Topics in Subtropics

The word is getting out. If you have yellowish leaves, cupped/upright and the fruit is small, it may not be Huanglongbing (HLB), but it sure seems like all of my neighbors think so. It could be just lack of water, and in a drought, that could be the most likely cause.

This is a sad time to be an avocado. Winter's gone and temperatures are just ripe for flowering and the trees are going bust. So much so, that those sad leaves that have accumulated salts over the last year are being dropped and only flowers might be seen, especially on young trees.

Many orchards in California are planted on slopes, the most extreme examples are usually avocado orchards with some slopes exceeding 50%. They pose difficulties in harvesting because of the steepness, but also in their irrigation.

Drought Induced Problems in Our Orchards Abiotic disorders are plant problems that are non-infective. They are not caused by an organism, but through their damage, they may bring on damage caused by organisms. Think of a tree hit by lightning or a tractor.

Nutrient availability from organic sources has been considered slow release by many growers and advisers. This may be true in environments are colder and especially soils are cooler.