I was wondering if someone could help. I have had an avocado plant for years, I've kept it small by pruning it and it's become part of my family in a way. It lives on my windowsill and has been thriving recently! However, yesterday we had some really strong sun which came through the double glazing and basically cooked my avocado plant :( it is now a green stem with dried leaves accessories. Is it possible to cut it right back, water well and feed it and have it grow again or is it the end for the little plant? Thanks for your time.
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1I'm no expert, but apparently avocados in nature require 6-8 hours of full sunlight a day, so the brightness itself shouldn't have been a problem. I guess the heat caused it to dry out very rapidly, so I would just remedy this by giving it a good watering and prevent it from drying out over the next few weeks. It might be a good idea to mist the leaves regularly too. Depending on how badly the leaves are damaged, you could cut them off or just leave them. Cutting several of them off might stimulate new leaf growth. Good luck!– Alex SaadApr 24, 2016 at 16:09
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I'm (not yet) an expert on avocados, but I would imagine that if you water it well it will (with time) grow back. We had a couple of occasions where our goats ate all the leaves on my baby avocado plants, it knocked their growth back about 3-6 months, but new growth came out of the main stem - except where that was eaten - that plant is still "a bonzi" plant - so I would think cutting the tree back would be a bad idea. Provide the plant with lots of water (but it needs excellent drainage) - I found the best growth came after a deep rain, followed by a good sunny day.– davidgoApr 24, 2016 at 20:06
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1 Answer
In my experience, and as was recommended to me by other avocado growers, the plant should be kept out of harsh, direct sun as long as the stem is still green and hasn't yet formed proper bark. Outdoor plants are often covered, and I have ended up setting my avocados up under a 5000K grow light, that way they get all the light they need without the heat from the sun.
Your plant will come back next season! If it starts to wilt from the top down, wait until it sets out new shoots and then cut off the dead stem just above the new shoot.
I recommend using blinds to regulate the sun at noon in the warmest months, or moving the plant to a cooler location. Again, grow lights are a great way to give it the light it needs without the risk of scorching it.
Good luck with your plant!
