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 when kept inside a home by pruning their growth tip. These fascinating trees are easy growing and winter-hardy. But there is a common question heard from many gardeners: why are my avocado tree leaves drooping?
To answer this common query, we have enlisted the main reasons for avocado tree leaves drooping and how you can prevent them.
Reasons Behind Avocado Tree Leaves Drooping
Avocado trees are resilient plants, but they cannot tolerate any changes in their primary care needs. If your plant is drooping and you are wondering, why are my avocado trees leaves drooping, you should look for the following factors:
- If you are watering your tree correctly.
- The tree has been transplanted recently.
- If you have planted your tree in the right spot.
- Your tree is growing in a small pot.
- If your tree has a fungal infection.
- If pests have attacked your tree.
Now let us explain why these factors cause your Avocado tree leaves to droop.
Avocado Tree Leaves Drooping Due to Overwatering
Overwatering is one of the significant reasons why Avocado tree leaves can be drooping. The excessive water surrounds the roots and fills the air spaces. Airflow around the roots is reduced, so they cannot absorb moisture or oxygen. This leads to drooping and wilting of leaves. You should water this plant only when its topsoil gets dry.
It is why this tree should be planted in well-draining and loose soil. A well-draining potting mix does not allow excess water to stand between the air pockets. So even if you over-water your tree, its soil will drip the extra moisture. You should not add too much peat moss into the soil as it increases the water-retaining ability of the soil. Too much peat moss will lead to overwatering and eventually droopy leaves.
How to Test Soil for Overwatering?
To test Avocado trees in your home garden, insert your index finger 2 inches into the soil. If it feels wet and soggy, it means you have been overwatering your plant.
If your Avocado tree is planted in a pot, you can check its soil for signs of overwatering by inserting your finger through the drainage hole. Damp till the bottom of the potting indicates that the plant has been overwatered.
Avocado Tree Leaves Drooping due to Underwatering
Plants need water in their leaves to maintain their tone and tension. With no water content in the leaves, the leaves become flaccid, dull, and limp. It is why underwatering can lead to droopy leaves in Avocado trees. You should water this plant at least once every week to avoid underwatering.
The main difference between the droopy leaves due to underwatering and overwatering is their texture and tone. Overwatered leaves are soft and smooth, while underwatered leaves are wilted and rough.
How to Fix an Under-watered Avocado Plant?
An under-watered plant is easier to revive than an overwatered one. It takes just a few hours or a day to bring it back to its original shape. To revive an under-watered Avocado tree, water its soil thoroughly and deeply, preferably in the morning. And then make a schedule for its watering days.
Avocado Tree Leaves Drooping after Transplant
When you re-pot your Avocado plant to a bigger pot or relocate your small Avocado tree in your home garden, it suffers from a transplant shock. Its roots take some time to become accustomed to the new environment. These roots drive energy from the other parts of this tree. It is why the leaves of this tree droop and become flaccid when the tree is in transplant shock.
It is totally a natural cause; you should not worry about it at all. This tree will become healthy and upright again in a few weeks.
How to Care for Your Avocado Plant in Transplant Shock?
The Avocado tree leaves drooping after transplant can be revived by watering the tree regularly and providing it with shade. If it is an indoor plant, move it away from the direct sun. And if it is a tree, cover it with a shade cloth.
You should also remove all the fruits from your tree. It will remove the extra burden from the tree of providing nutrients and water to the fruits.
Avocado Tree Leaves Drooping Due to Poor Sunlight
If you are also among those gardeners who are asking themselves, why are my Avocado tree leaves drooping, then you should pay attention to the placement of your plant. Avocado Tree must receive 6 hours of direct sunlight daily to grow properly. If there is not sufficient sunlight, its leaves droop down.
Poor sunlight is not a problem for outdoor gardeners. However, those who have Avocado trees as houseplants must relocate their trees.
Where Can You Place Your Avocado Tree Indoors?
You should place this tree near a south-facing window because it receives maximum light exposure compared to other windows. You can also increase sunlight exposure for your Avocado plant by using artificial lights.
Avocado Tree Leaves Drooping Due to Root Rot
Overwatering and poor drainage can lead to root rot. Root rot can also occur due to alternating periods of droughts and overwatering. These conditions cause the root cells to burst, and fungal growth increase in those areas. Fungal growth can spread to other healthy parts of the plant. Initially, it leads to droopy foliage but then causes the death of the plant.
How to Save Your Avocado Tree From Root Rot?
If your Avocado tree is in a pot, remove it from its pot and trim off all the infected branches. Wash the pot with a bleach solution, or use a different pot to plant your Avocado tree. You should also change the potting soil.
If your Avocado tree is planted in your garden soil, you should remove as much soil as you can around the rootball and wash it with a hose. Also, prune all the infected roots. Once your tree is free of root rot, its droopy leaves will become healthy again.
Avocado Tree Leaves Drooping Due to Small Pot
Small pot can be another possible explanation for your question: why are my avocado tree leaves drooping? This tree must be planted in a pot that is twice the size of its rootball. Otherwise, the roots do not get enough space to grow. Less water is absorbed through the shallow roots, leading to drooping of the leaves.
Luckily, this problem does not occur in Avocado trees grown in a garden. Their roots can grow as deep and wide as they can.
When Should You Re-pot Your Avocado Tree?
You should re-pot your Avocado tree after every 2 to 3 years. If this tree gets rootbound before the completion of 2 years, you should move it to a bigger pot immediately. Do not re-pot it into a pot that is more than 2 inches bigger than the previous pot. A much bigger pot will leave extra space to collect excess water.
Final Thoughts
Now that you have got the answer to your question: why are my Avocado tree leaves drooping; you can examine your tree to find the possible reason.
If your plant has droopy foliage, regulate its watering, move it to a brighter spot, check for any signs of root rot, or move it to a new pot. This plant can also have droopy leaves after being transplanted. Nothing needs to be done if transplantation is the reason behind your Avocado tree leaves drooping; it will become healthy on its own.
