What size container is it in at the present time? 20 gallons seems like a bit of a leap for a 3 foot avocado. Oftentimes, when a typical potting medium is used (like your MG), an overly large container can result in a stagnant root environment. There is considerable information about potting mixes in this forum. If you spend a bit of time reading some older threads, you'll find all sorts of possibilities. However, the majority of us have learned that by adding some simple amendments to a typical potting medium, you can create something that your plants will thrive in. The incorporation of pine bark fines, Turface MVP, perlite, and/or similiar ingredients will help you create something that is fast draining, and conducive to a healthy and vigorous root system.

Well, avocados are very particular about how their roots receive water, Suzi. Sitting in standing water is sure death for an avocado tree. Which is why Fallbrook and N. San Diego County were so perfect - all planted on slopes. Avocados prefer being planted on a slope so the water will drain away. Their feeder roots prefer water to pass by them. Yes, they need a LOT of water. And the only reason they are still hanging on in our area, is because they really don't grow well anywhere else (as opposed to citrus, another water-hungry commercial crop). And, the fact that people are willing to pay $1.50 to 2.00 a piece for them. But, unlike citrus, which are being successfully grown in other areas of California, due to water prices having climbed to the outrageous amounts we see here in San Diego, Orange, and Los Angeles counties (and to almost the same extend in Riverside and San Bernardino), avocados have not been able to acclimate to the Coachella or Imperial Valleys. So, they're hanging in there, in Fallbrook, still. So, standing water is about the worst thing you can have for avocados, proper drainage is critical to having them survive. Ben, to your questions: Jan Boyce, Reed and Sharwil all sound like excellent avos, but will my limited spacing realistically allow for these cultivars because of their size? - You can keep them pruned down to size using drop-crotch pruning. Those 3 cultivars are worth the pruning, trust me. How close can I plant to the wall? Naïvely, I was thinking I could just plant within a couple feet and just have a bed extending to about 3-3.5 ft from the wall, but thanks to you all, I’m questioning how realistic that is now, considering the size potential for mammoth-sized trees - at least 6 feet. Preferably 10 to 12 feet. I think raising the root ball up in a raised bed will help considering my poorly-draining soil. Since I don’t have a slope, I plan to put in a French drain at bottom to hopefully help with drainage. - Yes, Yes, Yes! Thing BIG mound or berm. Excellent option. And, a french drain below the mounds, a couple of feet down, sloping away from the trees, hopefully towards your front yard (and out to the street if you don't need the water elsewhere in your yard). I would also see what's happening with your next door neighbor's drainage. Is it draining over to your yard? Are you dealing with your and THEIR water? If so, make your neighbor fix their drainage issues. That's really a big no-no, as some else's water draining over into your yard could affect your home's foundation and that is grounds for a lawsuit. I would make your mound or berm at least 1 to 2 feet high (if you can make it 3' high, that would be superb) and 3 to 5 feet around (or, just continue the berm straight across for all 3 trees). Put down at least 20 pounds of gypsum spread around the base of each of the trees, plant and then mulch the area with 6 inches of woody mulch keeping the material about 6-8 inches away from the tree trunk. Of course, the french drain system should be below the mounds, about a foot or two down in the ground. You can also spread gypsum down into your french drain system as well. That gypsum application will really, really make a difference in the drainage of your soil. And, lastly, it wouldn't hurt to apply one application of Agri-Fos at planting, then again in 1 month. Apply a 3rd application of Agri-Fos in Feb or March, and then once a year in Feb or March thereafter, just to make sure you don't end up with Phytophthora issues due to water built up in the soil. You can also apply it to your citrus for the same reasons. An ounce of prevention can save you a pound of cure (and agony) later on. If avocado roots are shallow, how deep do they typically go? How much spacing tree to tree, at minimum, should I allow? - the feeder roots are very, very shallow. Most exist within the top 6" of your top soil (as compared to citrus feeder roots, which exist in the top 12 to 18" inches of your soil, and they're considered shallow rooted, so you can see how very shallow avocado feeder roots are). That's why their leaf drop is so critical to their survival. They literally make their own mulch, and if removed, it will affect the health of your trees (and even kill them, eventually, believe it or not.) Their feeder roots will grow into their leaf mulch/mold. They have very sensitive root systems, and do not like to be transplanted after being established. But, they can send down fairly deep anchor or tap roots. And being between the 2 houses should getting enough sunlight be a concern? - It can be. I have an inherited (was planted here before we bought the house and moved in) that was planted in the worst possible spot on my entire acre for an avocado - in nearly full shade, at the lowest part of my yard where the large part of my yard drains down to via two large swale systems. It is amazing it is still alive. I would have transplanted it, but it was too large and established. I figured I'd kill it for sure if I tried. It has produced 3 avocados for me since we moved in, in 2009. As opposed to my Lamb Hass, in the ideal location (full sun, on a nice slope), that produced about 30 avos this season (3rd season), and will have over 100 this next year. So, sun is pretty important. If you're sure they will get at least 6 hours of sun, I think they'll be okay. They might grow slower, and produce a little less, but, considering avocado trees can be prolific producers, that may not be a bad thing with 3 avos, lol! I would plant the Reed in the middle, as it is the most columnar in growth habit, and then simply keep them all down to about 15' and you're good! Patty S.

Thank you. I fertilize spring, summer, fall with a good granular citrus food and water once or twice a week in that time depending on the temperature. I water in the winter every other week if we don't get rain. It's on a slight slope which helps with drainage as we have gritty clay soil, a mix of clay, silt and decomposing granite. And I leave all the leaves that fall under the tree as mulch. I lost the two avocados I planted last year. I think they had issues when I got them, they were on clearance. (for a reason obviously, lol) But even though they didn't last, they did bloom a lot and this tree in the pic had a ton of fruit because of it. So I've been wanting to id this tree so to know if it's A or B flowers. I just want to get one more avocado tree for the other's replacement, so I need to know which to get, A or B.

Looks like fungus or disease attacked the branch starting at the wound hole. In the best case it might be possible to save the branch if the cracked bark/dead area is removed along with any soft/decayed wood. Then you could regularly paint on liquid copper fungicide (including under the sides of the rod and on the other side of the rod) until the tree grows around from each side and closes its wound. It would take several years however and no guarantees of full recovery. The next best case you would have to add a wood post to support that corner of the tree house and cut that one branch off below any bit of dead area to prevent disease from reaching the trunk, then regularly paint on liquid copper fungicide until the cut branch closes up the wound over a few years. The worst case is if the tree is deeply infected with any bad disease at that branch, it could spread all the way down to the trunk eventually and kill the whole tree over several years.