growing an avacardo

[semajjames]

hi

i have grown an avacardow plant from a stone tha plant is about mounths old and 1 foot tall with about 10 sets of leaves of did hav ,,,, it is in a 8 inch pot filled with the contence of a grow ba ,,,,,,, now the last few weeks the botom leaves have been falling of does anyone know why this is happening also is there any informatio as to weather this plant likes hot or cold inviroment and weather i like a lot of water ar a little water

many thank'

-- semajjames

[len gardener]

g'day,

they are a sub-tropical to warm temporate type plant so if you are somewhere that get s freeze they may not do so well.

also growing from seed will not ensure good quality fruit if in some cases any fruit at all.

if you are able to grow avacado's and want good fruit then buy a grafted plant, ther are some cultures hybridised for pot culture, but generally they need space so get planted into the garden.

On Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:42:04 +0000, semajjames wrote: snipped With peace and brightest of blessings,

len & bev

-- "Be Content With What You Have And May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In A World That You May Not Understand."

[gw]

I think the answer to the question of why the leaves are falling off is that your treelet may be rootbound, or that their tap root needs more room. They like tall, deep pots, and you really have to keep them from freezing for the first ten years or so, before you can expose them to light freezing temperatures. It's probably best to keep them in pots during this time, but you will have to repot periodically.

I kept one going for six years, before going on vacation and the neighbor killed it; it required repotting every six month or so for the first two years, then I got the hang of it and just got a really big pot.

My bay trees do not grow nearly so fast, and have only had to repot twice in eight years.

Also check with the nursery and get the best potting soil you can for them. A good one may even be able to 'sex' the plant for you when it gets big enough. Did you know avocados come in genders? (the usual two, thank goodness.) To get avocadoes of any description you will need two trees, or as the previous poster suggested, getting one with grafts on it of both male and female branches.

Good luck. they can be rewarding household companions. gw