Q: I planted two new four-foot avocado trees in the last two weeks. Some of the leaves are turning brown and falling off. I am in zone 9. I am hand watering twice a week with two gallons of water per tree. Any suggestions?

A: Depending on the soil drainage, two gallons twice a week may not be enough for newly planted trees. Does the soil completely dry out between waterings? The soil should be evenly moist, but not soggy, so the roots have a chance to get established. Keep at least a three-foot radius around the trunk so the roots won’t have to compete with weeds or grass. A thick layer of organic mulch will help keep the weeds down and will allow water to percolate down into the root zone. Do not allow the mulch to contact the base of the trunk.

Strong winds can cause avocado leaves to brown and fall off. Never plant an avocado where it will be exposed to wind. We learned this the hard way when we planted an avocado on a south-facing slope behind our house. As soon as the nightly wind came whipping through the canyon, that poor tree dropped all its leaves and never recovered.

Q: Why do my asparagus spears curl when they come out of the ground? The plants are five years old.

A: Asparagus can be tricky to grow in Southern California. The plants like slightly acidic, sandy soil and lots of elbow room. Our soil is generally on the alkaline side and concrete-like. This can be corrected (to a point) with lots of soil amendments. Asparagus doesn’t compete well with weeds or tree roots, and it should be planted in a place where it can get full sun most of the day. After harvesting, allow the ferns to grow so that the crowns can recover for next season.

The stalks can be harvested until they start to come up thin (about the thickness of a pencil). This indicates that the crowns are done for the season and you need to stop cutting. Don’t keep harvesting until the stalks are super-thin – this will stress the plants and may reduce next year’s crop. If your stalks start out straight, then come up curled, you may have to stop harvesting earlier.

Q: Can you tell me what is growing on the tender tips of my Satsuma leaves? Is this a good bug or a bad bug?

A: Those winged insects are hoverflies – definitely good bugs! They look like itty-bitty bees to me because of their yellow and black stripes. You can see that there are some aphids present, but not nearly enough to be a problem for the tree. Beneficials, such as these hoverflies, can reduce pest insect populations to a point where they won’t cause serious damage, but they usually don’t completely eliminate them.

I like to point out that perfectionism is incompatible with gardening. You never want to get rid of all the pests because they feed the beneficials.

Have questions? Email [email protected].

Looking for more gardening tips? Here’s how to contact the Master Gardener program in your area.

Los Angeles County

[email protected]; 626-586-1988; http://celosangeles.ucanr.edu/UC_Master_Gardener_Program/

Orange County

[email protected]; 949-809-9760; http://mgorange.ucanr.edu/

Riverside County

[email protected]; 951-683-6491 ext. 231; https://ucanr.edu/sites/RiversideMG/

San Bernardino County

[email protected]; 909-387-2182; http://mgsb.ucanr.edu/

Related Articles