avocado help please.

[Shellbell]

Looking to see if anyone has any ideas. I have this avocado tree. It grew about two feet before sprouting leaves. It sprouted three. They became brown at the tips and then fell off. Now it's happening again.

I've read a couple different threads on options. Some say over/under watering and a clay pot could help. Planning on getting that soon, I'm a little nervous about transplanting and possible putting more stress on the plant. I believe I'm watering every 1 1/2 to 2 weeks and it's well water. Anything else I could try?!

I really want to see this guy last!!

Thanks in advance!

[rainbowgardener]

Umm ... maybe it's obvious. But since you are showing a bucket sitting directly on a very pretty wood floor, I have to ask, are there holes in the bottom of the bucket?

Without drain holes, it is extremely difficult to impossible to manage watering correctly. The water has no place to go, so the soil stays too wet, too much of the time. Even if the surface of the soil seems like it has dried out some, near the bottom of the bucket, it will be a soupy mess and roots will be rotting.

[imafan26]

The avocado is spindly. I know you are nervous about losing the plant, but doing nothing, it is likely to die anyway. You really have nothing to lose. Repot the avocado, check to make sure the roots are not soft. If it is, it is too late. It does not have to be a clay pot, just good potting soil and a pot that drains. Avocado is not a shade plant. It is lanky because it has not gotten enough light. If it survives, don't put a saucer under it. Get it under a flourescent light. As soon as you can, harden it off to outside and full sun eventually.

If it doesn't make it. You can get another avocado and try again.

P.S. Think of it as practice. Most people don't grow avocado from seed here. You never know what you are going to get since it does not breed true. The plant is designed to encourage genetic diversity by not allowing male and female flowers to be open at the same time (unless you graft and A on a B). It will also take you about 7 years to find out. Seedlings can be used as rootstock to graft a known variety on.

[Shellbell]

thanks for the speedy feedback!!
The bucket does have drain holes. And it has a growing light up on it everyday. I'll get another pot today. It's still working on new growth so I don't think it's a total loss. .

[applestar]

Since you say it's well-water, it's possible the water is hard (too much salt?). Avocado is sensitive to salt, and one of my seed-grown plants had similar symptoms when I used a brick to raise it up from the catch tray. I suspect the brick was releasing extra minerals that I wasn't aware it had soaked and retained. Maybe consider rain water or melted snow/ice, if you have any.

Worst case, you might try chopping it after repotting to encourage side shoots. It does look like it's not getting enough light so far so good idea to get supplemental light and giving it more light in the future. I wouldn't worry about repotting but definitely beware of overwatering.