Curl grubs and Reed Avocado (forum)

Robinsow1 starts with ...
Reed Avocado - Adelaide
Bought May 2017, had been in the original 150mm nursery pot for 2 years with some sunburn on a couple of limbs, picture 1.
Planted into a raised garden bed May 2017 with wind shield around it for the winter months and then some shade overhead for the hot summer weather.
I fertilised with a teaspoon of thrive into a 9 litre watering can about weekly over the spring to early summer months.
Going well December 2017, picture 2, then sadly slowly downhill over the next few months with leaves changing to lighter colour, going brown around edges and tips, and leaves dropping off, picture 3.
Dug gently into the soil in March and found high infestation of white curl grubs, must have pulled out well over a hundred during the next month or so. I assumed the avocado was badly affected by lack of roots, them being eaten by the grubs, so it was maybe starved of food and water ?. Sprinkled grub killer powder from hardware shop onto the soil and watered in. I tended to blame the curl grubs on the horse manure I used it as top-up mulch around the avocado as I found that other garden areas had a similar infestation where I had also used that manure. Have since used mixture of pine chips, pea straw and leaf litter.
Many avocado leaves were turning yellow with green veins by end of April so I dug into the soil and tested ph about 250mm deep, was about 5.5. I mixed some hydrated lime with water and poured over the surface, re-tested the following day with the ph being about 1 higher, but will monitor over the coming weeks. Bought garden lime to use as if necessary.
I noticed the soil was a bit dry about 300mm deep, so I have buried 4 @ 75mm plastic watering pipes vertically into the soil about 700mm out from the truck for more effective deep watering. I’ve also noticed a few new white roots here and there in my soil investigations (broke a few though with the drastic actions), about 300mm out from the trunk. Hoping for a lot more shoots over time.
The tree has had quite a few new leaf buds for a month or so with a couple showing small leaves about 5mm long, pictures 4 and 5. Not sure what to do about fertiliser for a while.
I am hoping the tree will find the strength to eventually recover, but as I am not a gambler, I’ve have purchased a dwarf Wurtz, which has been transplanted into a 300mm diameter pot for now.

Wayne.

Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2
Picture: 3
Picture: 4
Picture: 5

Time: 29th April 2018 6:17pm

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About the Author Robinsow1
COLLINSWOOD,5081,SA
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Markmelb says...
Avos like it Acid so a ph or 5.5 is a pretty good

Also you could have a touch of root rot as well where they recover in summer & go backwards end of winter - try and get some Aliette fungicide from EE Muirs or Elders Ag Supplies.

Time: 30th April 2018 8:07am

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About the Author Markmelb
MOUNT WAVERLEY,3149,VIC
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