If you have been reading my blog for a while, you may remember my excitement to have finally gotten an avocado seed to sprout after roughly 20 years of trying. Here is the link in case you don't remember: http://awritersblot.blogspot.com/2013/09/a-different-angle-to-method.html Since then, my avocado plant has grown quite well and I have transplanted it to a couple of different pots.
I like to use self-watering pots so I don't have to worry that my prize plant will die of thirst. But knowing that I would be gone for almost a full month, I knew I needed to make arrangements for
someone to come water it at least once a week. Thankfully, I have a trusty neighbor who is usually willing to help me in exchange for a loaf of nut-free banana bread. But this is where it gets tricky.
You see, in the past when I have asked my trusty neighbor to watch my plants AND my parents came over to my house while I was gone, he has seen them at the house and assumed his job was done. On these past occasions, it was inconvenient to come home and find my plants somewhat thirsty but it was not critical. Until September 2013, all my house plants were succulents and I rarely go away for longer than two weeks at a time.
This time, I did leave my neighbor in charge of watering my plants while I would be gone. He is a nice old guy who seems to genuinely want to be helpful ad he is right next door. But I let him know my parents would be coming over once and he should still come to water my plants because I would be gone for a full month. I also stressed that I have a tropical plant that needs water at least once a week and he should make sure to give it a good drink if that was as often as he would be watering it. He indicated his understanding of the situation and said he would water my plants. So I trusted him with my prize.
I was on the phone with my mom on my return trip, at Anne's university apartment, when she said something about being unable to get to my house again until the same weekend I returned. This perked up my ears and I asked how many times they had visited. When she said she and Dad had made the trip twice, a huge knot formed in my stomach. I thought, Oh no! and wondered if I should call the neighbor. But I didn't. I thought, Well, I did tell him they would be visiting. He should figure out that he still needs to water my plants.
Yeah. I was stupid. I should have called.
When I got home on Saturday afternoon, the first thing I did was put a smile on my face. I was tired from driving and very ready to enter my nice, clean house to relax. But I knew my parents were doing construction. So I knew the house would be a mess and I would not be able to relax. But I had a Wapaghetti's pizza in hand for dinner and I had been warned about the mess. So it was okay. I walked into my formerly clean house, said hi to my folks and greeted my very happy dog. Oh, was Snickers happy I came home.
Between putting down my pizza and petting the dog, I located my avocado tree. It was in front of my picture window in my living room and it looked very withered, but the soil had a wet spot around the tree trunk. So, despite its sick appearance, the moist soil indicated it was indeed watered while I was away. Curious but not worried, I determined I would have to investigate the problem when I had a some time.
I spent the next few minutes saying hello to the dog and talking to my folks. But before I joined them in their remodeling work (working on trim around my doors and windows), I called to let my neighbor know I was home and would bring over his "payment" (banana bread) in a few days.
That is when he laughed... laughed... that he had done nothing while I was gone. He had not watered my plants even one time. He claimed that my parents had done all my plant watering. I think my eyes bugged right out of their sockets in alarm. No wonder my avocado tree looked as withered as it did! Immediately, I ran to its aid with a watering can and soaked the soil.
It was not my best idea of all time. Over the course of the next few days, every single leaf fell off the tree. Without realizing it, In my desperation, I had given my tree too much water. However, the real pity is that I did not realize my mistake. Why? Because the tree did sprout a few new leaves after the roots dried out a bit and I was so anxious to help it return to its former glory that I over watered it again.
When the new leaves started to turn brown and fall off before even growing to full size, I did not know what the problem was. If I had know, I would have drained off the water in the pot's reservoir. But, instead, I just watched them turn brown. The new leaves fell away and I looked up the problem online. In my anxiety to rescue my tree from thirsting to death, I almost cost its life by drowning it!
It has now been several weeks since my avocado tree has been without leaves. The trunk is still mostly green but I have needed to cut away quite a bit of dead wood. I now water it frequently but in only small amounts at any one time, and I have fed it a little bit of miracle grow once a month. But it is not looking too good and I wonder if my prize will survive.
I think it might perk up when it is warm enough that I can put it outside again, if it lasts that long. Recently, temperatures by me have been in the 30's and 40's. Here's hoping my avocado tree survives until daytime temperatures are in the 60's, and that it begins new growth when I start putting it outside during the days.
If there is anybody out there who knows about avocado plants and has a suggestion of what else I might do to save my prize plant, please do mention it in the comments section below. I need all the advice I can get. (Thanks in advance.)
I like to use self-watering pots so I don't have to worry that my prize plant will die of thirst. But knowing that I would be gone for almost a full month, I knew I needed to make arrangements for
someone to come water it at least once a week. Thankfully, I have a trusty neighbor who is usually willing to help me in exchange for a loaf of nut-free banana bread. But this is where it gets tricky.
You see, in the past when I have asked my trusty neighbor to watch my plants AND my parents came over to my house while I was gone, he has seen them at the house and assumed his job was done. On these past occasions, it was inconvenient to come home and find my plants somewhat thirsty but it was not critical. Until September 2013, all my house plants were succulents and I rarely go away for longer than two weeks at a time.
This time, I did leave my neighbor in charge of watering my plants while I would be gone. He is a nice old guy who seems to genuinely want to be helpful ad he is right next door. But I let him know my parents would be coming over once and he should still come to water my plants because I would be gone for a full month. I also stressed that I have a tropical plant that needs water at least once a week and he should make sure to give it a good drink if that was as often as he would be watering it. He indicated his understanding of the situation and said he would water my plants. So I trusted him with my prize.
I was on the phone with my mom on my return trip, at Anne's university apartment, when she said something about being unable to get to my house again until the same weekend I returned. This perked up my ears and I asked how many times they had visited. When she said she and Dad had made the trip twice, a huge knot formed in my stomach. I thought, Oh no! and wondered if I should call the neighbor. But I didn't. I thought, Well, I did tell him they would be visiting. He should figure out that he still needs to water my plants.
Yeah. I was stupid. I should have called.
When I got home on Saturday afternoon, the first thing I did was put a smile on my face. I was tired from driving and very ready to enter my nice, clean house to relax. But I knew my parents were doing construction. So I knew the house would be a mess and I would not be able to relax. But I had a Wapaghetti's pizza in hand for dinner and I had been warned about the mess. So it was okay. I walked into my formerly clean house, said hi to my folks and greeted my very happy dog. Oh, was Snickers happy I came home.
Between putting down my pizza and petting the dog, I located my avocado tree. It was in front of my picture window in my living room and it looked very withered, but the soil had a wet spot around the tree trunk. So, despite its sick appearance, the moist soil indicated it was indeed watered while I was away. Curious but not worried, I determined I would have to investigate the problem when I had a some time.I spent the next few minutes saying hello to the dog and talking to my folks. But before I joined them in their remodeling work (working on trim around my doors and windows), I called to let my neighbor know I was home and would bring over his "payment" (banana bread) in a few days.
That is when he laughed... laughed... that he had done nothing while I was gone. He had not watered my plants even one time. He claimed that my parents had done all my plant watering. I think my eyes bugged right out of their sockets in alarm. No wonder my avocado tree looked as withered as it did! Immediately, I ran to its aid with a watering can and soaked the soil.
When the new leaves started to turn brown and fall off before even growing to full size, I did not know what the problem was. If I had know, I would have drained off the water in the pot's reservoir. But, instead, I just watched them turn brown. The new leaves fell away and I looked up the problem online. In my anxiety to rescue my tree from thirsting to death, I almost cost its life by drowning it!
I think it might perk up when it is warm enough that I can put it outside again, if it lasts that long. Recently, temperatures by me have been in the 30's and 40's. Here's hoping my avocado tree survives until daytime temperatures are in the 60's, and that it begins new growth when I start putting it outside during the days.
If there is anybody out there who knows about avocado plants and has a suggestion of what else I might do to save my prize plant, please do mention it in the comments section below. I need all the advice I can get. (Thanks in advance.)
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