Avocado Leaf Problems with Pictures | How to Treat Them

Avocado tree is one of the lush green trees with a lot of leaves. However, due to stress, pests and diseases, it has problems which affects its leaves the most, and usually kills it.

Some of the common avocado leaf problems include wilting, spotting, browning, and sunburn etc. It causes by different things like stress, pests, nutrient deficiencies, and fungal infection, etc. To address it, you first need to understand these problems and then solve them one by one to keep your avocado trees healthy.

Below, we briefly discuss different avocado leaves problems along with its solution, so without wasting any time, let’s get to it.

Common Avocado Leaf Problems:

avocado leaves have different problems and issues which need proper attention, otherwise it can affect your entire avocado tree. below we listed some of the common ones.

Yellowing Leaves (chlorosis):

Yellowing leaves, also called chlorosis, are a common sign of distress in avocado plants. In this condition, the leaves turn yellow while their veins stay the same, “green.” It is caused by iron or nutrient deficiencies. In some conditions, it is caused by waterlogging the roots, which is the reason for overwatering.

Solution:

For solution fulfill the needs of missing nutrients. Also, avoid overwatering and provide consistent but proper watering to your avocado tree.

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Brown or Burnt Leaf Tip:

Sometimes, the edges of the avocado leaves starts turning brown and ends up crispy and then falls if not treated properly. This burnet leaf, also called tip burn, and it is one of the common avocado leaf problems. It can be caused by different things like stress and inconsistent watering, which includes both overwatering and underwatering. It is also caused by using excessive powerful fertilizer.

Solution:

First of all, start watering your avocado plant regularly. Then, test the soil for salinity and solve it accordingly.

Wilting Leaves:

Another avocado leaf problem includes wilting. It is usually the reason of over or underwatering. It also caused by excessive watering, which effects its roots that leads to root rot. It is also caused by drought, which then stresses out the plant.

Related: How to grow Avocado in Arizona

Solution:

The solution is simple: just keep consistent watering practices and avoid over-watering. You will see it with your own eyes but test the soil anyway and find out, what causing it and and then solve it accordingly.

Leaf Spot Diseases:

Another leaf problem is a leaf spot disease, like anthracnose. In which sunken dark spots appear on its leaves and spread on the entire leaf surface also on fruits too. It is caused by fungus which grow in excessive moisture environment.

Solution:

First of all, it improves the air circulation in the avocado tree by pruning the dead branches(also to prevent the diseases from spreading) or the head leaves. Next, use any good fungicide spray to treat the leaves and even prevent them from spreading.

Deformed or Curled Leaves:

Deformed or curled is also considered a big problem for avocado trees because they often become signs of pests like spider mites, aphids, etc. The curled leaf is usually caused by cold weather or nutrient deficiency especially calcium.

Solution:

For a solution, first of all, use a good insecticidal spray. You also provide balanced nutrients to avocado plants.

Sunburned Leaves:

Sometimes, the leaves of the avocado plant have sunburn, which also looks scorched. Those sunburned leaves then die and fall. In most cases, the reason is direct exposure to sunlight, especially in summer times. The drought can also be its reason.

Solution:

To protect your avocado tree from these conditions, just cover it to protect it from extreme heat. If you are unable to do that, then provide consistent water to the plant to prevent dehydration.

Sooty Mold on the Leaves:

Sooty or black Mold is also a very big problem for avocados, as it can cover the entire leaf that reduce the process of photosynthesis. The Mold growing on these leaves is usually caused by honeydew excreted by different pests like whiteflies and aphids.

Solution:

So for treatment use any good pest spray that prevents these honeydew build-up on the leaves. Also, start pruning dense areas of your avocado tree to improve air circulation and reduce the chances of humidity.

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Dropping Leaves:

One of the other common avocado leaf problem is dropping leaves, prematurely. It mainly happens due to two reasons, one is natural (which is in the fall) and another one is due to stress. The stress cause in avocado plants is due to over or underwatering. It also can happen due to sudden temperature changes.

Solution:

To solve this issue, just adjust your watering practice and make it consistent. Also, protect your avocado tree from sudden temperature changes.

Pale Leaves:

The pale leaves are also another common avocado leaf problem. In this condition, the leaves of the avocado tree turn pale and also stunt the growth of the tree, and the new leaves that it grow are usually smaller than the old ones. It is mainly caused by nutrient imbalances, especially nitrogen deficiency. It is also caused by poor soil conditions which becomes the reason for low nutrient absorption.

Solution:

Add proper fertilizer to improve the nutrient levels, but before, test the soil for nutrient imbalance. Add a rich nitrogen fertilizer, but after testing the soil.

White Patches on Leaves:

White patches are also a common leaf problem in avocado plants. In this condition, white patches or spots appear on the leaves, which eventually kill the leaves and fall. Its main reason is a fungal infection, which causes powdery mildew.

Solution:

So, for that use any good fungicide. Also, improve air circulation and avoid watering on the leaves.

Fungus Avocado Leaf Problems:

Just like fungus causes many problems in avocado trees, it causes many problems in its leaves. Some of these are given below.

Cercospora Leaf Spot:

The Cercospora is one of the common fungus avocado leaf problems that causes black or brown spots on its leaves. The condition in the leaves progresses by increasing its hole on the leaves, and eventually, fall prematurely.

It is caused by the fungus Pseudocercospora purpurea. It mainly spreads with water droplets, so avoid watering over the leaves.

Solution:

First of all remove all the affected leaves to reduce the risk of spreading, now start spraying with any good fungicide usually copper-based ones.

Phytophthora Root Rot:

It is a root disease that causes rotting, but it indirectly damages the leaves by wilting them, turning then yellowish, and prematurely dropping it. It is mainly caused by a fungus named Phytophthora cinnamomi, which attacks the root during overwatering.

Solution:

First, improve the soil quality by improving its drainage, then use any good fungicide to treat the root rotting. Also, avoid overwatering.

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Avocado Scab:

Avocado scab is another problem for avocado leaves. In this problem, the leaves start having dark, corky lesions, which can also appear on their stem and fruits. It is caused by a fungus called Sphaceloma perseae. It spreads with the help of watering, whether it’s rain, irrigation, or humidity.

Solution:

Start by pruning the affected leaves, then spray the leaves with any good fungal spray. And avoid overwatering.

Prevention Tips for Avocado Leaf Problems:

Here we listed some essential avocado leaf problems treatment and prevention tips that will not only protect your avocado tree but also prevent it from even getting into your avocado leaves.

Maintaining Water Practices:

Most of the leaf problems caused in avocado trees is by inconsistent watering practices, which include both overwatering and underwatering. So what you should do to provide a regular amount of watering to your avocado plants?

Good Air Circulation:

As you might know, most of the avocado leaf problems are caused by humidity. And to prevent humidity you need good air circulation. You can activate air circulation with the help of pruning unwanted branches.

Avoiding Watering Our Leaves:

Getting water over the leaves can cause different types of diseases the leaves like anthracnose, powdery mildew etc. To prevent avocado leaves, just avoid overwatering them.

Apply Fungicide and Bactericides:

One of the effective ways to prevent the avocado leaves problems is to apply fungicides and bactericides during the growing season. What it does is protect and prevent its leaves from those problems from an early stage.

Avocado Tree Leaves Turning Brown and Curling:

There are different reasons for the avocado tree leaves turning brown and curling but the most common are, overwatering or underwatering, extreme heat exposure, high content of soil in water, humidity, and root rot. Due to these issues, the avocado tree leaves start turning brown and curling which then fall prematurely if not treated.

Conclusion:

To fix and solve avocado leaf problems you need to first understand it and then follow proper solution tips. There are different reasons for avocado tree leaves problems and each of them has different solutions.

So I hope this guide helps you to manage and address avocado tree issues but if you still need some guidance then contact me at admin@gardencrafting.com.