Avocado trees are grown in home gardens and indoors for their lush-green foliage and large fruits. These trees can get 6 feet tall outdoors, but their size can be controlled by pruning their growth tip when kept inside a home.
These fascinating trees are easy-growing and winter-hardy. So, it is not that hard to care for an Avocado tree. But the tree comes with its issues, and the most common question you hear is, why is my Avocado plant drooping?
While there can be a couple of reasons, you’ll find the common answer to why are my avocado tree leaves drooping, is down to the water, and too much of it.
In our guide, you can learn more about watering too much and the other reasons your leaves are drooping. By the end, you’ll know all the reasons and how to fix the problems to grow avocados healthy again. (Read White Spots On Orchid Leaves)
Why Avocado Trees Have Drooping Leaves?
It is essential to detect the root cause of drooping avocado leaves. There are a variety of factors that can contribute to drooping avocado leaves. Then you’ll be able to care for your plant properly. There are many reasons you’ll have avocado leaves drooping. Here you can find the reasons and the fixes you need.
1. Incorrect Temperatures
In humid environments, avocado prefers temperatures between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. However, if the temperature changes suddenly, your plant leaves may droop.
Fix:
Bring your tree inside for the winter before the outside temperature falls below 50 degrees, and the central heating in your house causes the air to become dry.
2. Root Rot
If an avocado plant is overwatered and isn’t correctly cared for, it could get root rot by the name Phytophthora. Such roots cannot absorb a small quantity of water or minerals needed to thrive. Therefore, because of a nutrient deficit brought on by a lack of water absorption, avocado leaves droop.
Fix:
Cut off all the infected branches and remove the avocado tree from its pot. You need a clean pot or container to plant your avocado. At the same time, you’ll need to change your potting soil.
If your avocado tree was planted in garden soil, wash the root ball with a hose.
Use sterile pruning shears to remove all the diseased roots, and after removing the root rot, you should see your tree’s drooping leaves regrow with vigor. Now the root cells can absorb all they need.
3. Lighting
Your avocado plant’s leaves may begin to droop due to poor lighting. Different elements, such as insufficient or excessive light, can happen here. Avocado leaves may droop because of a lack of sunlight. The quantity of sunlight a plant is exposed to significantly impacts its health.
Like all other fruit trees, avocado plants thrive in direct sunlight. However, light levels are not a major concern for outdoor gardeners.
Fix: Insufficient Light
An avocado tree requires at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day to thrive.
- In the garden, place the tree in a spot that receives direct sunlight.
- If you’re growing the avocado tree indoors, put it close to a well-lit window, such as south facing.
You can use grow lights if your house doesn’t get enough sunlight to grow avocados.
Fix: Excessive Light
Avocado plants risk sunburn when left out in the sun for an extended period during a hot day. You’ll find that young avocados can be susceptible to sunburn, especially ones that haven’t acclimated.
You can move the plant to a new spot with direct sunlight but try not to do it too often. (Read Why Is My Fiddle Leaf Fig Leaning)
4. Pest or Insect Infestation
As long as pests and insects are present, it is possible you can find your avocado leaves drooping when infested.
Fix:
You can get rid of insects using a jet of water, insecticidal soap (dish soap), and warm water in a spray bottle. Neem oil insecticide is the most effective way to get rid of pests, although dish soap can be as effective.
5. Transplant Shock
Transplant shock happens when you move an avocado tree in your garden from one spot to another. For its roots to acclimate to the new surroundings, time is needed. The leaves of a tree that has recently been transplanted droop.
Fix:
After a few days, the plant should be able to focus on photosynthesis and leaf growth. When removing an avocado plant from its pot, be careful. After transplanting, ensure your plant has plenty of shade to help it adjust to its new environment.
After moving the avocado plant, ensure you water it well, as a lack of water can slow plant growth and cause leaf drooping.
6. Watering
Your avocado plant’s droopy leaves may also result from the soil’s moisture content, which comes from watering your plant. Two ways that can make a plant’s leaves droop overwatering and underwatering.
Overwatering avocado leaves?
Overwatering is a common reason for avocado tree leaves drooping. This is because the roots have been submerged because of the excess water. Because of a lack of airflow here, the roots can’t absorb water or oxygen, and thus your plant is slowly suffocating.
Peat moss and coffee grounds are two soil amendments that, when added in excess, can hinder drainage, leading to over-watering.
Fix:
Examine the avocado plant’s soil by pushing your finger into the pot. Soil moisture meters can help you water your plant only when it’s critically dry.
The plant may get too much water if the soil is wet and needs to dry. Water your avocado plant once every 7 to 10 days in the summer. Wet soil may need to be re-potted, so move your plant to a pot with drainage holes to help prevent root rot.
Allow your avocado plant to air dry before repotting and adding fresh soil on top of an inch of gravel. Moisture-laden, moldy soil may contain spores. After repotting your avocado plant, give it time to adjust. If unsure, invest in a moisture meter to get accurate results.
Under watering
Water in plant leaves maintains tone and tension. Unfortunately, it causes avocado trees’ droopy leaves. Weekly watering will keep it from drowning. (Learn How To Kill Mushrooms In Yard)
Fix:
Restoring your plant takes a few hours or a day’s work.
- Push your finger in the soil up to 2 inches to see if the soil feels wet. If the soil is dry, water your plant.
- Water until water drips from the bottom of the pot. Hydrate with rain or mineral water.
Under-watering is probably to blame if the soil is nearly bone dry and your avocado plants’ leaves are wilting or drooping.
Check the first 2-4 inches of soil with your finger for moisture (you can also use a moisture meter)
7. Oak Root Fungus
The fungus attacks avocado roots. However, the fungus may not show symptoms once in the plant’s roots.
Once symptoms appear, saving the tree becomes difficult, and the disease can spread to neighboring trees. In addition, the fungus causes leaves to droop early.
Fix:
Because there’s no cure, you must regularly remove infected
plants and nearby trees to prevent the soil-borne virus from infecting healthy plants and limit disease spread.
8. Using a Small Pot
Using a small pot is another answer to your query about the avocado tree’s drooping leaves. Avocados may drop their leaves in a small pot because they are root-bound and have insufficient room to expand.
The shallow roots can’t absorb enough water, which results in the leaves drooping. Thankfully, the avocado trees in the garden are unaffected by this problem. They can choose how far and how deeply their roots will go.
Fix:
If the pot is too small, repot your plant. Check if the roots are pressing against the container’s sides. Rootbound avocados have compact, knotted roots that fill the entire pot, and as your avocado grows, you may need to replace the pot.
The new pot should be bigger by 2 or 3 inches and have good drainage. You may notice that your avocado is drooping as it establishes roots in new soil. Keep the temperature moderate and provide indirect sunlight to speed its recovery.
What are an overwatered avocado plant leaves like?
Avocado leaves droop from overwatering. Overwatered avocado plants look sick. When potting mix/soil doesn’t drain well, overwatering occurs as if there are no drainage holes; a pot will fill with water.
So drooping is caused by ‘wet feet.’ Touch the soil/potting mix, and water your avocado tree when the soil is two inches dry.
What does an Overwatered Avocado tree look like?
Overwatered avocado leaves droop and brown; you’ll see yellow, drooping leaves first.
Check the roots for rot.
- Avocado roots turn brown when rotten.
- Water-cleaned healthy roots should be white.
Root Rot in Avocado Trees
Overwater avocado plants will develop root rot from Phytophthora. Here, root rot prevents roots from absorbing water and minerals. You can see this as the avocado tree leaves droop and wilt.
How to save an Overwatered Avocado tree?
If you want to save your overwatered avocado tree, follow the steps below.
- If you determined that your avocado tree was overwatered, stop watering it for a week or two.
- Make sure that the soil or potting mix drains any excess water. Then, to make the potting mix porous, add some Perlite.
- Make sure the avocado plant’s pot has drainage holes.
- Rapid action is required to try to relieve the plant.
- If you don’t like how the plant looks, severely prune the avocado tree.
- If Phytophthora has infected the plant, use a suitable fungicide.
Avocado tree leaves drooping after transplant
If an avocado tree suffers from transplant shock, the leaves will droop after the transplant. Root damage is the most frequent cause of transplant shock.
- When removing your avocado plant from the pot, exercise caution. After transplanting, give the plant some shade to prevent transplant shock.
- After relocating your avocado plant, give it enough water. Water shortage stunts growth and causes the leaves to droop.
- Only water your avocado plant when the soil has dried to one inch. Water properly because damaged roots can quickly become infected.
- The newly transplanted avocado tree needs protection because it is still quite frail. As a result, the plant might be harmed by sudden sunlight.
- Place the avocado plant next to another tree or plant, or create an artificial shade.
- Remove all the fruits your avocado plant produces. This will reduce the avocado plant’s nutrient and water requirements.
- You’ll give the plant a chance to regenerate by doing this. Then, use a pair of pruning shears that have been sterilized to remove the fruits.
Avocado seedling leaves drooping
Under-watered avocado seedlings have drooping leaves, and the potting mix affects this significantly. Vermiculite best grows seedlings, so mix the material into the potting mix to avoid over-watering in soil with poor drainage for your avocado seedling.
Seedlings shouldn’t be planted in heavy soil. They thrive in well-drained soil. If you move to a bigger pot, ensure you add more soil and water appropriately. (Read 8-10-8 Fertilizer For The Banana Tree)
Lack of sunlight
Without adequate sunlight, avocado tree leaves droop, which affects a plant’s health. Avocado trees need sunlight to grow, so plant them in full-sun areas to avoid wilting leaves.
If you’re growing an avocado tree indoors, place it near a sunny window. A South-facing window would be best. If natural light isn’t possible in a south-facing window, use grow lights to grow the avocado plant to ensure it receives adequate sunlight or artificial light to avoid droopy leaves.
