Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Interesting "problem" here....easily 10 years ago I planted an avocado pit in the center of my kitchen garden, whose fertile soil has grown LOTS of food. But the avocado has always struggled, WAY too small for its age: even though I've given it trace elements the leaves looked way too small and chlorotic. It has never bloomed or set fruit. On line research yielded no solution. Late last spring one of my students shared on the Barefoot Gardeners Organic Permaculture Central Florida forum that hers never bloomed until she gave it nitrogen...she did not mention what kind. JUST as the rains started in earnest down here this summer I scattered around its root zone easily 4-5 pounds of chunks of animal feed grade urea (46-0-0!!). The the rains came....it EXPLODED into lush RAPID growth. Just before I fed it I'd also smacked the trunk several times with a baseball bat as I've heard about that for fruit trees since my 30s in Denver. The "problem" is that it has gotten SO big and dense SO fast that the several Water Wise Container Gardens around it are now suddenly in shade! Each weighs a lot, so I'll need to empty them to move them....but that will give me a chance to replenish the soil with water hyacinths, chicken poop and tithonia stalks. I so hope it begins bearing!

No comments:

Post a Comment