Best course of action - replacing dead Avocado

[Orkine]

I lost two avocado trees last years.  The first I thought was storm damage, the second was a mystery.
Assuming the worst, death by Laurel Wilt, what do I need to do if I still want to grow avocado in my yard?

I did some research online that suggests that I can remove and replant to avocado.  Has anyone done this and is this a viable option?

My preference will be to use the same site for avocado and I have some grafted plants in a pot ready to be put in the ground.  I intend to head dirt on the spot to make a raised mound about a foot higher than grade and about 4 to 6 feet across to plan the new tree and I intend to place mulch 3 to 6 inches on the raised mound.  Does this do me any good?

The alternative is that I plant something else at this location, atemoya or soursop, find a new location for my cado.  The other sites I have will require a bigger mound but has never been planted to avocado.

Will appreciate any suggestions or personal experience coming back after laurel wilt.

PS.  I don't think it is laurel wilt but I want to make sure in case it is I give my new cado the best shot.

[Capt Ram]

Carlos will know the answer for sure ..but I read somewhere the Laurel Wilt will live in roots of the tree , so if you plant in the same place it sounds like it's a good chance that disease will spread again to the new tree
I believe I also read that you need to take the roots out completely to get rid of the disease

[guadua]

Were there any signs of borers in the tree you suspect died from laurel wilt? They bore into the stem leaving little holes, usually with clumps of saw dust hanging from them. If you use a machete or sharp knife to slice the bark off past the cambium, you'll see black streaks running through the vascular system that was inoculated by fungal spores carried on the borers.

[Orkine]

While the trees were declining, I looked very carefully and did not see any holes, borers, or powder.
When I cut one of the two down to a stump, I did not see any unusual discoloration, other than what I expected to see with a tree drying out.
A couple of months after the tree was dead and cut back to a stump (a little over a meter high), I saw some very fine white dust no the stem close to the base.  I still did not see any borers of holes (I didn't take a magnifying glass to it)

This past week, I cut the stump as low as I could and burnt the rest in preparation to reuse the spot.

I really don't think it is Laurel Wilt but in the event it was I want to take the best course of action to minimize risk to whatever I plant on the spot.

I hope Carlos sees this post and responds.  Interestingly, the tree in question was a Lula that I cut back and topworked to Oro Negro on Carlos's recommendation and with budwood I got from him.  It was loaded with fruits for the first time when it started to die back.  I was looking forward to getting and trying the fruit last year.

[guadua]

Going through your posts it looks like you are in jupiter farms. I grew up there. I know how the water table can fluctuate dramatically between dry and wet season. Were these trees planted where the majority of the roots may have been sitting in water from the water table being close to the surface? I'm thinking some type of root rot may have killed them.

[Orkine]

Going through your posts it looks like you are in jupiter farms. I grew up there. I know how the water table can fluctuate dramatically between dry and wet season. Were these trees planted where the majority of the roots may have been sitting in water from the water table being close to the surface? I'm thinking some type of root rot may have killed them.

Yes I am.

That is likely with one of the trees.  We had some significant flooding, water level stayed high for a couple of days and the roots could have been compromised.  It didn't help that the tree had been knocked down and propped back up just shortly before.

The second tree had seen wetter conditions, it was not particularly wet when it started declining.  The tree was planted on fill which settled a little in the life of the tree.  I am still not sure but if I replace the tree with another cadoin the same location I intend to make a mound and elevate the plant.

[Orkine]

Recent development on my dead cado trees.

The tree that died later was in an easily accessible spot in my yard and I made a fire around it, burned the stump hopefully getting rid of whatever may have bored into the deadwood.  There is a black patch with a tiny stub left on the spot to mark where my Oro negro once stood.

The plant that died earlier I believe was a Monroe and I had thought was lost to storm damage.  I had removed most of the branches but had not gotten around to chopping down the tree.  A couple of days ago I had the opportunity to take the chain saw to it and lo and behold, two little water shoots are growing from low on the tree above the graft.  It looks like the tree did not fully die back.  I had started two seedlings that are ready to be planted int he ground and had intended to prepare that location to receive one of the replacement trees.

My thoughts now is to wait on planting the seedling in the ground and give the Lazarus tree a chance.  I will cut off the deadwood above the new growth and see if more water shoots form on which I can graft my favorite cados.

Just sharing.

[funlul]

Sorry to hear the losses, do keep posting.