Avocado plant can be easily grown from the pit of a fruit utilized. But care for it is often not easy, and then brown leaves may occur for various reasons.
Contents
- 1 Various causes
- 2 How To Save The Avocado
- 3 Proper watering
- 4 Proper fertilizing
- 5 Correct location
- 6 Frequently asked questions
- 7 Why are water deficiency and waterlogging so dangerous for the avocado plant?
- 8 Which pests are responsible for the brown leaves?
- 9 Can dry heating air harm my avocado?
- 10 Author
Various causes
Care of the popular avocado (Persea americana) is subject to various requirements of the popular plant, which should be strictly observed. Otherwise, it is more common to brown leaves on the avocado plant. However, this may be due to various causes, which should be investigated before taking appropriate measures. Thus, the following causes of browning of the leaves are known:
- Lack of water
- Waterlogging
- wrong dosage of nutrients
- wrong location
- pests
- age-related leaf shedding
If one or even more of the causes listed here have been identified, appropriate action can be taken.
How To Save The Avocado
If one of the causes has been identified, then the avocado can still be saved. To do this, proceed as follows:
- remove all leaves that have turned brown
- even those that are still yellow
- also remove leaves with brown tips
- water well if there is a lack of water
- fertilize well in case of nutrient deficiency
- remove the plant from the pot in case of waterlogging
- remove all soil
- let the root ball dry
- cut damaged roots
- place in new, dry substrate
In the following period, proper care should be carried out so that damage does not occur again due to improper care. If it was in the wrong place then the avocado plant just need to get a suitable place.
Note: The avocado is evergreen. Therefore, it can also always be that old leaves turn brown and are then shed. This is a natural process and you do not have to pay any attention to it. In such a case, other new shoots with fresh, rich green leaves will also be formed
Proper watering
Both lack of water and waterlogging can be very harmful to the avocado plant. Even if it seems to be a contrary fault, however, both causes have the same consequence. The leaves of the avocado plant turn brown because they are no longer sufficiently supplied with water. Therefore, when watering, you should pay attention to the following:
- water only moderately
- let the soil dry
- then water lightly again
- soil should only be moist
- Shake off the saucer after watering
Tip: Since the avocado is not hardy in the local latitudes, it is usually cultivated in a tub. Here, before filling the soil above the drainage hole, you should create a drainage of broken clay or gravel. Over this comes plant fleece, so that soil can not clog the drainage
Proper fertilizing
After brown spots on the leaves of an avocado plant have been discovered and the cause has been corrected, it comes down to further proper care. This includes providing the right nutrients to the small tree, which can also grow to a stately size when firmly cultivated in a conservatory. In doing so, one should pay attention to the following:
- requires only a few nutrients
- especially the young plants
- young avocado plants get brown leaves when overfertilized
- fertilize every two weeks after getting used to it
- fertilizer for citrus fruits is optimal
- alternatively use pot plant fertilizer
- for quantity and frequency pay attention to manufacturer’s instructions
Attention: If you have grown a small tree yourself from a core, then you should make sure that you do not fertilize the young plant at all in the first four to six months and then only slowly get used to nutrients. To do this, give a small dosage at the beginning and then slowly increase it with each fertilization
Correct location
The plant has its original home in the tropical rainforests of Central and South America. Therefore, just the right location in the local latitudes for a good thriving is particularly important. Here, the following should be taken into account:
- sunny and warm
- outdoors in summer
- when night frosts are imminent spend indoors
- also in winter rather too warm than too cool
- a heated winter garden is then optimal
The location should always be checked first and appropriate measures should be taken to save the avocado plant and get back a visually beautiful and healthy plant.
Idea: Why not put your avocado plant in the bathroom, if it is large enough for the plant. If the bathroom has a large window and is also flooded with sunlight, the optimal warm and humid climate for the tropical plant prevails here, especially in winter, when the apartment is heated
Frequently asked questions
Why are water deficiency and waterlogging so dangerous for the avocado plant?
Even if it sounds strange, in both cases the roots can no longer absorb sufficient amounts of water as well as nutrients, brown spots quickly appear on the leaves due to deficiency symptoms. If the soil is too dry, then the assumption quickly arises that it is due to too little water. In the case of waterlogging, on the other hand, the soil becomes so compacted that here, too, the roots no longer have the opportunity to absorb water or nutrients.
Which pests are responsible for the brown leaves?
Especially in the winter months, when an avocado has been brought indoors, pest infestation can occur more quickly here. If the air is too dry, scale insects or spider mites like to sit on the leaves and suck them dry. Insecticides, showering and daily checking help against this so infestations can be quickly contained.
Can dry heating air harm my avocado?
Especially in winter, when the plant is exposed to dry heating air in a warm living room, the leaves quickly turn brown. Against this it helps to look for another place, for example in a bright room, which is not additionally heated. Otherwise, bowls with water around the plant, an automatic humidifier or even spraying the avocado manually several times a day have proven successful.
