Posts: 926
Threads: 131
Joined: Mar 2012
I have 3 younger 4 to 6 year old avocados, a Sharwil, a Lamb Hass, and an Ota.
I have been concerned that all three are showing excessive leaf loss.
We've had unusual things happen since the eruption:
many Black Witch moths
Many Humming Bird moths
Inundated with rats - Between having bait boxes and cats, it's been more of a problem for the neighbors than us, but our numbers are up.
Chinese Hibiscus infested with mites
Bunchy Banana Top infections
and a few others
I will check the trees out for beetles, bugs and else, then get back.
EDIT:
The Sharwil and Lamb Hass leaves are definitely showing sucking damage.
From websites and pdf's, it looks to be Lace Wing damage.
The Ota looks to be OK so far.
I'll try spraying Neem Oil and see what happens.
EDIT the EDIT:
I have sprayed the Sharwil.
The tree is getting pretty big and I'm getting lazy, so I mixed a 1 gal 2% solution [well, OK, maybe as much as 4% by eyeballing it] and sprayed the ground under the tree's drip line, the whole gallon.
the tree will absorb the neem oil and it should be effective against sucking insects because it will be systemic.
I will spray again in about 2 weeks, then, maybe again.
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Was a Democrat until gun control became a knee jerk, then a Republican until the crazies took over, back to being a nonpartisan again.
This time, I can no longer participate in the primary.
Posts: 926
Threads: 131
Joined: Mar 2012
Update to my previous post:
I am located about a mile from fissure 8.
We were inundated with sulpher gasses almost constantly throughout the eruption.
Several days we had very, very high concentrations.
In tracing this leaf loss problem down, I found the following information:
The gasses acidified our soil.
Hibiscuses liked it, avos probably not.
6.2 to 6.7 is the recommended range.
In FL, avos usually take up to at least 2 year to recover from hurricane effects.
In CA, many avos, due to salts in the soil, will lose all their leaves this time of year, but will regrow them during the next blooming season.
Our 3 cultivars each have responded similarly, but differently.
Most bare branches are still alive.
The quality of the fruit is still off this year, second season after the eruption.
I have just begun removing all the fruit from the trees to allow them to divert their their resources to eruption recovery.
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Was a Democrat until gun control became a knee jerk, then a Republican until the crazies took over, back to being a nonpartisan again.
This time, I can no longer participate in the primary.
Posts: 154
Threads: 13
Joined: Jun 2020
(03-25-2020, 06:10 PM)taropatch Wrote: Another disease to be on the alert for.
The Hawaii Dept of Ag confirmed that my friend's tree is infested with the relatively new Avocado Lace Bug Disease. You may not see the bug but the colony of eggs (tiny black specks) on the underside of the leaves is visible. Leaves begin to brown on the edges and start dropping off.
https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/post/e...s#stream/0
After looking at this thread and this post by taropatch I am noticing almost every avocado tree in the Puna area being attacked by these lace bugs. Just look under the leaves and you can see evidence of them.
