Avocado leaves are a symbol of healthy life, as they symbolize growth, strength, and resilience, so seeing them dry up can be both concerning and worrisome. Owning an avocado tree is a great way to produce your own food and freshen up your garden. But if left to its own devices, there’s a chance your avocado tree can end up with dry, wilting leaves. To prevent this, it’s important to assess the needs for proper care of the avocado tree and discover what the drying leaves may be trying to tell you.
Understanding the needs of an avocado tree is the first step in understanding why the leaves may be drying up. The most basic need for a tree’s health is water, so it’s critical to provide the tree with an adequate irrigation routine. Depending on the size of the tree, and the demands of the climate, this routine may consist of both more frequent, smaller amounts of water, or once or twice a week, larger amounts of water. Either way, the tree should be able to receive enough water that when a finger is inserted into the soil it goes in deeply and is moist.
According to expert Joe Pinchardo, proper nutrient levels for the soil is also an essential foundation for avocado-leaf health. Pinchardo suggests that the soil’s pH should be between 6.0 and 6.5 and that nitrogen and potassium levels should be in good standing. One way to ensure this is to perform a soil test in early spring when the tree has just set fruit, so fertilizers can be amended and applied at the right times in late spring and early summer, after the fruit has dropped.
On top of proper watering and nutrients, the right amount of sun is also important for the health of an avocado tree’s leaves. Too much sun can damage leaves, but too little sun can stunt growth and dry out the leaves, When it comes to sun, the more the better, as long as it’s not too extreme. During peak midday hours, it’s best to provide some shade for the tree, either by way of moveable cloth covers or planting the tree near other trees that can cover it.
For avocado trees in regions of drastic temperature changes, such as colder, snowier climates, occasional pruning can be beneficial, to promote air flow, regulate the amount of sun exposure and heat the tree receives, and weed out any fungus that may be taking refuge in the leaves. Additionally, regularly removing dead branches, twigs, and discolored leaves will help to minimize pest invasion and fungus damage.
Companion Planting
Companion planting is a method in which different species of plants are planted together, to help mutual growth between the plants. While it won’t necessarily help your avocado tree if its leaves are drying up, it can still help to give the tree an advantage if performed in a healthy state. Companion plants can serve to draw nutrients from the soil that help the avocado tree, along with acting as buffer plants able to protect the avocado tree from intense sun and winds, depending on the methods used.
As an example, root rot – a major concern for avocado-tree owners – is a fungal infection created by too much water around the tree’s root zone, often caused by poor drainage. Planting peppermint or garlic plants around the avocado tree can help to create a barrier, repelling insects and rodents that tend to initiate the root-rot fungus.
Mulching
Mulching is a great way to keep an avocado tree healthy and its leaves green. Mulching provides several benefits, such as suppressing weed growth, regulating soil temperature, and slowly releasing nutrients into the soil as it decomposes. Mulching is also sometimes done to insulate the tree’s roots from extreme heat or cold. A high-quality mulch that is organic and natural, such as cocoa hulls or leaf compost, is an ideal choice for providing insulation.
Mulching also helps to retain moisture in the soil and reduce evaporation, due to its ability to block the sun’s direct rays from hitting the soil. By doing this, mulching helps to promote healthier roots, develop healthier top growth, and create an optimal environment for your avocado tree to thrive.
Proper Pruning
Pruning an avocado tree is the removal of dead, overgrown, or unsuccessful branches and leaves. Pruning should be done frequently to ensure the promoting of rich, healthy growth, and ultimately, healthy leaves. Pruning can be done using either manual clippers or a cutting saw, however, it’s important to carefully inspect the tree before any pruning is done to ensure that the branch is completely dead. Statues and branches that are alive offer homes and nutrients to a variety of creatures, including birds, bees and butterflies.
Pruning should also be done for the purpose of creating and maintaining the desired shape and size of the tree. This may involve pruning suckers from the avocado tree’s rootstock, which can lead to undesired fruit production. It’s also important to note that over pruning can quickly cause the tree to develop a different shape than desired, so it’s critical to prune no more branches than necessary, and to also consider each branch’s importance.
Proper Fertilization
At its root, properly fertilizing an avocado tree helps to ensure healthy and abundant fruit production. In order to properly fertilize the tree, an analysis should be done on the soil, to determine its nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels and check that they meet the pH standards of 6.0 and 6.5. If there are deficiencies, fertilizer adjustments can be made, ideally done in early spring, when the tree has just set fruit.
Organic fertilizers are always the best option for avocado trees, as the organic matter is slow-release and ensures optimal nutrient absorption in the foliage of the tree. Additionally, root boosters and micronutrient supplements can also be used, as a means of providing smaller doses of nutrients and additional energy to the tree’s roots. Applying fertilizers too frequently can cause more harm than good, so it’s important to only use fertilizers when the avocado tree is in need.
Environmental Factors
If your avocado tree’s leaves are starting to dry up, it may, in part, be due to environmental factors. If your tree has been recently transplanted, it may be suffering from the stress of the relocation, causing the moisture of its leaves to decrease, leading to wilting and dessication. Similarly, if the tree was moved from a shaded spot to a space in direct sun, this also could cause potential stress, leading to dry leaves.
On the other hand, if the season’s climate is already arid or prone to drought or if there has been a recent heat wave, this could be the reason why the leaves are drying up. Also, winds of higher speeds (20+ mph) can cause the leaves to dry out over time, known as wind desiccation. If you’re aware that the tree is experiencing any of these environmental stresses, it’s important to make a plan to help the tree through them.
Pests and Disease
If all other factors of avocado-tree care have been met, the leaves may be drying up due to pests and disease. Insect infestation can cause serious issues, as sap-feeding insects such as aphids, mealybugs, scale and mites can cause irreversible damage to the tree if left ignored. Additionally, other animals such as rodents, deer, and birds can cause issues, as they will commonly strip avocado leaves from the branches to use for nesting.
Root rot can also cause leaves to dry up, as this is a fungal disease created specifically by too much water around the root zone of an avocado tree. Applying an appropriate fungicide to the tree’s root zone can remedy the infection. The important thing when dealing with pests and disease is to take action immediately, before the problem has a chance to worsen.
Additional Care Tips
In order to protect an avocado tree from drying-leaf issues, it’s important to be mindful of its daily needs. The tree should receive enough water but not too much, as this can lead to root rot and rotting fruit. Its soil should be nutrient-rich and its environment should be assessed to make sure that it won’t cause any undo stress. And finally, it should be regularly monitored for any signs of pests or disease, so that any problems can be promptly identified and rectified.
