How to Care for an Indoor Avocado That's Wilting

Place new avocado plants in large containers that accommodate their developing roots. Use a well-draining growing media free from disease organisms for potting your plants. The California Rare Fruit Growers Association suggests using a planting mix combined with topsoil, and that you avoid plastic containers. Avocados are shade tolerant, but provide your plants a warm site and good sun exposure where possible when raising them indoors.

Transplant established avocados into containers with better drainage. Avoid damaging the roots during transplant. The trees can develop avocado root rot from poor drainage or being left in standing water. The disease causes pale foliage and wilt, and can lead to the death of parts of the tree.

Water your plants properly. Water your trees when you plant them. Water them on alternate days for one week, then twice weekly for the tree’s life. Watering correctly is a key part of disease management, directly affecting your plants’ health and condition. Too much water causes poor growth, poor production and symptoms of nutrient deficiency. Wilt may be a sign that your plants need more water, but it may also signal that your plants’ roots are damaged. Improper watering can kill a part or the whole plant.

Promote your trees’ general health, so that they are less vulnerable to disease and better able to recover from damage. Prove a 6-6-6-2 fertilizer three to four times per year. Fertilize avocado trees bimonthly in their first year. Adjusting the soil’s pH the range of 6.2 to 6.5 prevents development of Phytophthora root rot. Clean your tools between trees when pruning, and consider dedicating a set of tools for use only on indoor plants to prevent introducing disease-causing organisms, such as the fungus that causes Verticillium wilt.