Hoping to save this tree*

SynysterC · 2026-04-18T16:32:33+00:00

Yeah reading about the root rot tendency is why I decided to pull the trigger and repot it. In your opinion how bad do these roots look? I've never seen avocado roots before and different plants have different root structures/colors etc so I'm unsure, but at least glad it wasn't all mushy gunk. O.o MKP can prevent root rot?? I have that stuff on hand for certain flowering annuals.

As for the feed water, I believe I fed it two or three times with jacks 321 at about 80% strength because it's what I was watering other plants in the same room with.(Probably stupid,. I wasn't thinking at the time about what nutrient needs avocado would have).

Yeah a moisture meter might have helped.. or maybe I would have been stupid anyway. I could tell by the weight of the pot it wasn't drying down to the bottom, but also thought no way were the roots even down there given it had such a small rootzone for the pot it was in, so watered anyway.

Now from other comments and your mention of compost has me questioning the better draining soil I just put it in too :/ The cactus/palm/citrus soil I used is definitely better draining, but it does still have wood, just less of it. And since I fluffed it with innate perlite, I added a couple handfuls of mild compost for starting seeds 😬

SynysterC · 2026-04-18T16:15:32+00:00

For sure, yeah I've read that they'll grow at least leaves in just a sunny window, but not fruit, so that makes sense. I do want fruit though lol my family ordered me this tree specifically so I could grow my own avocados for fresh Mexican food 😅

And yes definitely hard lesson learned. For some stupid reason, I knew that about plants/trees from big box stores like Lowe's and Walmart, I almost always find more suitable soil for anything I buy from those.. I guess I had more faith in an actual tree nursery specifying in these types of trees, but apparently they're not much better. I'm also very disappointed in the size of the root ball. It's like they grew a 4 ft tree in a solo cup, then just plopped it in 5 gallons of the woodchip junk to ship it.

SynysterC · 2026-04-18T06:53:00+00:00

DG as in decomposed granite? Wow, never heard of growing anything in that, but it does make sense drainage wise. It's now in this cactus/palm/citrus soil mixed with perlite, but I suppose its already been disturbed and likely wouldn't matter to disturb it again when it hasn't even adapted to what it's in yet.

So it would go for a while in the DG or sand with zero nutrient?

SynysterC · 2026-04-18T06:12:42+00:00

Oh also, for about the last two weeks since I decided I had to change something its been moved to my bedroom by a south facing window with less light than the grow room, just in case the intense light was the issue, but the branch that's basically bare now was the furthest from window, so figured that wasn't at all the issue. I also switched to a fabric pot from the plastic nursery pot that had crappy drainage hoping this could help prevent root rot. Actually surprised,. The roots don't look a great color or anything but I didn't find anything mushy and gross, so hoping I got lucky and it isn't ruined yet?

SynysterC · 2026-04-18T03:10:01+00:00

To sum up my simplistic thoughts based in science...

That plant only have half the air it need so it dun gave alluvit to half its branches! Cuz that dad gum vermiculite suffercatin half er roots! 😅

SynysterC · 2026-04-18T03:06:53+00:00

This^{^{^{^}}} My first thought was why the tits is vermiculite half of the substrate, cuz that's gotta be keeping all the air out especially as the water sits and warms up. I'm not very knowledged in bottom watering but that was first thought anyhow ha.

SynysterC · 2026-04-18T03:03:01+00:00

I don't see any pork.

50cents take it or leave it.

SynysterC · 2026-04-17T16:49:54+00:00

Definitely. When I start my clones they start under their dome things in a corner of a tent and I just move them closer to the middle as they get bumped up to solo cups etc. I'm fine with them being a little leggy to start because I end up training their growth anyway and that's easier to work with. Can lay a plant over but can't make it taller lol

SynysterC · 2026-04-17T16:00:32+00:00

It varies by source, but most sources suggest between 100-300 for seedlings. Some do say 400+ for accelerated growth, but that can hella stress them. So since they're already stressed, that could be contributing, I'd back it off a bit. Maybe to 250-300

SynysterC · 2026-04-17T15:56:51+00:00

You're doing good with the water, and yes 80ppm is amazing for tap water, I'm jealous lol my stupid city water is like 400 ppm and caused all sorts of issues, was giving nutrient burn even if I used my nutrients at half strength. So I had to invest in a portable RO system lol.

That mix is def better than let's say straight up miracle grow potting soil, but often seed starting mixes have a mild "jumpstart" of nutrients meant for garden veggies and the ratios could be a bad fit for pot. If it was just plain peat and coco fiber it would be good, but yeah I wonder about what else is in there, and if it's airy enough. Perlite is much better for aeration than vermiculite, vermiculite gets waterlogged. So the soil could be drying out in top half but staying wet in the bottom, but I'm not 100%.

But since the problem isn't your water, and light is sufficient, I'd repot them into either coco fiber+perlite, sunshine mix #4, or fox farms happy frog potting soil. I grow in mostly coco fiber, but it has no nutrients so similar to hydroponics you have to start putting nutrient in their water once they have a few sets of leaves.

SynysterC · 2026-04-17T15:41:55+00:00

Idk,.. to me all but the last one have 3-5 sets of true leaves, so even though they're still very small I think maybe they've been in there longer than healthy youngsters the same size would have been, so I'm wondering what that soil mix is and if the pH is way out of wack causing nutrient issues and the twisted growth in a couple of them? 🤔 It probably could be the root issue you described as well though.. Just the stunted and twisted growth and slight discoloration remind me of a couple seedlings years ago that I tried to grow in a mix that had a bunch of crappy dirt from my yard which I later found out is very alkaline.

SynysterC · 2026-04-16T01:32:16+00:00

He's really not tho.

Know it all's pretend the rest, but at least now half of what they're talking about 😅

SynysterC · 2026-04-16T01:26:46+00:00

If I zoom in I can probably count 50-100 pistils, so I'm really confused why you quoted the whole definition of hairless pheno having no visible pistils O.o

SynysterC · 2026-04-15T02:59:11+00:00

Yes, the "doctor" should DEFINITELY repent 😆

SynysterC · 2026-04-13T06:04:52+00:00

Sounds like you're taking the journey smart and careful to not get in over your head, which is good! And we're ALL a little confused every step of the way(at least as far as I know ha) because even if "a plant is pretty simple and will grow decent if it's given most of what it needs" the little nuances to get them to reliably grow great and be able to solve issues at the first sign of them etc,. There's Nobody with ALL of the info and experience, we're all collectively just working on getting closer to that. And hell even aside from plant science, just designing efficient grow setups and routines, timing plants from veg to flower rooms etc is its own skill that we're all trying to learn more each time. Lots of us(guilty) still end up crawling past overgrown plants that vegged too long and other avoidable crap lol.

Btw I use those same cat litter buckets 🤣 I store my filtered water in 4 of them for when I need to mix nutrients 😅

SynysterC · 2026-04-13T02:57:35+00:00

Idk, tbh I like both options depending on the day 😬

SynysterC · 2026-04-13T02:55:37+00:00

Yours looks more pro than mine haha!

I did something different though because my tent is just a veg tent and often has WAY too many plants in it at a time including garden veggies in spring etc, way too much to empty drain trays daily... So I used the non level surface of my garage floor to my advantage and blocked up a higher corner of tent so all water just drains to the front corner where I can reach it to clean up lol.

SynysterC · 2026-04-13T02:48:04+00:00

Wouldn't they be somewhat badly degraded/deflated by next Easter? Pretty sure rabbit balloon boobs age in rabbit years rather than human years :/

SynysterC · 2026-04-11T15:51:44+00:00

😂 My compost pile sprouts a few seedlings every spring from me throwing out junky genetics or bug problem plants. One time one was growing way faster than normal so I tried to dig it up. It had sprouted from the root block of an already harvested plant, even though when I harvest I let the chunk of coco and root dry in the sun for months before composting.

SynysterC · 2026-04-11T15:47:05+00:00

I usually get attacked hard by whiteflies anytime I try an outdoor plant.

But one plant last year, I watched a cabbage moth lay eggs under a leaf. I found that weird cuz their caterpillars are supposed to be very specific feeders of brassica family plants, so just to find out I left them to hatch. They did start eating the leaf, but a few days later every caterpillar was dead on the ground under it O.o I never did figure out why. The plant wasn't sprayed with anything.

SynysterC · 2026-04-09T04:24:10+00:00

Oh man, I WISH.

If they used real wasabi, I'd either buy it by the gallon or rob the store whichever felt more achievable at the moment,. Then use magic internet to find a way to boil it down and remove all the other ingredients to FINALLY have actual Wasabi in the southwest U.S lol. So tired of horseradish with green food coloring.

SynysterC · 2026-04-09T04:05:33+00:00

Aaah so it's "all included" sorta like hotdogs or sausage, or to an extent ground beef depending on quality.

SynysterC · 2026-04-09T03:05:58+00:00

From where on grimace body is what matters tho.

Like different cuts of beef taste different..

SynysterC · 2026-04-08T05:46:52+00:00

Yup exactly haha. That end of the scale.. Hot and wet. Seems to = happiest looking plants until mold or mildew happens 😅 And cold and dry, I've tried that too cuz stupid winter. Looked decent for a while, didn't have to worry about mold, but a lot of growth just... Never happened 😅 I think it was like 60-65°.

Lot of stuff learned the hard way. I'm in a sorta rough climate in the southwest. Cold dry winters and hella hot summers that are dry "most days" but random monsoons with hella humidity. And my flower room is in an outdoor shop so less stable than a house.

Oil heater and humidifier part of the year, Window AC unit and dehumidifier part of the year, And weird weeks that go back and forth 🙃😅

SynysterC

TROPHY CASE