Avocado Trees are trees you can grow outdoors or in your home without a problem. However, at some point, you will have to transplant them. This can be from a nursery pot into your backyard or into increasingly bigger pots as the plant grows.
Unfortunately, with every transplant, you risk shocking your Avocado Tree. While Avocado Trees aren’t susceptible to transplant shock, it can still happen. Damaged roots or just too much stress can cause transplant shock. It doesn’t happen every time, but it is relatively common.
If your Avocado Tree leaves are drooping after transplant, it is likely due to transplant shock and often occurs when the roots are damaged, which requires time, care, patience, water, and nutrients to fix.
Some plants can take up to five years to recover from the first effects of transplant shock.
Why Is My Avocado Tree Drooping After Repotting?
If your Avocado Tree is drooping shortly after repotting, the most likely cause is transplant shock. Transplanting a plant, including Avocado Trees, is a requirement. However, moving them causes stress to your plant.
While it is normal for any plant to suffer transplant shock after being moved, that doesn’t mean it is good. The stress from moving can make the plant weaker and more susceptible to disease and pests.
Additionally, severe transplant shock may signify that your plant suffered damage while being moved. Roots are where damage to plants is most common during transplant shock. Sometimes, when you move a plant, you can damage the roots. They are fragile and can break off as you pull them out of the soil or try to put them in a new pot.
Does My Avocado Tree Have Transplant Shock?
Besides the leaves drooping, there are other signs of transplant shock. Some of these symptoms include:
- Leaves changing color
- Leaves wilting
- Branches dying and falling off
- Stems wilting and weakening
- Greater susceptibility to fungus, disease, and pests
- Leaf scorch
- Leaves rolling or curling
Unfortunately, if care isn’t taken to help your plant get back to normal, it may face permanent damage and even death. For this reason, it is important to watch any plant after transplants for a while.
How Long Does it Take For an Avocado Tree To Recover From Transplant Shock?
Transplant shock is not an easy thing for plants to recover from. Even if they get proper care, some bigger plants, like Avocado Trees, can take two or three years to recover. Some trees have even been known to take up to five years.
While your plant should show signs of getting better, such as the leaves no longer wilting, within a month or so, many symptoms like damaged leaves, dead branches, and slow growth can take years.
That’s why patience is one of the most significant factors in helping your plant recover. Trying a bunch of different habitats for your plant to try and make it recover faster can lead to more stress. Just ensure it has an ideal habitat, and your plant should recover at some point.
Do Avocado Trees Transplant Well?
Avocado Trees do transplant reasonably well. They can be transplanted when they are young or as full adults, though it is harder as a full adult because of the weight and the spread-out roots.
They do have very sensitive roots, though, compared to other plants. For this reason, you have to be careful when transplanting an Avocado Tree, or you may find that you accidentally damage the roots.
Additionally, you don’t want the roots to dry out. If you are digging the plant out of the ground, you want to make sure you are planting it back into the soil on the same day. This prevents damage to the roots from drying out and getting too much sun.
Many suggest soaking the roots in water to get rid of dirt. Unless you are transplanting due to a fungal problem like root rot, it is highly recommended that you don’t do this. Rinsing the roots can get rid of the good bacteria that the roots have formed a symbiotic relationship with and make the transplant shock worse.
How Do You Help an Avocado Tree With Transplant Shock?
Besides treating your plant with care and ensuring it has all the habitat requirements it needs, there isn’t much you can do. Some people swear by plant tonics that are supposed to help prevent shock.
However, if you damage the roots of the plant, there isn’t much that can be done except to ensure that there is enough water and nutrients in the soil that they don’t need to work their roots too hard until they can recover. These tonics can be helpful as they provide your plant with many essential vitamins and minerals, but you have to be careful not to overdo it and harm your plant instead.
The same goes for B1 vitamins. Some people and companies swear that vitamin B1 can help reduce the effects of transplant shock, but studies haven’t proven this to be true.
Can You Reverse Transplant Shock?
Plants can recover from transplant shock. While it isn’t easy or quick, with enough water, patience, and time, they can recover and grow just as healthy, if not healthier, than they were before. You’ll have to be extra careful for a while to not over or underwater them and ensure they aren’t getting too much sun damage.
How To Reduce Transplant Shock in Avocado Tree
There are other steps to help reduce the chances of your Avocado Tree getting transplant shock besides just taking care of the roots.
Step 1
The first is to make sure your Avocado Tree has plenty of water. After transplanting, your plant needs a little extra water without being overwatered. Too little water can stunt the growth and makes the leaves droop. Usually, you want the top inch (2.5 cm) of your plant’s soil to be dry before watering again. Just don’t let the soil dry out entirely below that, or your Avocado Tree may suffer as well.
Step 2
Next, you want to ensure your Avocado Tree has plenty of shade. Too much strong sunlight can increase the damage due to transplant shock. You can also use an artificial shade like an umbrella or blinds if your tree is inside.
Step 3
Some people recommend making sure all the fruit is removed from the tree before transplanting. This allows your plant to focus on recovery and keeping itself alive rather than trying to ensure the fruits are getting enough nutrients, water, and energy.
What Is the Best Time to Transplant an Avocado Tree?
The best times to transplant an Avocado Tree are any time besides summer. However, if you live in colder climates, you may want to wait until spring or early summer. This gives your Avocado Tree warm temperatures to help them recover.
If you live in a humid area, you may get plenty of moisture in the soil. Otherwise, you may need to water every few days to ensure the soil doesn’t dry.
If it rains a lot, make sure the place you are planting your Avocado Tree doesn’t sit in water. They don’t enjoy having wet feet or sitting in water.
Summary
Avocado Trees can suffer from transplant shock just like any other plant. They have weak roots that can easily be damaged and lead to shock, especially if they aren’t given the water and nutrients they need.
Transplant shock can happen to any plant and causes leaves to droop, wilt, and fall, though it often occurs when the roots are damaged, which requires a lot of time, care, patience, water, and nutrients to fix.
To reduce the effects of transplant shock, giving them the right amount of water, light, and nutrients is important. The roots have difficulty recovering after being transplanted, even if they aren’t damaged. Giving your Avocado Tree time to heal in its ideal conditions, is the best way to ensure your plant recovers from any shock.