark,
It seems your avocado is blooming. hopefully, the bees in your area will pollinate it and the plant will begin to produce fruit. Take a look at this article about avocado pollination in Austrialia it might have some helpful information.
September 10th, 2012 at 3:26 am
ooh that exciting,,thank you,,
September 15th, 2012 at 8:30 pm
I have a avacado plant that I started from a seed and its about 1-1/2′ tall now. I’ve noticed recently the same problem with the tips of the leafs suddenly looking burnt and will try some of the suggestions here, but also, I have some kind of tiny little knats flying all around the plant and have no idea how to get rid of them.
Are there any suggestions?
Thank you!
September 17th, 2012 at 10:27 am
Kaye, the gnats flying around your plant could be fungus gnats coming from the soil of your container, especially if you keep it consistently moist. Poke around your soil to see if you see any larvae. We also suggest using something like a fork to till around the soil to let the top layer dry, this will deter these types of pests. You can find a houseplant Pyrethrum spray that will work for your gnats at your local garden center. They will have further instructions on how to use it for your specific problem, but most likely you will spray the soil to rid the plant of these gnats.
January 8th, 2013 at 2:14 pm
I’ve had my avocado for for several years now, grown from a seed. I bring it in every winter, and put it out on the porch when the weather finally gets nice in northern IL. This year I waited too long to bring it in and all the leaves turned brown, crumpled and fell off. I waited, and have beautiful leaves growing again. I have noticed a few browning spots, so plucked those leaves off. There are a few holes in unbrown leaf – could it have an uninvited guest hiding somewhere? Otherwise it’s happy and I’m looking forward to more new grown.
January 9th, 2013 at 3:14 pm
Sounds like your plant probably fell victim to some sort of chewing insect. I would recommend wiping down all of the leaves, top and bottom, with a damp rag. Check the leaves carefully for any leggy pests along the way. Unless you see more of these holes, I would not recommend spraying it with an insecticide, especially if it is still recovering. Good luck! Let us know if we can help with anything else.
February 4th, 2013 at 10:33 pm
I’ve had my avocado for about 2 years now, grown from seed indoors. It was doing really well for it’s first year, but over the winter all it’s leaves turned brown and eventually dropped, and the main stalk started turning brown from the top down. I decided I wouldn’t give up on it until the entire stalk was dead. It had absolutely no leaves. It gets plenty of light everyday, in a large plastic pot, and completely protected from any drafty windows. No signs of insects. I water well only when the soil’s dry. It’s recently started growing new leaves (yay!), but some of the baby leaves are browning already, and the main stalk is still very slowly continuing to brown, still from the top down. I’ve already tried snipping off the brown on the stalk, but the brown is still traveling downwards. What can I do?
February 5th, 2013 at 2:59 pm
Liz,
Does the pot have drain holes? The problem sounds like a form of root rot.
February 5th, 2013 at 8:58 pm
It does have drain holes! And I only water when it’s dry, I stick my finger in pretty far to check. Also, it’s potted in Miracle Gro Cactus Palm & Citrus soil which is fast draining. If it’s root rot, is it treatable? Is there a way to tell for sure?
February 7th, 2013 at 9:51 am
Liz,
Lift the rootball out of the pot and examine the roots. If the are whitish and firm, the roots are ok. If the roots are , black, soft or mushy the plant has root rot. In the case of root rot, you will need to make sure the water can drain away from the plant. Sometimes the drain holes get stopped up. You can trim the diseased roots off — hopefully this will stimulate new roots. Water the plant with a light solution of root stimulator or Vitamin B1. If you have to cut several roots off, you will need to trim the plant back slightly as well.
February 7th, 2013 at 9:35 pm
Thanks Jamie, I’ll give it a try!
February 22nd, 2013 at 3:38 pm
Hello ! I have the same problem every year – my avocado tree loses lots of leaves every year just about the time it is getting ready to bloom. The leaves just turn yellow and drop off.
The tree is well established – about 14 years old and it does bear fruit but few of them. I have the same problem each and every year .
What causes it ?
Many thanks – I would really appreciate your thoughts’
Marie
February 25th, 2013 at 10:08 am
Marie,
It looks like a nitrogen deficiency. You may need to fertilize it once a month from March through October. Take and soil sample to your state extension office and have them test it. They will be able to tell you what fertilizer blend you need.
April 7th, 2013 at 1:35 pm
Tree is about six years old. I don’t think it gets as much light as it would like since it was winter and my apartment has crumby light. I may not have watered it enough in the winter, but I tried to stick to a good water routine since January. I know we have hard water here and I tried to mix vinegar into the water to desalt the soil? I saw that on a forum. I really want to salvage this tree. There is some black tip action on one of the limbs. New growth appears but quickly dies off by browning. I was spraying it for fungus as advised by someone else. The leaves browned around the edges and just curled up and died.
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April 7th, 2013 at 1:46 pm
Another image.
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April 7th, 2013 at 4:34 pm
have 2 plants, organic seeds & soil, planted at the same time. Both sprouted 2 shoots/(trunks?) & on one plant, one shoot died off, & that plant is wilting, & the other is fine! Any ideas?!
April 8th, 2013 at 9:12 am
Lauren,
Hard to tell without knowing what the plants are and the environmental conditions. It is most likely an environmental issue such as water, light, or temperature. If the seeds were for different plants the conditions might be right for one and not the other. If they are thee same could be survival of the fittest.
April 8th, 2013 at 9:25 am
Lacey,
trying to grow an avocado in an apartment is a tall task. Unless you can get the plant more light, you will continue to have problems. Since you have multiple problem I will address them individually.
Water – I would not had vinegar to the water. If you are concerned about your tap water – fill a wide mouth container with water and let it sit over night. Many of the chemicals used in city water systems will evaporate within 24hrs if left in an open container. You can then use the water to water your plant.
Plant tip action could be a type of Anthracnose or it could be Phytophthora Root Rot – you would need to spray it with the proper fungicide — not all fungicides kill all types of fungus. You can take a leaf and part of a stem to your county extension office and see if they will test it for you to determine which fungus it is. (In Arkansas the extension office will test it for free).
If you have not re-potted the plant in several years, you may need to — if the plant is root-bound it could be causing a little bit of your trouble.
April 18th, 2013 at 12:21 pm
My plants are about 9 months old, started from seed in my apartment in southern Germany – I know, wrong climate zone for avos, but they did surprisingly fine over winter indoors next to a large window. Now that the days have gotten warmer I put them outside, but recently noticed some leaves turning a copper/golden color (it seems to start around the veins), eventually covering the whole leaf and causing it to shrivel up. It’s happening quickly, too. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! (image attached)
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April 18th, 2013 at 12:23 pm
another image of a leaf at an advanced stage
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April 18th, 2013 at 3:18 pm
Lia,
Were the areas a bit yellow before turning coppery? This may be a result of a mite. You may need to a magnifying glass to see the mite. It will be on the backside of the leaf. You will need to treat the plant with a miticide.
April 19th, 2013 at 7:14 pm
I have this new growth leaves that are brownish and it is on all the new sprouting leaves. It is on a drip system about 5 minutes per day that fills a ring around base to tree.
I think it should has plenty water. ??? See Pic
Thanks for your Help.\chuck
Attached Image: image.jpg
April 29th, 2013 at 6:50 pm
“I was wondering if this tree is save able, if so, what ratio fertilizer do you advice? The tree is about forty years old and does not bear good fruit, maybe one fruit out of fifty. Any help would be wonderful. Thank you very much!”
Attached Image: image.jpg
April 30th, 2013 at 9:09 am
Denise,
It is hard to tell from the photos what exactly is happening.
Does the plant have more green leaves or yellow leaves? Are the yellow leaves all over or just at the top or base of the tree?
If the plant has dieback from the top it could be a type of root-rot in which case very hard to overcome. However, if the leaves are here and there it could be a water or fungal issue, both of which can be controlled.
As for fertilizer need to determine and correct the stress issue first then fertilize.
Please send me a photo of the whole tree.
April 30th, 2013 at 4:34 pm
Thanks Jamie for your quick response. The yellow leaves look like there at the outer top. I guess you can have a look. There is a fair amount of green leaves, some which look healthy. Here’s the photo.
Attached Image: image.jpg
May 1st, 2013 at 11:45 am
Denise,
I want to rule out an insect problem. To do that I need you to get a magnifying glass and look at the damaged leaves both the brown and the yellow ones. Look at the backside of the leaves to see if mites or thrips are present. You can also check the damaged fruit. If insects are present, you can treat the tree with an insecticde specifically rate for mites and thrips. However, treating the tree can also kill the beneficial insects and removal of the leaves and the branches that are infected may be a better course of action.
If insects are not present, check the trunk of the tree for signs of damage. peeling bark or signs of injury can indicate other types of problems.
May 10th, 2013 at 1:31 pm
Hello there, I have two avacado plants that I started from seed last year. They have been growing great since I planted them and have many leaves. I try to only water them once a week because I am really good at over watering thinhd! We live in the pacific northwest so I have them indoors to help keep them a constant temperature. I had them in a north facing window, but have recently moved them to see if a south facing window is better. My problem is both of the plants leaves are curling, truning dry, and turning brown. It does take a while for the leaves to fall off once this process starts but I am wondering what is causing my problem? I did transplant them into a new pot about a month ago and maybe gave them too much water at that time, but please let me know your thoughts. I attached a picture of one of the leaves to give you an idea of what is going on. I appreciate your help and look forward to your reply.
Thanks,
Kaili
Attached Image: Avacado.jpg
May 13th, 2013 at 10:00 am
Kaili,
Two issues could be the cause of the browning. One transplant shock coupled with a water issue or too much direct light on the leaves. When you transplanted the trees did you keep the rootball as the same level. If you planted them too deep and piled soil on top of the existing rootball, the plant will not aerate properly and the water might be pooling incorrectly. This can be corrected by repotting the plant correctly. If it is simply transplant shock, make sure you water the plant the same way you did before and give it some time to recover.
As for the move to the south facing window, sometimes windows especially south facing can act as a magnifying glass and burn the leaves. You might try backing the plants away from the window a foot or so. Once you move the plant the rest of the leaves and any new growth should be fine.