Avocado Leaf Tips Turn Brown From Salt

Q: Why do the tips of the leaves on my avocado tree turn brown?

A: This is probably caused by a buildup of salts in the soil due to frequent light waterings. Give the tree an occasional heavy, deep irrigation to leach the salts from the soil.

Fruit Drop Healthy for Orange Crop

Q: Each year in late spring my Valencia orange tree drops a lot of its new fruit when the fruit is marble-sized. What causes this? How do I prevent it?

A: This condition is known as “June drop” and is a common occurrence with most citrus trees. It is thought to be caused by a sudden temperature rise in the spring while the soil is still cold.

When the foliage heats up, the cold roots are not able to quickly supply water and nutrients to the rest of the tree--consequently it drops some of its fruit.

There is no reason to try to prevent this; it is beneficial as it improves the size of the remaining fruit. If all the original fruit were allowed to remain, it would be golf ball-sized when mature.

Woody Jicima Tubers Harvested Too Large

Q: Last year I grew jicima for the first time. The tubers grew quite large, but they had a woody texture. Should I have watered it more?

A: No. Once established, jicama is not a thirsty vegetable and can get along on less water than most vegetables. The problem was that the tubers were allowed to grow too large. They should be harvested when they are about four inches in diameter.