a list of some questions hoping to get some answers for...pleeease (fertilizing, avocados)

[heydade]

Hey all..

1. How often should I fertilize my avocado tree and what type of fertilizer do I use and HOW do I use it ? Just throw some fertilizer around the roots ?

2. Those little packet of dry seeds you can buy at any garden store, do they really work ? I have a grassless soil area where the previous owner of the house I purchased used to store a pop up camper. I bought some of the butterfly wild seed packets and sprinkled it all over the soil after raking it and then I Raked it again to mix the seeds with the soil and watered it. This was 3 days ago..

3. I just bought a bird feeder the other day....it has been 3 days so far and no birds. What do I need to attract them to the feeder ? I am in South Florida and it's not really cold here at all.

thanks !

[si33]

Heydade,

As far as fertilizing your avo. look for a fertilizer specifically designed for citrus and avocados..as they have very different needs compared to most other plants..

As for applying it,..broadcast the fertilizer around the drip line of the tree or just within this area..The drip line refers to the outer area of the trees' canopy spread..

If your tree is still rather small, apply about 12-16 inches away from the trunk..the idea is that the fertilizer is taken in by the trees' finer roots..applying anything closer is basically a waste because the finer root growth is furthest away from the trunk.. Also, if you can, be sure to allow any fallen leaves to remain around the base of the tree..ive been told that this benefits avocados well..

As for the seeds..they should start to sprout within a week or two,.depending on the species in the mix you sowed..just keep the area moist.. If after a couple weeks you don't see anything coming up,..you might consider planting quart or 1 gallon sized plants..Ive had this problem with seed mixes i myself did not harvest and combine..so i can understand any fustrations you might encounter..

With the bird feeder,..just give it some time..the birds should start showing up soon enough..Down in that area,..i'll bet that you'll get some interesting species stopping in for a quick bite to eat..

[mawipafl]

si33 is correct about the bird feeder ... patience :-) If after a week or two you still have no visitors, maybe there's something "unattractive" about the seed you're putting out and/or the feeder itself. Some of the birds I have flitting around my NE FL yard right now are strictly insect eaters and wouldn't visit my feeder no matter what. Mourning doves, if you have them, prefer to forage on the ground rather than sit in a feeder. Cardinals prefer insects and weed seeds, but will also eat black oil sunflower seeds. Just a few ideas while you're waiting patiently :-)

[heydade]

thanks ! My avocado tree is HUGE....it is blooming like crazy. Only thing I don't like is the leaves, especially proximal to the trunk have little holes all over them. I am assuming these are insects. My dad told me not to worry about it, because he has them too and his avocados come out just fine.

I will be patient with the birds ! I got WILD BIRD feed...a year round mix for year round birds....the most versatile you can get I believe.

[jodyrose]

Originally Posted by heydade

3. I just bought a bird feeder the other day....it has been 3 days so far and no birds. What do I need to attract them to the feeder ?
thanks !

I lived in Sarasota for many years and I will BEG you to please to not feed wild bird "seed" mixes. Those keep the English sparrow population thriving, since they love the millet seed in the mixture. English sparrows are not native to the US, and they are EXTREMELY destructive to our native bluebirds and other native species. When they nest they destroy other birds nests and their eggs and they will literally peck the heads off of bluebirds. If you keep very small trays under your feeders and use tube feeders, it will help to keep the larger grackles and blue jays to a minimum

I had many bird visitors over the years I fed black oil sunflower seeds mainly, once in a while I would throw some safflower seeds into the mix for the cardinals which love them. I also fed niger (thistle seed) for the gold finches. Over the years there, I had indigo buntings, painted buntings, cardinals, blue jays, many varieties of woodpeckers, red/purple house finches, north carolina wrens, flickers, robins, song sparrows (the native varieties). I had nesting purple martins at one of our houses which was on the golf course. I also had hummingbirds. Plant some red salvia and red/pink geraniums near your hummingbird feeder (keep feeder out of the sun as much as possible, the syrup will spoil quickly in the sun). I also planted butterfly weed and other butterfly attracting plants. The swallowtail butterflies eat the weed plant and make their cocoons on them. Keeping a source of fresh water nearby will also attract many birds, especially if you have a fountain in it or a mister nozzle. To keep the mosquitos from laying, get one of those "wigglers" It runs on a battery and keeps the water moving, which the birds like and the mosquitos do not!

Here in Indiana I have 8 feeders and 2 birdbaths going year round. Plus I feed shelled peanuts and homemade loose suet in a hanging bowl type feeder and I have just as many birds as I had in FL if not more. The buntings dont roam this way too often, although I have spotted an indigo now and then. But I have others, like the Baltimore Orioles, chickadees, plus all the others I mentioned.

I am crazy about my birdies can you tell?
Enjoy your new home and the birds that I am sure will show up soon.

[southernnaturelover]

If you want grass in the grassless area don't bother with seed, get some St Augustine plugs, they'll cover the area in no time. I have seen them at Lowes and HD, they come on flat trays.

[rural lady]

The birds will come give it some time

[snkalaska]

Originally Posted by si33

Heydade,

As far as fertilizing your avo. look for a fertilizer specifically designed for citrus and avocados..as they have very different needs compared to most other plants..

As for applying it,..broadcast the fertilizer around the drip line of the tree or just within this area..The drip line refers to the outer area of the trees' canopy spread..

If your tree is still rather small, apply about 12-16 inches away from the trunk..the idea is that the fertilizer is taken in by the trees' finer roots..applying anything closer is basically a waste because the finer root growth is furthest away from the trunk.. Also, if you can, be sure to allow any fallen leaves to remain around the base of the tree..ive been told that this benefits avocados well..

As for the seeds..they should start to sprout within a week or two,.depending on the species in the mix you sowed..just keep the area moist.. If after a couple weeks you don't see anything coming up,..you might consider planting quart or 1 gallon sized plants..Ive had this problem with seed mixes i myself did not harvest and combine..so i can understand any fustrations you might encounter..

With the bird feeder,..just give it some time..the birds should start showing up soon enough..Down in that area,..i'll bet that you'll get some interesting species stopping in for a quick bite to eat..

si33. Just by reading your posts I can tell you're a master gardener. All your posts are right on. My Dad in Hawaii drills holes randomly around the drip line of his avocado and tangerine tree and puts in some powdered fertilizer my sister recommends. She's an entymologist that has a agricultural consulting business. They get mass amounts of fruit off both trees. And he spends every morning picking up all the avocado leaves.

[heydade]

My avocado tree is in bloom, but why are all the leaves falling off ?? they are falling off like crazy. Is this normal before fruit starts to develop ?

[heydade]

the birds have come ! most of them black birds that hog up the feeder....and a few woodpeckers come too as well as a blue jay or two....and pigeons of course.