Avocado: Comparing leaves
In the past couple months since I last updated the pictures of the avocados, there has been quite a bit of growth due to the warm summer. We've had plenty of rain and lots of sun, and the avocados seem to be making the most of the weather. They are still potted, and they are somewhat sheltered from direct weather contact, but they are outside and receive a fairly substantial dose of the natural world. The avocados here definitely aren't indoor plants.
So last time I wrote about the avocados, I mentioned that the leaves were different shapes. Since the avocados are grown from seed, they are genetically distinct and will have similar but different phenotypes. One easy to understand phenotype is leaf shape. The older avocado has a rounded end on each leaf. The younger avocado has a distinct pointy leaf shape.
Rounded leaf:
Pointed leaf:
At first I thought it might have just been a malady that was affecting the shape of the leaves of the older avocado. Several other leaves seem to be strangely-shaped due to what appears to be burns. What this is due to, I don't know. However, the basic shape of each leaf seems to be rounded at the tip, so I don't think the lack of a point is due to disease, malnutrition, or sunburn. It is a good idea to keep a close eye on it for changes, though.
Another interesting thing is that the older avocado's seed has completely dissolved. You can't see it well in the pictures, but the seed is almost completely gone. I am attributing this to the age of the tree, but I am a little worried that the tree used up the remaining food within the seed due to lack of nutrients in the soil. Is there a way to determine the nutrient level within the soil?
One last point to mention is that the younger avocado is almost as tall as the older one. This may be due to them being only a few months apart in age, but it may also be a genetic difference, causing them to grow at slightly different rates.
Here are this week's pictures:
Older avocado (white pot):
Younger avocado (black pot):
So last time I wrote about the avocados, I mentioned that the leaves were different shapes. Since the avocados are grown from seed, they are genetically distinct and will have similar but different phenotypes. One easy to understand phenotype is leaf shape. The older avocado has a rounded end on each leaf. The younger avocado has a distinct pointy leaf shape.
Rounded leaf:
Pointed leaf:
At first I thought it might have just been a malady that was affecting the shape of the leaves of the older avocado. Several other leaves seem to be strangely-shaped due to what appears to be burns. What this is due to, I don't know. However, the basic shape of each leaf seems to be rounded at the tip, so I don't think the lack of a point is due to disease, malnutrition, or sunburn. It is a good idea to keep a close eye on it for changes, though.
Another interesting thing is that the older avocado's seed has completely dissolved. You can't see it well in the pictures, but the seed is almost completely gone. I am attributing this to the age of the tree, but I am a little worried that the tree used up the remaining food within the seed due to lack of nutrients in the soil. Is there a way to determine the nutrient level within the soil?
One last point to mention is that the younger avocado is almost as tall as the older one. This may be due to them being only a few months apart in age, but it may also be a genetic difference, causing them to grow at slightly different rates.
Here are this week's pictures:
Older avocado (white pot):
Younger avocado (black pot):
Labels: avocado
posted by Lauren Smith at
9:53 PM
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