avocado tree help (forum)

ttran starts with ...
My avocado tree used to have lots of green leaves and fruits. Now, the leaves are scarce and have brown tips, the branches are brown without new leaves. My avocado tree is old and tall, I can't guess the age. I attach some pictures to let you guys know the situation and i'm living in Southern California. Please help
Pictures - Click to enlarge

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Time: 15th December 2017 6:30am

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About the Author ttran
GARDEN GROVE
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Fruitylicious1 says...
I think your avo tree needs a good pruning during spring. It has gone too tall and lanky hence less and less productive as time goes by. By pruning, new robust fruiting branches will emerge thus reinvigorating your aging guacamole tree. After the haircut give it a good feed of aged chicken manure and or compost and copious amount of H2o with seaweed solution to top it off. Your avo will thank you heaps for it. Don't forget to seal all the cut wounds with a prune wound sealer or alternatively you can use a water based acrylic paint, to ward off anything that might enter into wound and wreck havoc later on with your avo's health.
Happy Gardening :-)

Time: 16th December 2017 8:24pm

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Original Post was last edited: 16th December 2017 8:38pm

About the Author Fruitylicious1
TAMWORTH,2340,NSW
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brad16 says...
Hi ttran,

How much of the ground does the paving at the base of the tree cover?
How long has it been there? It doesn't show any signs of movement, so it looks like only a year or two.

I looked up the annual rainfall figures for Garden Grove, California and got 13 inches (about 330 mm). I get around 4 times that amount.
I'm thinking, that if the tree began to decline in vigour since around the same time as the paving was done, it may indicate that it isn't getting as much water as it used to. When it rains, all the rain would run off the paving, whereas before it would have soaked into the ground. At 13 inches per year, it isn't much water, and if there isn't a water table below the surface, then rainfall and surface water is what the tree would be relying on.
If the paving extends out beyond the drip line of the tree, the rain is not soaking into the soil where the roots are.

I agree with Fruitylicious1, that it does look 'twiggy', although I've had an avocado tree with a trunk around 3 times the diameter of that one, and it was bigger and bushier. So I am guessing that age is not a problem. Although with more rainfall, and maybe better soil, my tree may have grown larger in the same amount of time.
Avocados don't like it too wet, but I'm getting the feeling that this one isn't getting enough water, based on low yearly rainfall and the paving.

If the tree began to loose vigour after the paving was done, then I'd be inclined to think that you need to supplement its water supply, to replace the rainfall that runs off your paving. It shouldn't need too much if it was happy on 13 inches per year. Maybe consider a drip line at the base.

Time: 29th December 2017 11:02am

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About the Author brad16
GOROKAN,2263,NSW
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