Proof of Life
My poor avocado tree, which I grew from a seed and have had for many years, is not doing well. You may remember that its leaves fried in a 2 week heat wave this summer, though I watered my plants and tried to save them. I trimmed back the leaves, and have been watching to see if it might come back. There is new growth near the bottom of the trunk, but nothing higher up. What to do? It just so happens that one of my cousins knows a lot about plants, and is a Master Gardener. When I’m worried that I may have killed a plant, I consult her. So I told her what was going on, and she had me scratch the surface of the trunk, and stick my finger about an inch into the soil after watering the plant. The surface of the trunk showed dead wood, and the soil was dry. The soil had become hydrophobic, so even though I watered the plant, not much of the water was getting to the roots. To be honest, even before the heat wave, this tree was not thriving. My cousin Kim told me that I needed to treat the soil with dish soap, and also cut the trunk down to where the plant is not dead. If you’ve not heard of the dish soap treatment, you put a little bit of liquid dish soap (I used Dawn because that’s what we had) on the soil, then a bunch of water. I put maybe 8 or 10 drops around the circumference of the trunk, about half way between the tree and the edges of the pot. Then I flooded the pot to almost overflowing 3 or 4 times. After that had soaked in and drained from the bottom, I put the hose on a slow drip and left that for a couple of hours, so the roots could get a good soaking. At this point, I also gave it a bit of fertilizer. She said because of the time of year, to only give it about 1/3 of the normal amount, and then don’t fertilize again until March. My poor plant. She said it has a decent chance of surviving. Of course, if the damned squirrels eat the shoots before they get a chance to grow, then I’m not sure what I will do. Perhaps buy a net to cover it for a while. I’m hopeful, keep your fingers crossed.
Our next door neighbors have a pet lizard, Spike. Spike is a bearded dragon lizard, and is much loved by the daughters. Last week, Spike went missing, and they were scared that he had perished. Had a hawk gotten him? A car? Had someone found him and kept him? They didn’t know. Late Monday morning, I was chatting on the phone with my step-mom and I came downstairs to get a glass of water, when who should I see in my backyard, sunning himself on the bricks, but Spike! After being gone for a week! I didn’t get a picture of him, because I was on the phone, but I did pick him up and bring him to the neighbors’ house. I received a text later that the daughter cried with happiness. What a relief!
Speaking of relief, after we had our HVAC system serviced last month, I thought we were set. Then on Sunday, it just stopped working. The HVAC technician came out on Monday morning, opened up the A/C unit outside, and reset it. He said it could be a couple of things that had caused it to stop working, but he couldn’t really tell just then, and none of it was dangerous. So if it goes out again, he will come back and check a few things (high pressure manual reset something, or the condenser fan motor), but for the moment our 45 year old unit is still working. Whew!
One more proof of life…this morning I went to get my hair done, and the woman next to me was talking about her pet opossum! The neighbor’s dogs had killed the mom and the rest of the litter, but this one survived and was in front of their house. So was going to take it to a local wildlife rehab place, but she fell in love with it and is keeping it. It’s about 4 months old now, and she is potty training it. Her goal is to have it loose in the house like a cat or dog. Right now it lives in a wire cage like a pet mouse. I had no idea such a thing could happen. Good idea? IDK. But awfully cute. Your bonus content is this video of a woman who raised an opossum as a pet.
36 Comments
San
Oh my, I had not heard about the dish soap treatment for plants. What exactly does it do for the plant? I would have thought it might be toxic for plants to put soap in the soil… but I am curious to see if it will revive your avocado tree!
Possums are awfully cute, right? Not sure I would want to keep one as a pet but if she raised it, I am sure it can work 🙂
J
San, the dish soap treatment is not for the plant, it is for the soil. It does something chemically that helps it start to absorb water again. You flood the plant with so much water that it rinses through within an hour or so. I’ve done it with other plants and never had a problem. Sounds crazy, right?
I hope my poor tree lives. And yeah, I don’t want a pet possum, but she sure seemed happy with hers!
San
I got your email reply! It worked! (Which plugin do you use?)
J
San, it’s called Comment Reply Email Notification on WordPress.
Kyria @ Travel Spot
I am sorry, but I think wild animals should stay wild and that opossums are yucky. They are like huge rats! Although the ones in Australia are cuter than ours; I am not sure why. However, I love beardies and had several of them over the years. I am so glad that you found Spike. How lucky that he only strayed to your yard!!
I had an avocado and I had the same issue but it died. I hope yours fares better than mine because I was so sad to lose mine as I was finally starting to get fruit!
J
I agree, wild animals should stay wild. I would have waited for the wildlife center to open. But I’ve heard that they can be pretty well domesticated, so maybe it will work out for them. We were wondering about Spike…clearly he didn’t go over into the big parking lot on the back side of our fence, but he may have been in a couple of yards along our row of townhouses, who knows? He was missing for a week!
You had an avocado that was getting fruit??? I’ve heard you don’t get fruit from trees that grow from grocery store avocados. Maybe yours wasn’t from a grocery store avocado? Or maybe what I heard is wrong. I have heard that it takes a long time for them to bear fruit. I’ve had quite a few that have died over the years, and then just had to start over. Sigh. I hope this one lives. If not, I will start over. I mean, I have this huge planter pot!
Kyria @ Travel Spot
Mine was not from a grocery store pit, and I have heard the same thing about them. I actually talked to a guy who worked for Monsanto and he said they breed them purposefully (I think he was talking about melons, but same situation) to not be able to germinate, so that people will have to go out and buy more seeds! Scandlous!
J
Hmmm. If I have to grow another, perhaps I will try using an avocado that I get at a Farmers’ Market…maybe that would make a difference. You know, in 10 years or something when it is ready to produce fruit.
NGS
Possums should be wild, I agree, but they are NOT yucky. They are amazing and perfect and save us from ticks!!
Kyria @ Travel Spot
Nope! They kind of remind me of the R.O.U.S. from Princess Bride.
Meike
I wonder what Spike did on his outing and where he was. So crazy you found him in your yard. Good luck with the avocado tree! The dish soap trick sounds interesting. I definitely will keep that in mind next time there is something going o n with my plants.
J
I was wondering whether Spke was happy and relieved to be home, or disappointed? Maybe both, like after any good vacation…
nance
I wonder if the same thing happened to my Boston ferns hanging on my porch. They just stopped taking water, even when I took them down and sat them in it. I assumed they were just potbound and finally tossed them, sadly. I never heard of the dish soap treatment. How very odd.
How wonderful that you found and returned Spike! I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have been able to pick him up and carry him home. Lizards weird me out. I might have used something to put him safely in a container, or maybe I’d have been okay with putting on gloves and picking him up. I’d like to think that since Time Was Of The Essence, I’d err on the side of Kindness and just get in there and grab him fearlessly, but…sigh.
As far as the possum, I’m still not over putting my hand on the dead one in the bag of potting soil in my garage. UGH. No on possums.
J
Nance, I’ll admit that I was hesitant for a moment, and then I remembered seeing the daughter next door holding him once, and how calm he was, so I decided to be brave. I would have felt horrible if I had gone to get a box or some gloves and he had scampered off!
Maya
Yes, your bravery in this instance impressed me too!!
J
Thanks Maya! Also, Nance, the dead possum! UGH!
Lisa’s Yarns
I am glad that Spike was found! Phew! What a relief for that little girl. I am a HARD PASS on possums as pets, though. Eeks. They are so rat-like!
I hope this treatment works. It is nice to have a plant expert at your disposal!!
J
I’m really glad that the possum has a new home, and that it’s not with me. Also, yay on Spike, definitely, and thank you, I hope the treatment works for my tree! I love being able to text my cousin pictures of a plant and her telling me how to help it. I sometimes consider getting an app on my phone or something, but I doubt they would work as well.
Maya
I still shudder when I think about that sad possum that made eye contact with me as it laid itself down at the foot of a tree, then closed its eyes… and died.
But my teen LOVES possums, and I’m going to show them the video. They might decide to keep a possum as pet (they already have so many possum stuffies). WHen they’re not living with me, of course :).
J
Oh Maya, you and Nance and your dead possums! At least you didn’t accidentally touch yours, like she did. *Shudder*. I saw one play possum once, but after fooling the dog by playing dead, it got up and walked away.
Margaret
That sounds like a lot of effort so I hope it works! I hate giving up on plants, especially ones I’ve had a long time. Having a possum as a pet…hmmm. I am frightened of their teeth and don’t find them cute but there are also some dogs and other animals I don’t find attractive. Love is love.
J
Margaret, it IS a lot of work, but I am hopeful that it will save my little tree. One thing I love about opossums is that they eat all sorts of things we don’t want around, most importantly ticks.
Michelle G.
You’re working hard to save your avocado tree, and I hope it works! How cool to have a Master Gardener close to you. I enjoyed the possum video. We don’t have them, so I’ve never seen one in real life, and I didn’t realize they got so big! I don’t think I’d enjoy having one as a pet, “slubbing” all over me. Shudder!!
J
Thanks Michelle! Yeah, Slubbing sounds disgusting. I had a dog once that was very lickey, and it was a LOT. She was much cuter than a possum.
Tobia | craftaliciousme
So happy your avocado plant has a chance of survival. Never heard of this specific treatments though. Fingeres crossed.
A pet lizard… that one looks big.
J
Thanks Tobia, I’m hoping! The lizard was maybe 6 lbs? Not huge. Kind of long.
Ernie
I’m still suck on ‘I picked him up and carried him home.’ Um, what now? I’m surprised he didn’t bolt, and more surprised that you weren’t afraid of getting nipped. But – I’m glad that you got him home and that the daughter was happy to get him back. Spike – cute name.
I have to say I do not think possums are cute and I do believe they belong in the wild. We rescured 4 baby racoons from under our deck and never for a moment did I think about keeping them. Eek.
I hope your avocado tree surives. You are sure giving it your all. The dishsoap soil treatment is new to me too. I can’t wait to quiz Tank on that as he’s our resident landscape guy.
J
Ernie, regarding Spike, he’s a pet, so very used to being held. I don’t think I would have tried to pick up a wild lizard that big! Scary! No, it never would have occurred to me to keep a possum either. People are out there leading lives that I don’t really understand, I guess. Regarding the soap, I don’t think this happens with plants in the ground, I think it is just potted plants. But I’m not sure, maybe Tank will know?
Suzanne
Love the theme of this post, and I learned SO MUCH. The dish soap treatment seems extremely useful, if only I can remember it.
You are a dragon saver! So glad Spike is back where he belongs.
Opossums creep me out, so I’m delighted that SOME people love them. Now I am having visions of an opossum hanging by its tail from my living room balcony and… NOPE. Not for me.
J
Oh goodness, no, I don’t think I would want that either. I think if opossums do well in your area it’s great to have them wild, they eat a lot of yuckies (like ticks). But I agree, I don’t really want one as a pet.
sustainablemum
Living as I do in a different part of the world this post was full of things that are so not part of my life. I have the opposite issue with soil it is constantly wet, I live in a very wet part of the UK. It is far too cold here for Bearded dragons to live outside and I am not sure I could so casually pick one up but that’s probably because they are unfamiliar. The only possums I have ever seen are the ones in the Ice Age films! I am guesssing they are rodents? Fascinating window into life in other parts of the world, every day things for you, very unusual for me 😉
J
Opossums are marsupials, and have emigrated north and west from the southern us. When my mom was in High School, they weren’t here yet, but by the time I got to HS they were.
One animal you have that we don’t is hedgehogs, which look SO CUTE to me.
Nicole MacPherson
Yay for Spike! I’m glad he didn’t get eaten. Our neighbours had a chihuahua and he somehow escaped the back yard. Well, around here there is SO much wildlife, and the coyotes got him. It was super sad for everyone involved, I guess except for the coyotes.
Squirrels are destructive little bastards! May your avocado live and thrive.
J
My dad and step-mom lost a cat that way too. HARSH. I haven’t seen coyotes here, but who knows. We are in a very urban area, but I’ve seen coyotes in San Francisco. I also was very glad to find Spike and get him home safely.
Ally Bean
She has potty trained an opossum! That’s amazing. And this is why people are endlessly fascinating to me. I’d never think to do that… would you?
J
She was working on it, and has read it can be done. Next is to toilet train it. She said she has toilet trained 5 cats, and wants to give it a try. To quote a David Lynch movie from the late 80s (based on a book that I didn’t read) “This whole world is wild at heart and weird on top.”