What is wrong with my avocado plant?

Question

I have been growing this avocado plant from pip - it is now nearly 4 years old and about 5ft high. I water it regularly but never so it sits in water and prune the ends to stop it growing larger.

Does anyone know why the lower leaves are tinged with brown (and sometimes go totally brown/yellow and fall off!).

Also, how do I encourage more leaf growth lower down on the plant? Any help greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. J x

Answer 1

I've had exactly the same thing, and I'm pretty sure it's due to a lack of humidity. In an insulated house, you'll have low humidity.

There are a few ways to help...

• Have some bowls of water around, as the water will evaporate and raise the humidity
• Fill the bowls with clay balls as this will help the water evaporate
• Mist the plant as often as you can be bothered

I find the third option the most effective, but that's because I don't have much space for bowls of water.

Also, if you look at the related questions (just to the right of your original post), you'll see some links that may help. Specifically this one.

Hope that helps.