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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.
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
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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.
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?
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?
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.
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.
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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.
It should still survive. The brown leaves may fall off but it should put out new ones in a couple of weeks.
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!
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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.
Rob can you send a picture? Also what are your watering practices?
Gabriel,
Are the leaves turning brown from the outside in or turning brown as spot of the leaves?
Jamie, I thought I added one.
Here is another link http://i.imgur.com/MBzN6.jpg
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.
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.
Yes as long as the new shoots look good, your plant should be ok.
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
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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.
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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.
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.
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
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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.
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!
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.
I have grown My Avocado tree from seed 10years ago Contd. Tree picture
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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!
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.
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.
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Another photo of same tree (incidentally, the Lula avocado variety) showing the tops of leaves.
There is no evidence of bugs. Thank you again…
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Finally, here is a photo of the entire tree, if that helps.
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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.
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.
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
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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
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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.
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!
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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!
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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.
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????
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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.
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.
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Here’s the second picture
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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.
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.
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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!
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Here the second tree
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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.
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?
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.
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