Gardener desperate for answers after tree's surprising turn for the worse: '[It] is almost dead'

Too much water, too little water. Too much light, too little light. It can be very hard to keep track of exactly what your plants need. Even after following the advice of the nursery, one gardener's avocado tree took a turn for the worse. 

Folks on the Backyard Orchard subreddit take to the page to seek advice regarding their fruit trees. One person posted several photos of an avocado tree that was showing signs of distress. 

The first photo shows the whole tree with wilted branches and browning leaves. Two additional photos show close-ups of the leaves and darkening bark on the branches. The original poster asked, "Why does my avocado tree look like this?"

They provided some additional details, explaining that they thought it might be frost damage but that it hasn't dropped below freezing in California, where they are located. They also added: "Was super healthy until winter. Planted it in a mound with amended soil and a mulch volcano as per the advice of the nursery guy."

Lucky for this gardener, the helpful folks on Reddit had plenty of ideas about how they may be able to save the tree — maybe even too many ideas.

One person recommended pruning the unhealthy branches: "That tree is almost dead. … If it's the main growing season, I would prune all the way back to good looking branches and leaves."

While this may be a last-ditch effort to save the tree, pruning can sometimes lead to increased branch growth and even more fruit. 

Someone else suggested that the tree may be experiencing damage from the sun: "It's badly sunburnt. You can see the other side of the branches are green. Looks like it needs more watering as well."

Sun damage can be common in young plants, and there are specialized coatings that can be used to protect their bark as they grow. 

How much time do you spend taking care of the plants inside or outside your home? Several hours a week 🧑‍🌾 One hour a week ⌛ Less than one hour ⏳ I don't have any plants 😢 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Yet another commenter thought the issue might be too much water: "It is dying of root rot … if [the] avocado tree sits in soil that is too wet … this will happen again."

Following the advice of those more experienced can help make gardening and growing your own food less daunting. While these activities can be enjoyable, there is a lot to learn. The good news is that if you succeed in growing some produce, you can save yourself time and money by reducing your reliance on the grocery store.

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