Stressed Avocado tree

[j_tropical]

I have an avocado tree. I bought it from local nursery about a year and half ago. Its Lila variety. It was on a 3 gallon pot. After I bought it, I transfer it to a 25 gallon pot. I wanted to make it little more matured before I plant it on the ground. I also wanted to see how this year winter goes. I’m on 9b.

The tree grown pretty well since in transferred to the larger pot. It become about 5ft tall and 1+ inch trunk diameter. With good brunching. Around February the tree flowered heavily. And I mean really heavy.



Pictures in February

About few dozen become fruit, eventually some dropped and about 20 become larger than 1 inch. Around April  we had few windy days. the supporting stick broke and the tree leaned down. believe it or not... It happened twitch … means stick broke two times! And between the times I fixed the issue... few days the tree was rattled good by the wind. 

Started round May I see the leaves becomes yellow. Fruits are falling down. New leaves try to come out but not success. Eventually defoliated branches stared dying and drying to black stick. Last few days I see the remaining fruits on the tree (about six of them) started withering and wrinkled on the tree.
More dead branches, more yellow and withered out leaves.




Current photos


I applied some tropical fruit tree fertilizer few weeks ago. Didn’t help.

The symptom look like root rot but since it on the pot and good soil, I don’t think that’s the case. Could be due to that wind stress, but not totally convinces either.

Anybody has any idea whats happening? Any suggestion on how to save the tree?

Thanks

[spaugh]

Roots are probably rotted.  Flip it over and have a helper lift the pot off and have a look.

[achetadomestica]

How much water do you give it?

[j_tropical]

@spaugh
Thanks. I will check. But its very odd. considering its in a pot and potting mix soil. very well drain.

 @achetadomestica
it has a automatic dipper. set for 12 hours interval 10 minute duration. I haven't measure exactly how much. the flow probably 4/5 gallons per hour. so it should be under one gallon every drip interval

[pineislander]

It looks like the soil in the pot settled quite a bit since the up-potting. I've had some pots do that and found that the media had decomposed down to mud at the bottom and sealed off drainage then the roots rotted. Like Spaugh said check roots with a strong helper. Avocado is very sensitive to root problems and pot culture is a tricky business it seems.

[spaugh]

Avocados are pretty fussy about soil and drainage.  Most bagged potting mix has too much compost in it.  A cactus mix with lots of perlite and pumice is better.  Still hard to keep them happy in pots long term.