Avacado (forum)

Alan Gardner starts with ...
Im on my third attempt (over the years) to grow an avocado. This time I made sure I had good draining soil fertilized with horse dung etc but not looking good. At one point lost most of the leave only to come back strong then go down again. See photo.

Regards Alan
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 28th September 2009 7:50am

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author Alan Gardner
Sydney
#UserID: 2846
Posts: 1
View All Alan Gardner's Edible Fruit Trees

amanda says...
Hi Alan - it's a bit chlorotic - maybe some trace elements are the go? I don't know why it is losing leaves tho' - anyone else?
Did it get water stressed at all? Is it in sun/shade? It doesn't look diseased -the leaves are quite normal apart from colour.

Time: 28th September 2009 10:01am

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author amanda19
Geraldton. WA
#UserID: 2309
Posts: 4607
View All amanda19's Edible Fruit Trees

HappyEarth says...
Hey Alan, what variety of avocado do you have? and whereabouts in sydney are you?

Im not sure what the secret is. Ive lost a couple of hass avocados but have wurtz growing OK. Its soo easy to grow from seed but it seems any grated avocado is much harder. Certainly the hardest tree ive ever tried to grow.

Im starting to think aeration around the root zone is just as important as drainage. I have an avocado that i need to plant out and Im going to just place the pot on the ground so the tree can root into the ground. Leave the plastic around the avocado and remove it after adding a couple of bags of potting mix for good aeration throughout the whole root system. Kind of treating it like a pot plant for a year or so but allowing it to root into the ground.

They do have a high requirement for boron and zinc, so watering with liquid seeweed is a must.

Ill let you know how it goes :)

Rich
www.happyearth.com.au

Time: 28th September 2009 5:55pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author HappyEarth
Wollongong
#UserID: 2553
Posts: 181
View All HappyEarth's Edible Fruit Trees

Brendan says...
Hi Happy Earth,
Because of where I live, growing avocados here is 'fairly' easy. Here's how I do it.

Dig a hole where the tree is going to be planted and mix this soil with lots of gypsum. (I use a wheelbarrow). Put all this back down the hole.
Place the new avo tree ON this spot. Gently cut the bottom off the plastic bag and remove.
Mix in barrow, composted cow manure and a cheap potting mix and MORE gypsum. (It takes about 3 to 4 bags of each, and 1 x 25kg bag of gypsum).
Mound all this brew around the plastic / tree and compact a bit.
Slip the plastic up & off the tree.
Apply lots of 'corse' mulch if possible, but keep about 150mm away from the trunk.
Give it a good drink.
When young, they like lots of small drinks and don't fertilize for 6 to 9 months, or until the new shoots appear.
Oh, almost forgot. I place sheets of newspaper around the tree, from the plastic bag out to a 1200 to 1500mm circle. This kills the grass / weeds. And I also cover this area with gypsum, before the newspaper.
Hope this helps.

Time: 29th September 2009 6:24am

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author Brendan
Mackay, Q
#UserID: 1947
Posts: 1722
View All Brendan's Edible Fruit Trees

HappyEarth says...
Thanks Brendan ... yeah thats kind of the strategy I was talking about. I heard they like gypsum and ive applied a few handfuls around the area im going to plant into. Did i understand that you apply 25kg of gypsum? that seems like an awful lot!

I might go and fork the area and apply a lot more gypsum as you say.

Thanks, Rich

Time: 29th September 2009 6:37am

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author HappyEarth
Wollongong
#UserID: 2553
Posts: 181
View All HappyEarth's Edible Fruit Trees

amanda says...
That's a really good idea guys.. Next time I am brave enuf' to try Avo's again I will try that method too.
I remember reading a reference that avocado-suitable soil is the one of the hardest to 'find' (maybe Glowinski?)

Hass grow really well in NZ - would b intersting to find out what soils they plant in - as volcanic and peat soils common over there. It looks like potting mix too....
Maybe u should start making some bags of leaf mould too Rich...I reckon avo's would love it?

Time: 29th September 2009 10:04am

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author amanda19
Geraldton. WA
#UserID: 2309
Posts: 4607
View All amanda19's Edible Fruit Trees

Mick says...
I felled a large golden cane palm, and the trunk swung around and dropped straight on top of my very-healthy Reed avocado!

It's got some new shoots now, but I lost the whole top of it including all the leaves.

Time: 29th September 2009 11:21pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author Mick1
Brisbane
#UserID: 2790
Posts: 11
View All Mick1's Edible Fruit Trees

Kath says...
can relate to that Mick,my hubby whacked my Reed avocado off BELOW the graft then hid it under a piece of corrugated iron hoping I wouldn't notice!

Time: 29th September 2009 11:46pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author KathK
Karnup W.A.
#UserID: 1744
Posts: 187
View All KathK's Edible Fruit Trees

Ellen says...
hehehehe, so no presents for him this Christmas eh, Kath

Time: 30th September 2009 8:13am

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author Ellen
Smithfield
#UserID: 1339
Posts: 309
View All Ellen's Edible Fruit Trees

Kath says...
Exactly Ellen! Forgot to mention he did it with a golf ball-a very hooked shot!!

Time: 30th September 2009 10:32am

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author KathK
Karnup W.A.
#UserID: 1744
Posts: 187
View All KathK's Edible Fruit Trees

Brendan says...
Hi Happy Earth,
Yeah, I did make that a bit confusing about the 25kg of gypsum. Because I'm in clay soil, I'd use about half a 25kg bag of gypsum when planting 1 avo tree.

If planting an avo tree in sandy soil, (like amanda has got:-), just dig in lots of composted cow manure (& gypsum plus some dolomite) into the top 300mm, and in a circle about 1200 to 1500mm diameter, then plant the tree in the centre of that. Remember, NO fertilizer in the hole at all, it's too strong and will burn the roots and kill the tree.

Time: 1st October 2009 6:11am

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
Original Post was last edited: 1st October 2009 6:16am

About the Author Brendan
Mackay, Q
#UserID: 1947
Posts: 1722
View All Brendan's Edible Fruit Trees

Brendan says...
Hello Wayne,
See bunnings in Mackay have about 10 to 12 'Lamb Hass' avocado trees for sale @ $39 each. These are a semi-dwaft tree, type 'A'. I'm thinking about buying one :-).
Could I have your email address? Hide it somewhere & let me know, thanks.
Make it like "wayneatmackaydotcomdotau",
that should keep some spammers away.

Time: 3rd October 2009 7:38am

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author Brendan
Mackay, Q
#UserID: 1947
Posts: 1722
View All Brendan's Edible Fruit Trees