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dooger2

Avocado tree, brown on tip of leaves

dooger2
19 years ago

The leaves on my avocado tree are turning brown. They started at the very tip and now have covered half the leave... What could be the cause? Your help would be appreciated...

Comments (82)

  • cuerno
    10 years ago

    I can't tell how large your leaves are, but on my grafted Joey avocado I have a stem growing out of the ground and it's from under the graft so I was told that the rootstock is a lula. The leaves from this 2 foot stem from the rootstock has very large leaves and when I crush the leaves in my hand, the smell was NOT licorice (as anise). They say all Mex variety will smell like licorice, the seven Mex variety I have all smell like licorice. See if your smells like green grass or Licorice... Here is a pic of the large leaves probably Guatemalan or Hybrid...

  • ken760ca
    10 years ago

    has anyone found anymore possible causes and solutions? i also tried the vinegar tip and it made it worse, just like sdelafuente said. anyone ever find out if the vinegar was effecting the ph, salts, minerals, all of those, or 2 of the three? i can always return them to home depot, but i would prefer to save them. ive grown attached to these 2 trees. also a side note, this week i went to home depot and all of their avocado trees, yes i repeat ALL of their avocado trees were browning up. when i bought these two all of their trees were green and beautiful with very little leaf browning. also another thing to note and may be significant is ive noticed as they got worse the bottom on the stump has a white residue that comes up 8 inches or so from the ground. these are in 24 inch pots and it came in a 5 gallon pot. i dont think it was the repotting or anything else i did due to all the trees at home depot having the same issues.

    please help.

  • sdelafuente
    10 years ago

    how often do you water them? That white stuff might be mold.

  • nekola90
    10 years ago

    I've had a similar problem. This is my second avocado to do this, I have 2 others that are doing fine. I keep this indoors under 4 grow lights and now that fall is here the temp of the room gets down to about 60F. The tree is about a year old maybe less and about a month ago started browning. I wait for the soil to dry before watering and I have well water. I also use compost tea. Any ideas?

  • lehua49
    10 years ago

    Neko,

    You are fighting several problems that are inherent growing plants indoors under lights as well as well water. Have you had an analysis done on your well water? The leaf looks like chlorosis so may not be getting certain micro nutrients or worse your soil Ph is off not allowing to roots to uptake the nutrients. If your soil is too alkaline from the well water chlorosis will occur. Check your water and soil Ph, the type(makeup of nutrients) of fertilizer you are using and the closeness of your lights (heat). Also post this thread on the fruit tree, container tree forum. Gl JMHO Aloha

  • grounger
    10 years ago

    I have a six ft tall tree that I have to bring in every winter and the leaves do that every time it's moved, whether I'm moving it outside in the spring or inside for the winter. I've learned to accept it because it's always putting out new leaves and eventually recovers.

  • d.dee
    10 years ago

    hi there, this thread has been helpful. here is my tree.
    is very sad. i re potted it. although i think i need a bigger pot. I have had it for 10 years! i live in Vermont and I hate to see it die.
    it was growing new leaves and the big ones are brow and yellow. every day at least 5 fall off.
    today i watered it until it leaked.

    i have clean mountain well water.

  • Mtriv2014
    10 years ago

    Hi! I'm an amateur gardener(?) This is my first time growing anything really... I grew this guy out of a pit. It's been about 5 months, give or take. It's about 2 feet tall now. He was doing really well, but he recently started getting brown spots on a lot of the leaves... Diagnosis?

  • lehua49
    10 years ago

    mt,

    I would ask this question on the tree forum or container forum. You also need to include some more details of how you are growing the tree. How much and frequency of watering, what fertilizer you are using and how much. What type of soil is the plant in. The more info the better the advice. The tree forum can give you info on what is the problem with the leaves and whether it should be indoors or not and when can it be moved outside and how quickly. It looks like you have done well so far. GL Aloha

  • WilliamCarolina
    9 years ago

    I've had the same brown-leaf problems with several potted avocado trees that are now over six feet tall. A couple months ago I began wondering if soil pH was a problem (soil too acidic). So I began mixing in powdered calcium (lime) with the water to sweeten the pH. So far, not a brown leaf in sight! I definitely think this has had a positive benefit.

    If you want to try this, please note: The standard pelletized or powdered lime you buy for your yard grass is cheap but has much less calcium in it. Look for a "High-Cal" powdered lime (more expensive, but much better). I would mix 1/4 to 1/2 cup in a large watering can of water. Put the powder in the watering can first, then use a high pressure hose to fill the can so it can mix the calcium in well, then water the ago trees.

  • Lynzz
    9 years ago

    I have 2 trees. Have had 2 weeks. Mexicali and Zutano
    They both had some small holes in leaves when I got them.
    The Zutano had a new branch with nice leaves no holes.
    After a week the holes got worse. I found the little moth things laying eggs in leaves' sprayed with Very Diluted malathion, and a bit of soapy water. I let set a couple hours then rinsed thoroughly. Now 3 days later overnight the spotting on the pretty Zutano. They also are more chewed and brown happening too. Please help me I so want to plant these trees next year.

  • Lynzz
    9 years ago

    Here's Mexicali

  • Lynzz
    9 years ago

    Here's holes in Zutano

  • Lynzz
    9 years ago

    Mexicali holes

  • Lynzz
    9 years ago

    last pic of yellowing starting Zutano

  • sdelafuente
    9 years ago

    i was having some issues with leaves having holes last year. In the fall, I used fruit spray with malathion on all my trees in the spring. I haven't see as many holes on them. I see you are in the same zone 9, you shouldn't sprayed it only in the winter and/or spring.

    I see that they are in a pot, I would suggest having them in the ground or in a bigger pot.

    They look good!

  • d.dee
    9 years ago

    My tree is still doing poorly. larger pot, moved outside part sun part shade..

    i used neem oil on my roses last year, they had holes in the leaves and dark spots.

    I will go to the Agway tomorrow and see what they have.

    It seems i get new leaves and then they go bad so i suspect it is systemic. spider mites?

    you all have been helpful!

  • kkk2013
    9 years ago

    Hi, we live in Sydney Australia (so I think we are in zone 11) and have several baby avocado trees, all from seeds which we've planted. They are less than 1 year old.

    In the last month or so, we noticed brown or rusty colour on the leaves, and they don't necessarily started from the tip of the leaves. We usually water it when the soil feels dry to avoid overwatering. Soil drains very well. We did sprayed them once with Yates Scale Gun thinking it might kill whatever it is.

    The plants are getting worse and we have no clue what's wrong, does anyone know? Please help.

  • irrigirl
    9 years ago

    Here is an interesting article that offers some solutions..

    http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/environmental/what-causes-brown-edges-on-leaves-of-plant.htm

    This is either an issue with overwatering, not enough water, the type of water (salt and mineral content), or the type of soil the tree is planted in. Hope this helps!

  • d.dee
    9 years ago

    KKK.
    looks like you could repot in a larger container. and place in a spot that has part sun part shade.

    mine was doing well all summer and now it has been inside since end of September. and it is unhappy again. holes in the leaves and turning yellow and brown and falling off.

    it is 6 foot tall!

    this summer i gave it a new big pot and used the Rose RX / Neem oil spray and that took care of any fungus or pests. It was beautiful!
    the last time i sprayed it was august.

    I will try to buy some more spray and try that again.
    I give it a quart of water every 5 days. Is that enough.? I thought i was over watering so i cut back.. i mist it with water.
    maybe i should stop misting it?

  • d.dee
    9 years ago

    here is another good article..
    http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/disease/bacterial-leaf-spot.htm

    as i said before the Neem oil worked so i would try that.

  • irrigirl
    9 years ago

    There are calculators for irrigating these in different areas. Could you provide your general location? I.e. southern California. And the type of soil the tree is planted in?

  • cocoa2000
    9 years ago

    people like to jump to a worst case scenario of arachnose or fungus or something----BROWN TIPS most likely cause is OVERFERTILIZING-----Avocado (and mangoes) are light feeders, they like small amounts of the same type of fertilizer with INCREMENTAL increases----start with 1 handful of 2-10-10 per month in the growing season,,monitor for 3 months,,the tree will tell you when its time for the incremental increase--- if you see no growth or yellowing on the oldest leaves probaly time for an increase to 2 HFs of 2-10-10----I went from 4-10-10 to 6-6-6 to save money one time and he did not like it and tips turned brown-----when you get brown tips,,,,DO NOT FERTILIZE for a long while (1-3 months) until he recovers with hopefully new growth(looks like buds) from the overdose-----I don't water either b/c the fertilizers are water soluble---JUST DO NOTHING, and I pray

  • enje
    9 years ago

    Hi,
    I live in Chicago and have an indoor garden. I have two 1 and a half year old avacado plants I grew from a seed. I use a Sunblaze 4-4 light. It's on a daily cycle from 6:30 am to 9:30pm at night. The avacados have been doing really well. They bud and grow like crazy. I use a spray bottle to water the leaves each day. However, Some leaves have brown tips, leaves that are drying and curling towards the stem. I water with a Ph level around 6.5 and fertilize with 3-2-4. I only water when the soil is dryish. Also the plants are in a mesh pot. Here is the problem. New leaves do well but then they get brown tips. How can I stop this? I attached a picture below of a leaf that has brown spots. I will also attach picture of the whole plant.

  • enje
    9 years ago

    Here is another view.

  • Jay Part Shade (Zone 10B, S21, Los Angeles)
    9 years ago

    It looks like your avocado needs water -- they need far more water than most plants. Fast draining soil is a must. They're tricky trees to grow, but when the leaves start looking sad like that, it's usually water.


    Also, avocados lose their leaves every season when they push out new growth. So it's to be expected that avocado leaves will start looking terrible at some point.

  • PRO
    74 avocados
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Hi, I have the same problem - I attached the photo. I wonder if I can still salvage the plant. It had been a resilient tree that lived with us over ten years.

    Suspecting root rot, I removed half of the root, air dried the remaining root for two full days, and repotted into a new container with new additional soil last week. I also added gypsum and cofffee ground as suggested by some users of this forum thread.

    How long does it take for the plant to start growing new leaves from this terrible condition, after repotting? All of the leaves are brittle even though they have nominally gren areas (i.e. not completely brown).

    It's been a resilient tree so when it started to brown, I thought "oh, it's going to come back to like as usual." Usually, I give "haircut" and take off the brown leaves and the tree would come back to life with new leaves. So I was counting on the tree to come back to life by this usual remedy ... and this is why it made me late to take real action (or repotting).

    I hope it's not too late to save the tree.

  • PRO
    74 avocados
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Another shot of my emaciated tree. I cut down on branches and leaves that had turned completely brown.

    how long does it take to come back to life?

  • Trix Jones
    8 years ago

    Hi this is how my advocado tree look like. What can I do to save the tree?


  • kkk2013
    8 years ago

    Hi Trixjones, the last thing we tried to ours was to get them some food and it worked. I seem to remember that it was liquid plant food, sorry I can't recall the brand. Hope that'll work for you.

  • Christen Genova
    8 years ago

    Hi all. I'm in Burbank California. I bought two avocado trees last summer (2014), in complementary varieties (they'll pollinate one another). One I bought at Lowe's and one at Home Depot. The Lowe's tree's leaves (mexicola), are turning brown but have no problem regrowing shiny new leaves, but they too eventually brown up. The Home Depot tree (fuerte) as of right now has all green leaves. If memory serves me, it had brown leaves at the time of purchase. My trees are both potted in potting soil, in rather large pots. I have no real space to ground plant them yet. Plus with the water crisis, I figure the container works better for now.

    I just pick the brown leaves off but I'm still wanting to rectify the cause. Great posts you've all submitted. I'm an avid coffee hound, so I'll try some grounds from my coffee maker. They're acidic obviously.


    Here's mexicola from Lowe's. A large brown leaf and it's tender smaller counterparts on the same branch


    Here's fuerte, all green :)

    Sorry, it's night time and it's dark outside.


    One tree had tiny blooms earlier but they fell off accidentally. Next year maybe!

  • gasiacali
    8 years ago

    Ok. Just logged on to this site. So new at this. I'm pretty good at growing fruit and veggies. But I got a avcado plant for my bday in April. Was doin great. Now it's not lookin good at all. It's in my front room. Think like a 3 gallon pot. Bout 2 years old from what I was told. It's close to 4 feet ish tall. Browning at the tips and now real droopy. I live in northern California. .

    ummmmm. New starts at the top. We're doin fine. But now so curled. Like I burned it with firtalizer. But I dont member the name. I will get the name. But it was not supposed to do that at all. I used it on my papaya starts pineapple pomegranate lemon tangelo. All from fruit that I ate from the store and started myself. Not the avacado. That was a gift. But I do save egg sheets. Dry them n the sun and crush them in to almost a powder and put that that in all my plants. Just the aavcado lookin bad. Ummmmm I will send pics in the morning. Hope to get some replys and some suggestions.

    And ask more to. I I'm sure I'm leaving alot out lol. Help plsssss

  • lehua49
    8 years ago

    g,

    start your own thread to ask your question. When u ask a question or seek help, especially on a long old thread as this. People don't bother to look all the way at the bottom for your question, except me of course. Oh yeah pictures would help. Aloha


  • Christen Genova
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Gasiacali, can you share pics? The wilting sounds like a water issue or root rot. But post some photos please

  • gasiacali
    8 years ago

    K

  • gasiacali
    8 years ago

    I


  • gasiacali
    8 years ago

    I posted lots of pics of the plant. What u think.

    I still don't know how to make it easy for ppl to see my posts

  • lehua49
    8 years ago

    Not enough light. Avocado is not an indoor plant and don't over-water. Google plant care for Avocado.


  • gasiacali
    8 years ago

    When I put it outside it hates it.

    it just wilts so bad?

    I have Google so much stuff. I think I over fertilized it maybe?

  • lehua49
    8 years ago

    g,
    When putting out side, do it in increasing increments of time in the shade. How hot is it outside where u live? Put it in partial shade and slowly move into stronger sun. Do you have drainage holes in the pot? Is your soil considered having good drainage? Ask the fruit or container forum what to do. Describe to them what I have asked. aloha


  • gasiacali
    8 years ago

    It's 108 at times and down to 90.

    and always n the shade. Yea plenty of drainage in the pot. But maybe the soil is the best for drainage. I crushed up my own egg shells and mixed it in there. That could have sumn to do with it. Not too sure.

    thanks for getting back to me . Mahalo and aloha

  • Catriona Lund
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Hello! I have two avocado trees that I began growing last summer. They have both been in pots now, inside the house, and one of them is doing great but the other one has been struggling the entire time. The clay pot has all of this white silt looking stuff all along the outside of the rim. Can anyone tell me what that is? I keep watering my trees and so they are both surviving but since they were started at the same time and now one is twice as big as the other, I'm concerned :( Please advice!

    p.s. I live in Southern California so the weather is fairly temperate.

  • sasha_98923
    8 years ago

    My leaves are folding why? Need help please

  • Bobbi Murphy
    8 years ago

    Please help my avacodo tree the tips of the leaves are turning brown and consuming one leaf at a time starting with the older leaves at the bottom, my plant is not over watered i wait till the soil is almost dry it has good drainage still getting new leaves daily and gets good sun, what do i do can i cut the yucky leaves off and what can i do to make it better and not do this anymore???? HELP HELP HELP

  • plamsha
    8 years ago

    Hi!
    I think I overwatering my plant. Is there something to do?

  • Daniel Boyer
    8 years ago

    Should I plant this in soil? Some leaves are beginning to turn brown.

  • Buddy Phineas Artz
    8 years ago

    Hi Everyone, glad to know others with an Avocado plant. I'm on my fifth ("Jose V"), who's 6 years old. Jose I - IV didn't last a year - leaves turned brown and each died. It was VERY frustrating.

    Jose V's secret - distilled water. I'm intrigued about adding vinegar to tap water, but it doesn't sound like that is working for everyone. I have a countertop distiller for the dumb plant so I don't have to haul it from the store anymore.

    fwiw I water when really dry and the lower leaves start to droop (2 - 4 x per month) until water comes out the bottom (usually a quart+), then after a while spill what does come out the bottom. And have re-potted every two years or so...will love to know if this helps!

  • Buddy Phineas Artz
    8 years ago


    Here's Jose V. Note I did not start the distilled water until 1 year old or so after he dropped a lot of his lower leaves off the trunk. He got better with distilled water. Also, I did not prune his top off until last fall, when he was 5yo or so. Also, just gave him a huge haircut, he went nuts after I added a Miracle Gro Single to his gallon and fed over 6 weeks. This was only the second Miracle Gro Single I gave him. First Single was around 4 years old, and he practically doubled in height.

    Sometimes I wonder if he's a girl?

  • Robert Johnson
    6 years ago

    I'm late to this but I thought I'd add some advice. I have a small grove of about 24 trees (Hass, Fuerte and Zutano) in Southern California. Leaf tips turning brown is usually a sign of water problems. When the soil dries out, it leaches salt from the ground (which is bad) and causes the tip burn. If you have spots on the leaves, that's usually a pest like a persea mite. My trees are in Sandy Loam soil. You can tell if they need water by clumping the soil in your hand. If it drips water when you squeeze it, it's too wet. Soil that is too wet will lead to root rot. If it doesn't hold a shape from your fingers when you squeeze it, it's too dry and they'll leach salts from the ground. It should hold the shape from your fingers. They like a lot of water but they don't like sitting in water. It has to drain away. That's why most avocado groves are on hillsides. If you don't have hilly land, build a mound and plant the tree in the middle of it so the water can drain off.

    They like full sun but they have to be protected from sunburn when they're young if it gets really hot where you are. If the trunk or branches are turning black, they may be getting sunburned. To protect it, mix 1/2 white indoor latex paint and 1/2 water (whitewash) and paint the trunk and any exposed branches with it. Once you get a nice canopy, you can stop painting the trunk. Usually once per year is all that is necessary. Don't let the canopy touch the ground. Keep the canopy trimmed about 2 feet off the ground.

    My trees usually get two waterings per week in the summer when it's hot and sunny, one short and one long. If I get rain of 1/2" or more, I don't water for about a week. In the winter, when it rains here, I may not need to water at all. They usually don't like pots either. Their roots are shallow and spread out to the canopy of the tree. They can tolerate cold down to about 27F. If you get frost or snow, it will kill the tree. They also like a soil ph of 6 to 6.5. It's normal for leaves to fall in the winter. Leave them around the tree and don't let grass or weeds near them. Resist the temptation to clean up the leaves. They help protect the roots and help keep the soil from drying out too quickly.

    The licorice smell from a torn leaf is usually the sign of a tree that won't grow avocados. It should have a fresh green smell. Growing from a pit will usually not produce avocados and if it does, it's going to take about 10 to 15 years to produce, and even then, they may not produce good tasting fruit. Most growers buy grafted trees or graft themselves from a verified tree that produces good fruit.

  • VLM
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Robert, excellent info. Thanks for taking the time to offer your knowledge. I also live in SoCal and have a new 7' tall Hass, delivered & planted from Moon's Nursery (Irvine) 3 weeks ago. It has 50+ fruit, small golf-ball sized, but I've lost about 5 of them so far, finding them dropped on the ground. Most leaf tips browning, but lots of new growth. We built a portable canopy to filter (it's not solid) the sun above it bc it's been 90 degrees here in Orange Cty. Also bought a small Zutano that's 8' away, doing about the same. I feel certain the brown leaves are from the soil. Perhaps water also. Don't think it's too wet or dry; most likely ph. I dug down about 8" and the soil clumps when I squeeze but isn't wet. I think it's the salt content. Nursery says I need Moon juice to help so will try that. It is heavily mulched about 6" from the trunk. It's not on a hill, but in the grass. Nursery said it's fine...:/

    You seem so knowledgeable, was wondering what your thoughts are. Should I go with their Moon Juice (micro nutrients supposed to minimize transplant shock & revive stressed plants). They said the browning may be too much salt and this would help.

    Thanks again for all your info in your post. Most comprehensive helpful info on this entire page!


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