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My avocado plant's stem is turning brown!
applefritter007
Posts: 9
I noticed tonight that my 2 1/2 year old beloved avocado plant's stem near the top (not bottom) has turned brown and dry so I cut about 1 inch of it off...why would this be? It's winter and I have been keeping all of my plants inside so they don't freeze but I am thinking I should move them outdoors when the sun is out and bring them back in when it is dark.
Back to the question, why would my plant's stem be dying from the top? Is there something wrong with it in the soil? I've got it sitting in "seed-starting" soil because I couldn't find any other soil at the store when I bought some a few months ago. Could that be the reason? I had the flu a week ago and wasn't able to water it often...honestly I haven't been watering it a lot at all. 
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Posts
I watered it yesterday and again today...I hope my neglect has not killed it. I love this plant. It is very special to me.
I don't know why it's going brown from the tip - it may be too cold or too wet - they don't need much water in the winter - certainly not every day. When was it last repotted and what in?
All may not be lost - I find that the best avocado plants develop from ones that are pruned hard back to about 3 leaves from the base and then they branch out and form an elegant bush shape.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I last potted it back in October 2014. It's in a terra cotta pot...it's rather big for the plant. Maybe that has something to do with it. Should I get a different soil?
I had planted it outside early last year because it appeared to be dying (I think root rot or bugs were eating its roots) and surprisingly it came back around summer. In October I uprooted it and placed it back into a pot and brought it inside.
The plant is currently inside my house...it has been rather cold lately. I will try to keep it warmer in the house.
Dont repot it at the moment - wait until March or April and then you can re-pot it using a mixture of multi-purpose compost mixed half and half with vermiculite. A terracotta pot is fine.
Don't give much water in the winter - only enough to keep the compost just damp. In the summer wait until the compost is almost dry and then give the pot a good soaking then allow it to drain well. Don't water again until it is almost dry.
If the room where your plant is has a dry atmosphere you can mist it occasionally but do not soak it. You could try standing the pot in a tray of small pebbles with water around them so that the evaporation will moisten the atmosphere but don't stand the pot in the water.
Feed with Baby Bio (according to the directions on the bottle) once a month in spring and summer only.
It can go outside in the summer after the last frost (usually the beginning of June is safe) but don't allow the leaves to scorch in the hot sun - a semi-shaded position is best. I would stand the pot outside rather than planting it in the ground then having to uproot it - you're likely to damage the roots that way.
And eat some more avocados and grow some more plants, then if the worst happens to one plant it won't break your heart quite as much
Good luck
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I have a lychee tree in the south east of England it might deppend on where you live?
I have a new avocado plant that my mother-in-law planted for me. It's in an unheated lean-to. I haven't watered it much through the winter but with this cold snap, should I bring it indoors for warmth?
Avocado plants don't really like cold temperatures so I would give it a shot