Fertilizing a new Transplant

[cpp gardener]

Try a micronutrient supplement, especially iron. Some soil sulfur will help lower the pH and make whatever is in the soil more available.

 

[gdgross]

Thanks cpp, will give those a go. (and i'll test the pH too)

 

[gdgross]

I grabbed a pH tester from Home Depot, turns out my soil pH is 7.5; I'll have to do as you say cpp to start lowering it. (I assume I should do this gradually.)

 

[YumYum]

Get some sulfur and apply some as soon as you can, then wait till next Spring check your soil pH again. It takes time to lower the pH with sulfur and it only works when the ground is warm enough for the microbes to convert the sulfur to sulfuric acid, which is what lowers the pH of the soil.

And there is no exact amount of sulfur one can say to use without a soil analysis because of things like carbonates in the soil which is different everywhere, even in different areas of your lawn, so you have to kind of guess at it.

Soil Acid Calculator

 

[cpp gardener]

Yes, a soil test is the best way to find out what the nutrient levels are. A pH of 7.5 is really good for LA. It's probably not the source of any deficiencies. Out here anything less than 9 is great.
Try watering more thoroughly when you DO water and less frequently. With our May gray days and oncoming June gloom, maybe once a week should do it. In commercial groves a drip soak (24 hours at 1gph) twice a month usually works. Make sure the mulch layer is at least 4" thick. 6-10" is better.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I have some young citrus trees that were showing some yellow leaves, and i began a regimen of romeo water soluble fertilizer, and sometimes fish emulsion, and it made an immediate difference: green leaves, new growth, etc

That makes it sound as though it could be a soil deficiency. I would be far more in favour of Meadowlark's idea of mulching with well rotted manure, fertilising with commercial artificial only puts in somethings, which is okay if that is all that is missing. Sometimes trace elements can be very important.

 

[gdgross]

Yes, a soil test is the best way to find out what the nutrient levels are. A pH of 7.5 is really good for LA. It's probably not the source of any deficiencies. Out here anything less than 9 is great.
Try watering more thoroughly when you DO water and less frequently. With our May gray days and oncoming June gloom, maybe once a week should do it. In commercial groves a drip soak (24 hours at 1gph) twice a month usually works. Make sure the mulch layer is at least 4" thick. 6-10" is better.

Sounds good cpp - I'll give that watering schedule a go. I'm using that reddish wood chip mulch from home depot, and it's pretty thick except for where the trunk meets the ground, but probably not 6". I got plenty more I can add though.

 

[gdgross]

That makes it sound as though it could be a soil deficiency. I would be far more in favour of Meadowlark's idea of mulching with well rotted manure, fertilising with commercial artificial only puts in somethings, which is okay if that is all that is missing. Sometimes trace elements can be very important.

yeah, you and cpp seem to be on the same page!

 

[Oliver Buckle]

yeah, you and cpp seem to be on the same page!

His advice is usually good, knowledgeable man.

 

[gdgross]

Hi all -

Following up here (a year later). I was able to lower the soil pH a bit, maybe half a point or a point from my memory. Also, I have been fertilizing periodically throughout last spring, summer, and fall, with Romeo and, less frequently, fish emulsion. The tree has had lots of new growth and is looking much better to my eyes. I'm starting to train branches a bit as well, now, hopefully to grow higher rather than laterally.

Here's a pic as of a couple days ago, much better color and taller as you'd expect. You can also see the blooms starting:

I'll pick off any flowers that happen turn into fruit this year (If they even do). I assume I shouldn't pluck the flowers otherwise?

I did prune a couple of the lowest branches, and I'm training the highest one in the pic to be my "leader". Should I be concerned at all with the heavier growth on the right side of the tree?

Thanks all!

 

[cpp gardener]

Looking good!
Be careful about the upward growth. Avocados can get huge if left to their own devices. You can keep them to 10-12 feet if you work at it.

You don’t have to remove the fruit from a vigorously growing tree, even a young one. If it can set fruit, it can ripen it. Just keep up the fertilizing.

No, you don’t have to worry about the “lop-sided” growth as long as you balance with branches above in other directions. The lowest, oldest, branch will always be bigger than younger ones just because it’s older.

 

[gdgross]

Looking good!
Be careful about the upward growth. Avocados can get huge if left to their own devices. You can keep them to 10-12 feet if you work at it.

You don’t have to remove the fruit from a vigorously growing tree, even a young one. If it can set fruit, it can ripen it. Just keep up the fertilizing.

No, you don’t have to worry about the “lop-sided” growth as long as you balance with branches above in other directions. The lowest, oldest, branch will always be bigger than younger ones just because it’s older.

Thanks cpp! good stuff to keep in mind!

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Thanks for coming back, so often one is left wondering what happened. Looking good.

 

[gdgross]

ly some as soon as you can, then wait till next Spring check your soil pH again. It takes time to lower the pH with sulfur and it only works when the ground is warm enough for the microbes to convert the sulfur to sulfuric acid, which is what lowers the pH of the soil.

Sure thing - it's nice for me to see the tree's progress in one place, too, rather than scrolling to find old pictures on my phone. I seem to get reminded to do this when it's spring and I start pruning my other trees, lol, so maybe I'll make it a yearly check in so we can all enjoy this tree's growth, hah.