Sometimes even after all of your best efforts a newly transplanted tree does not survive, as was the case with my Aravaipa Avocado. It looked a bit droopy right after bringing it home, so we watered it and put it in a cool and shady part of the yard. The next day it drooped a little more so I thought it would fare better if it was out of its little hot black plastic pot, and put down into my nice cool worm filled earth. The chosen location was a well protected area of the yard, shaded by a 30ft. bottle tree and 20ft. oleanders, surrounded by cool rye grass, and only receiving morning sun.
We had pre-dug a 2 x 2 x 2 foot square hole a month prior, per the video in my previous post. We filled it with 1/3 native soil, 1/3 Shamus mix (compost, lava sand, sand), 1/3 Jays compost (super black, alive, fungi growing) plus a shovel full of worm castings, and a tablespoon Mycorrhizae. Then we watered it deeply with rainwater and some fish emulsion, topped it off with a heavy thick layer of dry grass clippings, and kept it watered. By the time we dug into the soil 4 weeks later, to plant the avocado tree, it was teaming with life - rolly pollies, earthworms, and a nice growth of fungi - see photos.
I thought for sure we had taken every precaution and performed every little trick to make the transplant successful. We added plant food, and topped the soil with heavy layers of grass clippings and straw. Then we put cage wire around the trunk to keep the dogs away from it, and built a berm around it using brick. We gently staked it to hold it up straight and keep it from blowing over in case a strong monsoon suddenly blew in.
Sadly this did not stop Alice the Avocado Tree from continuing into a death spiral. :-((
As of today, Sept. 16th 2016 I would say its over, she is barely clinging to life, leaves drying, curling, and rotting. Is Alice just in shock? Is there any hope of recovery or do I pull the plug on her???
