Q: Received my Avocado tree last week and I'm a bit concerned. Is
this wilting normal with a new plant? No yellowing, or dropping of leaves.
We moved it out of the sun but not sure how to handle?
A: This is normal for after-shipping stress. You did right,
position the tree away from direct sun, in shade, preferably under roof (patio?)
so it doesn't get over-watered with too much rain and you can control water
amount. We recommend to spray the leaves with pure water and put a large clear
plastic bag just over the crown (leave the soil to breath). Keep in shade.
Within couple days the leaves should perk up. Do not overwater. Water only when
the top of soil gets slightly dry. In a week or so, once the plant recovers,
you may start moving it gradually into full sun, then to its permanent spot
where you want to plant it.
Avocado is not an easy plant to establish. So be careful. It needs lots of
water, however, it doesn't like wet feet - so must be planted in a
well-drained spot, with at least 4-6" elevation (on a little "hill") so it never gets
water-logged. It needs daily water to establish and may need more than just a
sprinkler system, use additional hose water when establishing in the
ground.
Q: I have 5 avocados. Three of your cold hardy varieties and two
others that have all flowered and set fruit in the past. The last two years
including this year, not a single one of them has put out any flowers. I am
getting lots of new growth like one would expect on a tree too young to flower.
The last two years have been very mild with out any damaging frost where in
previous years they lost all their leaves due to frost yet started putting
out flowers once winter was over. I am confused because they have all flowered
and set fruit previous years. Any ideas would be appreciated.
A: From information you provided, and considering the trees get
lots of full sun and cold was not an issue, the only explanation is - lack of
nutrients. Here is an example.
Very common situation: you get a small 2-3 ft Avocado or Mango tree in 3
gal pot (or even smaller) from a nursery, full of flowers, and sometimes even a
small fruit. You bring it home, plant it in the ground or a bigger pot, it
looks happy and grows like crazy. Then next year - oops, no fruit, sometimes
not even flowers. What happened?
When the tree lived in a nursery, it was provided with all necessary
nutrients through the injector systems (continuous feed); or some nurseries may use
top dress smart release on regular schedule. Regardless of fertilizer type,
professional grower's set up delivers plant food non-stop, on regular basis, with balanced formulas. Plants are not only growing fast but also ready to produce, since nutrients are always available for a full growth cycle.
When you plant a tree in the ground (or larger pot), conditions change.
They may be beneficial for the plant: lots of room for roots to establish, hence
lots of vegetative growth. Even if you planted it using good quality fertile
soil, this soil may contain mostly nutrients responsible for vegetative
growth (branches and leaves). Chances are, your soil may be rich in Nitrogen
(good for green growth), but poor in other elements responsible for flowering and
fruiting (Phosphorous, Potassium, and many important micro-elements such as
Molybdenum, Boron, Iron, etc.). Besides, existing soil gets exhausted
quickly, and within a year a two, if you don't add fertilizer, flowering and fruiting may be reduced or even stopped.
This is why fertilizing program is very important for fruit trees that are expected to bring a crop soon.
Also keep in mind that some fruit trees have a habit of "skipping" a year and may either produce less or not produce at all every other year. In any case, balanced nutrition program can help to fix this "bad habit".
Healthy Plants - Q&A from Mr Booster: Feeding Avocado Tree
Q:We bought one of your avocado grafts and it's doing great, lots
of buds for fruit. It's still in a pot and fertilizing with the Sunshine Boosters. Should we continue with this product? We’ll plant
it in the ground in March. Thought you'd enjoy pictures of our wonderful
tree. No freezing temperatures in Riverview, but when it got down into the 30s,
the plant came in. One good thing about growing in the pot. I'll be buying
some more Sunshine Boosters. This stuff is working great on all our plants.
A: Congratulations with a good job on growing avocado over
winter. Avocado trees are not easy, we are happy to hear that your plant is ready
for production, this is amazing! We've noticed that Sunshine Boosters perform
miracles. Here are some suggestions for you:
Continue fertilizing with Sunshine Boosters according to the feeding chart
When ready to plant, dig a large hole and fill it with good soil full of
organic matter (compost mixed with existing sandy soil will be good). Make
sure to plant the tree on 3-4" high elevation, like on a little hill. Avocados
need perfect drainage and can't tolerate wet feet. See more info on planting and planting instructions (pdf).
Water daily with a hose, do not rely on sprinklers. Avocados like water
(considering perfect drainage)
Continue applications of Sunshine Boosters at least until the tree is established and starts
growing new branches with lots of leaves. After that, you can switch to
slow-release fertilizers once a month if it makes it easier, but if you can, continue
Sunshine Boosters at least on weekly basis - they really boost plant growth!
Q: We are very interested in introducing frost-hardy avocado
varieties into Switzerland. We would really, really like to have our own
avocados in our garden. And we believe that the plants have a large sales market
here. Do you see a way to send some plants to Switzerland? Which varieties
would you recommend, which are the cold-hardiest?
A: Yes, we do ship plants all over the world, including Europe.
For basic information on international shipping, please refer to these guidelines. Shipping plants internationally is a bit complex
procedure, however we have over 17 years experience with that and you came to the
right place.
For a quote on shipping cost and to make sure you get all the necessary
paperwork, contact our international department direct number 239-771-8082 or email us
.
Regarding your questions about Avocado varieties:
First, please take a look at Cold hardy Avocado varieties guide pdf file. The most cold hardy
varieties like Brazos Belle, Fantastic, Joey, Lila, Poncho, Winter Mexican - can
take short period of light freeze as long as they well established. This means,
for the first year or two you need to protect them from freeze. Keep in mind
that if you have hard freeze every night for several weeks, then even
cold-hardy Avocados must be grown with cold protection. It is possible to do by
creating a greenhouse/conservatory around plants in the ground, see example from one of our customers in Virginia. Even better - grow them
in large pots. This way plants will be easier to handle and move around as
needed. See the photo above of avocado production in pots.
Q: More of a question than a review, but a review regarding
your catalog, it would be easier for us buyers, if we could search for plants
that produce fruit in 2 years or less, I don't have the patience to wait
longer than that for fruit. I'm trying to buy for a fairly good sized garden but
want some fast growers and fruit produced in 2 yrs. Can you help me out?
A: Fruiting time depends on many factors (established size,
growing conditions, fertilizing, and even specific variety), this is why we can
not just put a simple icon "will fruit within 2 years".
However, most grafted and air-layered fruit trees, including all Mango, Avocado, Loquat, Sapote, Sapodilla, Lychee/Longan, Peaches and Nectarines - will fruit right away. If you see in our store
"grafted" or "air-layered" in plant description - these trees will fruit
soon. Some of them already flowering and fruiting.
Some non-grafted trees or seedlings like Annona, Artocarpus (Jackfruit), Eugenia, Guava, Banana, Dragon fruit, Mulberry, Blackberry/Raspberry - will fruit within 3-4 years from seed or even
sooner (Banana, Mulberry, Dragon fruit, Blackberry-Raspberry - within a year).
Usually it says in description that this plant can produce fruit soon.
Bigger size plants are more established and have more energy to produce, so
try to get larger size plants if your budget permits, and especially if you can
pick up bigger plants rather than shipping them - obviously, shipping has size
limitations.
In addition, all spice trees like Bay Leaf, Bay Rum, Allspice and many more - they will
produce spice for you right away, so you don't need to wait at all!
If you have questions about fruiting time on any specific plant you put
your eye on, don't hesitate to ask!
Q: I received my avocado Wurtz tree yesterday. Per instructions I
have put the tree in a pot first. However I am having difficulty deciding
what to trim off. Yesterday I removed obvious damaged leaves. However as you
can see, the leaves are lighter in some areas and contain yellow and red in
some spots. What would you advise? Given this is a critical state as I do not
want to shock the tree after the trip, I would like to do everything possible
to protect it and ensure viability.
A: Your Avocado tree looks great and healthy overall. You've done excellent job planting it. Wurtz is a good, vigorous variety, while the tree is somewhat dwarf,
great for containers.
You are right, it is the best for the tree to leave it alone and do not
trim or remove leaves any more, until it starts showing new growth. Then it will
be obvious what needs to be trimmed. Reddish/orange color of young leaves is
normal. If any spots or dots - no need to remove those leaves yet. Wait
until the plant grows more leaves. It needs them for photosynthesis, in order to
become stronger.
SUNSHINE C-Cibus - Crop Nutrition Booster from Garden Series, or Combo
Total Feed Collection - all nutrients in just one bottle, for fruit trees and
edibles.
Q: I have 2 Starfruit plants from you. One on the left is B10 has a lot of flowers
but no fruit is developing. On the rite is Kenjeng. This one has no flowers
at all. Both plants are growing very well. Plenty of sun and water. I am
located in Boynton Beach Florida. So what to do?
A: Your trees on the pictures look very healthy, congratulations
with a great care!
Starfruit, as well as other grafted fruit trees (like mango, avocado, etc)
usually flower/fruit easily and readily while in pots in the nursery.
Sometimes, once planted in the ground, they may reduce flowering or even stop
flowering. What happened?
The answer is simple. In pots, we fertilize them on regular basis. In our
nursery, we have fertilizer injector inline with irrigation system that dozes
plant food with EVERY watering. In other nurseries, they may also use
slow-release fertilizers, but it is still a regular routine to provide plant food to
potted plants.
In the ground, especially in Florida poor soils, fruit trees may stop
flowering or delay fruiting due to lack of nutrients, or dis-balance of elements
in the ground. Without fertilizer, a tree may take extra time to develop
bigger root system to reach out for necessary elements, and eventually will start
fruiting anyway.
But we want it to fruit soon! The only way to fix the problem is to provide
fertilizer on regular basis for a young tree. It is especially important
during hot summer months when plant metabolism is fast due to high temperatures,
plus nutrients may get washed away with frequent summer rains (like we have
in Florida) even if you've added some fertilizer at time of planting.
But the most effective way to get a tropical tree to flowering and
fruiting, is frequent applications of liquid fertilizer. We use Sunshine Boosters
with every watering on our plants. They work great even on hard cases and
weak plants, and you see the difference in a matter of weeks, sometimes even
days.
We recommend the following fertilizer that contains all necessary elements
for young fruit trees:
SUNSHINE C-Cibus - Crop Nutrition Booster
SUNSHINE C-Cibus - Crop Nutrition Booster from Garden Series, or Combo
Total Feed Collection - all nutrients in just one bottle, for fruit trees and
edibles.
The best grafted Loquat varieties
at 15% OFF for 3 days!
Q: I have a nice Loquat tree started from seed. I understand it will not bear fruit
unless grafted. Can you graft the tree in your nursery? If this is not possible
let me know the cost of Loquat tree and I buy it from your nursery.
A: From our experience, Loquat trees grown from seed bear fruit
much sooner (within 5-6 years) than seedlings of such trees as Mango and
Avocado (8-15 years). Also, unlike Mango and Avocado, the fruit quality of a
Loquat seedling is usually not too bad. However, in order to have a tree with a
superior fruit, it is recommended to plant grafted variety for a guaranteed
tasty crop. If your seedling is already a large plant (with a trunk diameter
over 5 mm), it may be too late to graft it, because quality graft requires fresh
wood.
If you have plenty of room in your yard with enough space for both grafted
tree and a seedling, you may still plant the seedling in the ground and give
it a chance to produce in a few years. If your garden space is limited, we
recommend you to plant a grafted variety and enjoy fruit as soon as the next
year.
- $20% OFF discount code PARENTS2020 for orders over
$200
- 5% automatically off all orders over $100
= make it a steal!
Offer expires 7-28-20
If you are local, stop by our Garden Center and we will pick the biggest
and the best tree for you. Or just order online and get it in just a few
days to your doorstep!
See full list of Loquat varieties available at the moment.
Grafted trees, including Mango and Avocado, will start flowering and fruiting right away
Q: It would be easier for us buyers, if we could search for
plants that produce fruit in 2 years or less... I don't have the patience to wait
longer than that for fruit. I'm trying to buy for a fairly good sized garden
but want some fast growers and fruit produced in 2 yrs. Can you help me
out?
A: Fruiting time depends on many factors (growing conditions,
fertilizing, and even specific variety), this is why we can not just put a
simple icon "will fruit within 2 years".
However, most grafted and air-layered fruit trees, including all Mango, Avocado, Loquat, Sapote, Sapodilla, Longan, Peaches and Nectarines - will fruit right away. If you see in our store "grafted" or "air-layered" in plant description
- these trees will fruit soon. Some of them are already flowering and
fruiting!
Some non-grafted trees will fruit within a couple of years or even
sooner (those from cuttings, root division or even seedlings) - such as: Annona, Artocarpus (Jackfruit), Eugenia, Guava, Banana, Dragon fruit, Mulberry, Blackberry/Raspberry. Banana, Mulberry, Dragon fruit,
Blackberry-Raspberry - usually fruit within a year. You may refer to our store directory page for fruit specials.
Q: I purchased an avocado tree from local garden centers three
times but every time it dies on me. My neighbor has a nice tree in his yard and
it grows beautifuly. I just purchased one online from you and I need to know
what I was doing wrong? Are there any secrets how to make an Avocado tree
happy? I have a big garden and several mango trees, but no luck with
Avocado...
A:Avocado tree is famous for being such a pain to establish. But once it
starts growing, it's growing! We will share a few simple tricks how to make
it right.
1. Plant high and provide good drainage. Wet feet is number one
reason for failing an avocado tree. It doesn't like wet soil and won't
tolerate soggy conditions. Plant it in the highest spot of your yard and slightly on
a "hill" (3-4" higher than the surrounding ground).
DO NOT plant Avocado tree in low spots or wet spots of your yard. Save
those spots for Cannas or Black Sapote or even a Mango if you want a fruit tree there. 2. Use quality soil. Use only well-drained soil with high content of
organic matter. You may add compost to existing sandy soil, or add some professional potting mix that contains pine bark and perlite. Remove
rocks from the hole if you see any while digging. Dig a big hole and fill it
with a good soil; compact the soil in the hole very well before setting the
root ball. Reminder: plant the tree high! 3. Water regularly. After planting an Avocado tree in a nice high
spot with a good drainage, start watering it... daily! Avocado likes water,
although it doesn't like wet feet! Once you figure out this combination, you've
got the recipe of success. Water by hand daily for the first week after
planting, then twice a week for couple weeks, then once you notice new growth -
you may rely on sprinklers, but keep watching the tree and don't let the soil
over-dry. It must be slightly moist, but not soggy. 4. Fertilize. For such finicky tree, we suggest mild formulas of
fertilizers. Dry fertilizers may burn roots, especially of a young tree. Even
smart-release granulated fertilizers should be used very carefully. The best
way to feed your young avocado tree - get a complete set of Sunshine Boosters Pro system. It has all necessary elements for all
stages of plant development and never burns the roots. Sunshine Boosters Pro can
be used with every watering - no need to guess how much and when. Besides,
it is a natural fertilizer based on amino acids - exactly what you want to use
on your fruit trees and other edibles! 5. Boost immune system of the tree. Apply Sunshine Epi plant hormone every 2 weeks as a foliar spray to boost
immune system and metabolism of the tree and protect it from diseases. Epi makes
plants (especially young plants) grow twice faster! It also enhances effect
of fertilizers by increasing plant metabolism. 6. Do not prune until you see significant growth. The tree is small
and can use as many leaves and branches as possible for photosynthesis and
healthy metabolism. We suggest to avoid pruning for at least the first year. On
the second year your tree most likely will be covered with flowers (assuming
you followed fertilizer program). Let it go through the blooming stage and
setting fruit; prune in Fall after fruiting is over. 7. Keep number of fruit to minimum for the first crop. Don't let the
small tree exhaust itself. Keep just 2-3 fruit to develop. The next year, no
need to control fruit quantity, the tree will develop as many as it can
support. P.S. If you got the tree from a mail-order, remember to establish it
in a pot before planting in the ground; move gradually from shade to sun.
Follow planting instructions.
