Pinched Avocado Plant Help?
I have two avocado plants I grew from the pit, and they grew really fast with a stem getting to about 8 or 9 inches tall and a few whirls of leaves at the top. When it got this tall I cut the top set of leaves off, hoping that it would make the plant branch out. It's been about a week and a half, and nothing much has happened. The cut off section looks the same way it did when I cut it, nothing has started growing there. The leaves that were left under my cut may have gotten a bit bigger, but that's about it. Is this what is supposed to happen? It just seems like my cutting of the top leaves has stunted the plant's growth. What kind fo growth should I be looking for? Should I fertilize it?
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applestar
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- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
Don't worry. It'll sit and sulk a bit while it decides on where to concentrate it's growth, then it'll take off. Watch the watering -- it's not transpiring out of the leaves any more so it won't need as much for a while. It will respond and start to grow when ambient temperature goes up a bit more and sunlight becomes stronger.
I don't think you should fertilize until new shoots begin to grow, unless you think the soil is REALLY depleted. But the plants still have the pits to draw from so I kind of doubt it. ... It's kind of hard for me to give fertilizing advice because I only use organic compost mix for soil, water with compost tea, or used coffee ground rinse water, and put earthworms in each container to take care of fertilizing.
If you want it to respond more, see if you can give it some supplemental light. I use a clamp on utility light with 100W equiv. CFL bulb turned on in the morning and off at bedtime.
I don't think you should fertilize until new shoots begin to grow, unless you think the soil is REALLY depleted. But the plants still have the pits to draw from so I kind of doubt it. ... It's kind of hard for me to give fertilizing advice because I only use organic compost mix for soil, water with compost tea, or used coffee ground rinse water, and put earthworms in each container to take care of fertilizing.
If you want it to respond more, see if you can give it some supplemental light. I use a clamp on utility light with 100W equiv. CFL bulb turned on in the morning and off at bedtime.