Stunted Avocado plant. Possibly thrips. Help!

[whyrugae]

Hello everyone!
I've been looking for solutions everywhere and nobody gave me a solid advice.
My avocado plant is 2,5 years old but recently (a few months) its growth has been stunted.
There are new leaves that just refuse to grow and die immediately. They turn brown and bigger leaves are also turning brown.
The plant itself looks healthy enough but it hasn't grown an inch in months!
Some people said it might be thrips so I started spraying a few different insecticides - i dont think they are working.
The plant is next to a heater but I water when I see that the soil is dry and mist the leaves almost daily.

I am a little bit sceptical that I have thrips because I haven't seen one. There aren't any insects to be seen nor larvae, just the symptoms.

I really need some advice because It's been months and I am still struggling to find a solution!

 

[Anniekay]

Looks like over watering and root rot to me, from what little I can tell from the pictures. Are you allowing the top inch or two of soil to dry before watering deeply?

They don't do well indoors, they need a warm climate and to be planted in ground.

 

[whyrugae]

Looks like over watering and root rot to me, from what little I can tell from the pictures. Are you allowing the top inch or two of soil to dry before watering deeply?

They don't do well indoors, they need a warm climate and to be planted in ground.

Hey! Yes i usually wait a while before I water. If this was root rot i think it would have died already. As I said it's been going on for a few months now

 

[Chuck]

IMO you have two things happening. The most important being dryness. You said you have the plant next to a heater. Avocados must have fairly high humidity or their leaves will brown and the plant will become stunted. Just spraying a couple of times a day will not suffice. I will bet that the humidity where the plant lives is low, probably around 30%. They must have a humidity of 50-60%+. The second thing I see is the beginning of a micro-nutrient deficiency. The plant needs iron and/or magnesium. A general fertilizer will probably work but it needs to be fed. The leaves are not supposed to be blotchy nor should they show a slight yellowing with green veins. My advice is to use a humidifier and to fertilize the plant. I see no signs of any type of insect damage. And Bulgaria has a long way to go from having a tropical climate which is what an avocado needs to produce.

 

[whyrugae]

Hey, thank you very much for the comment. Someone else said that it might be root rot. I just checked and the roots are brown but firm (not mushy at all), no fungal smell or anything. Unfortunately the root system was too small for the big pot i have and i might repot in a smaller one.

 

[Chuck]

Hey, thank you very much for the comment. Someone else said that it might be root rot. I just checked and the roots are brown but firm (not mushy at all), no fungal smell or anything. Unfortunately the root system was too small for the big pot i have and i might repot in a smaller one.

Hey, thank you very much for the comment. Someone else said that it might be root rot. I just checked and the roots are brown but firm (not mushy at all), no fungal smell or anything. Unfortunately the root system was too small for the big pot i have and i might repot in a smaller one.

Avocado roots are supposed to be whiteish yellowish in color

 

[whyrugae]

Avocado roots are supposed to be whiteish yellowish in color

I repotted it hoping for the best!

 

[Anniekay]

I repotted it hoping for the best!

Too much soil for the amount of roots causes the soil to stay wet for too long which caused damage to the root system because the plant stays wet for too long. Like being planted in a bog when it needs well draining soil.

 

[whyrugae]

Too much soil for the amount of roots causes the soil to stay wet for too long which caused damage to the root system because the plant stays wet for too long. Like being planted in a bog when it needs well draining soil.

Good call. Unfortunately it's been like that for a while. Now I repotted it in a significantly smaller pot, good drainage and new soil with perlite. Quick question tho - should I water it now or leave it for a few days in the dry new soil since you said there is root damage

 

[cpp gardener]

Always water in a repotted plant. The roots are healthy, it does not have a root rot issue. The older roots darken, while the younger roots are yellowish/white-ish. With the stripping of the soil and root hairs, you will need to create greenhouse conditions with 75*F+, 70-80% humidity and very bright light, to get it healthy again. As Chuck said, Bulgaria isn’t the most hospitable location for Avocados.
Good luck!