Author Topic: Avocado - New leaf damage  (Read 1426 times)

z_willus_d

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Avocado - New leaf damage
« on: April 19, 2018, 03:34:12 PM »
I recently planted several avocado trees from #5 nursery pots  The trees were in varying degrees of health at transplant.  We've had cold but not freezing temperatures but also some nice Spring weather over the past 6 weeks.  The new growth that the trees are pushing is showing some kind of leaf damage on most of the trees.  I'm hoping someone on the forum has an idea what this type of damage suggests?  Is this just from the ~40F lows that these trees are seeing?  Too much rain (we've had quite a bit)?  The pots (RootBuilderII expandable containers) might be holding too much moisture?   Insects?  Not enough daylight? Spray?  or what???  I have three larger, more mature trees in pots that don't show this same condition on their fresh leaf growth.

I apologize if this question has come up on a separate thread.  I did look through the avocado threads and didn't find anything obviously relevant to this specific topic.  If there's something I can do to correct the issue, if there is an issue, I'd like to take action.
Thanks for the help!







lebmung

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Re: Avocado - New leaf damage
« Reply #1 on: April 19, 2018, 04:00:31 PM »
It seems to me to be aphids, I had the same problem with mangoes . Take a magnifier and look closer. Use an insecticide. 

z_willus_d

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Re: Avocado - New leaf damage
« Reply #2 on: April 19, 2018, 04:06:24 PM »
Hi Lebmung,

I've got a lot of citrus, apples, broccoli, and other plants that are always attacked by aphids this time of year (and later farming ants), so I've been super keen on the aphid infestation on my plants.  I've been spraying horticultural oil, neem, etc. to control them.  That said, I have yet to find a single aphid on these new Avocado plants.  It's about the first time I wished a problem might track back to aphids, since I know how to deal with them.  What else might account for the damage?

Thanks for the insights.

lebmung

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Re: Avocado - New leaf damage
« Reply #3 on: April 19, 2018, 05:16:18 PM »
Did you spray them with need oil or there insecticide? They usually damage with growth when exposed to sun, I have this problem right now.

z_willus_d

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Re: Avocado - New leaf damage
« Reply #4 on: April 19, 2018, 05:45:54 PM »
Yes, so far they've been sprayed with weak neem, azadirachtin (AzaMax), Monterrey horticultural oil (just recently after the damage showed), and one time copper.  The plants here that have gotten less light seem to more readily show the problem.  These are on the side of my house, so they have limited light, particularly at this time of the year (maybe 5 hours a day).  It's not yet blazing hot and scorching here.  I was more leaning toward the cold or perhaps the soil moisture level, but I don't know enough to say if that could result in this damage.
Thanks.

spaugh

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Re: Avocado - New leaf damage
« Reply #5 on: April 19, 2018, 06:25:21 PM »
Cold and lack of light most likely.  The middle photo looks like maybe bug damage.  Hard to tell on cell phone.

 They dont really need all the sprays and worrying, they look ok.  Just be patient and they will flush when it gets hotter. 
Brad Spaugh

zephian

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Re: Avocado - New leaf damage
« Reply #6 on: April 20, 2018, 01:26:05 AM »
The cold weather scared me and my holiday,has been inside at night and during rain. My pomegranite, lime and blueberries seem to be happy though. Hope your trees get better!
-Kris

z_willus_d

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Re: Avocado - New leaf damage
« Reply #7 on: April 20, 2018, 11:13:33 AM »
Thanks Zephian.  I don't have any sunny indoor locations.  All windows in my house seem to face North.  It's actually a blessing in disguise given most of the year I want less heat transference here with the Sacramento Valley dry toaster oven we live in all late Spring, Summer and early/mid Fall.  The house keeps much cooler for this reason.  Solar panels on the roof don't hurt either.

The answer is some kind of hoop house or greenhouse, but the layout of my backyard doesn't much allow for it.  I'm on a steep hill going down to a green-belt.  I would have to cut into the hill with dynamite to lay a foundation.  Better to move.