Avocado, アボカド, クラフトビール, メキシカンフード - August 3, 2025

I Grew a Supermarket Avocado and It Surpassed 2 Meters Repotting with Help from ChatGPT — Hang in There, Fukasawa-kun!

📝 This article is the latest installment in our ongoing avocado-growing series, which all started with a seed from a supermarket avocado.
You can catch up on the previous chapters here 👇

[Part 1] How to Grow an Avocado from a Supermarket Seed – The Demogorgon Growth Chronicles (From Water Germination to Sprouting)
[Part 2] How to Grow an Avocado from a Supermarket Seed – The Demogorgon Growth Chronicles (Part 2: Sprouting Surge and Potting Debut)
[Part 3 – Part One] I Grew a Supermarket Avocado and It Surpassed 2 Meters – Handle Repotting with Care
And now, Part 4 – The Conclusion: A record of my revenge repotting with help from ChatGPT, and a farewell tribute to the ones we lost along the way.

Hello! I'm Shushi, President of SoCalization.

We’ve finally arrived at Chapter 4 of the avocado-growing saga.
And this time, I’m sharing the story of how I made a successful comeback (with the help of AI) after a failed repotting attempt.

There’s plenty packed in here: a tale of unexpected friendship (maybe?), a naming ceremony, and more!

When You Name Them, They Become Family

First, a quick life update:
I recently got married! And my wife is a huge fan of the J-pop group Snow Man.

So naturally… our avocado plants got names.

Raul:

On the left - tall and slender
As of September 2024, he was still around 170 cm tall in the photos
He’s also unique because of a sprouting accident that caused him to split into two stems, which is pretty rare
I’ll cover more on this in the follow-up post: “Raul: The Growth Journey”

Fukasawa-kun:

On the right - smaller in size, but with lush, vibrant leaves
Around 120 cm tall in the September 2024 photo
Before I met my wife, I didn’t know anything about Snow Man, but since one plant is obviously tall and the other clearly shorter, these names just felt right 😂

Previously, I’d just called them the Demogorgon Brothers, with makeshift nicknames like “Double Head,” “Mr. Arm-Zoom,” and “Mr. Stability” - quirky, but kind of unclear.
Now that they have personified names, I feel a much stronger connection to them.

The Fateful Repotting with ChatGPT (Late April 2025)

One day, I noticed tiny red bugs hopping around in Fukasawa-kun’s pot.
Plus, the pot itself was narrow, white, and wobbly—not exactly stable.

“This isn’t good... But what if I mess it up again like last time?”

As that anxiety crept in, an idea suddenly hit me:
“Why not ask AI (ChatGPT) for advice?”

And so, the fateful repotting consultation began on April 27, 2025.

As shown in the image above, I made sure to include specific details in my prompt to ChatGPT.

Here’s the kind of response I got back:

🛠️ [Steps for Complete Removal and Repotting]

What to prepare before repotting:

A new, clean pot (preferably ceramic or plastic)

Fresh, sterile potting soil for houseplants (ideally pest-resistant)

A small shovel or trowel, and gloves

A shower or garden hose

Scissors (for trimming roots if needed)

Optional: pesticide (organic options are fine too)

Gently remove the avocado from the pot
Turn the pot on its side and gently tap the edges to slide the plant out.
Be careful not to damage the roots.

Remove soil from the roots
Lightly shake off the soil by hand, then rinse off the remaining soil with water.
If you see orange bugs or insect eggs on the roots, be sure to rinse them off thoroughly.

Check the roots
If any roots are blackened or rotten, trim them with scissors.
(Be sure to disinfect your scissors with alcohol first!)
Healthy roots should be white or cream-colored.

Replant in a new pot
Place drainage stones at the bottom if you have them, then add fresh soil.
Set the avocado in the pot and add soil around it to stabilize.
Gently press the soil and water thoroughly.

Post-repotting care
Keep the plant in partial shade for several days (avoid direct sunlight as it causes stress).
Water only when the top of the soil is dry.

🔍 [Tips to Prevent Pests from Returning]

Always use fresh soil

For the first 1–2 weeks, watch the soil surface and base of the plant carefully

If pests still appear, replace just the top layer of soil, or use an organic pesticide (e.g., neem oil spray)

Especially indoors, reduce watering frequency and keep the soil on the dry side (since pests love moist environments)

If you’d like, I can also advise on:

Recommended brands/types of soil

How to choose organic pest control

Tips to help your avocado thrive after repotting

Just let me know your avocado’s current condition (height, leaf health, etc.), and I can tailor the advice even more!

Side note: Giving the plants names made the whole exchange even more fun.

※ Funny thing — I never once mentioned the word “Snow Man” in my prompt,
but based on the response... it was very clear that ChatGPT knew exactly what was going on.

And so, the repotting of Fukasawa-kun finally begins.

I clearly remember feeling an enormous sense of relief when I realized the roots were healthy, and compared to Mr. Arm-Zoom, I could see that Fukasawa-kun’s roots had spread out much more extensively.

Fukasawa-kun: It’s Totally Fine to Transfer the Root Ball As-Is!!!

[Reasoning]

The roots are dense but not overly compacted or circling yet (no rootbound issue)
The soil in the center is still well intact → No excessive stress will be placed on the roots
Overall root color is healthy (ranging from white to light brown, with no signs of rot or mold)
If you forcibly break up the root ball now, you’d risk doing more harm than good

→ So, simply setting the root ball directly into a new pot is absolutely the right move!

Tips for the Process

Add a layer of fresh soil at the bottom of the new pot before placing the root ball in
Fill in gently around the root ball with new soil
Don’t pack it in tightly!
Let the soil settle naturally by gently filling the gaps around it
Finish by giving it a generous watering to help the soil and roots settle together

About Pest Risk

With the root ball in this condition, there’s virtually no pest risk!
If anything, there may be an extremely small number of bugs—but nothing that would cause concern.

To be extra safe:

Add a layer of gravel on top
Place a Hyponex pest repellent item in the pot

→ That way, you can practically eliminate the risk of pests.

Summary

Item	Details
Root Ball Condition	Healthy, no need to break it up
Transplant Method	Gently move the root ball as-is into the new pot
Pest Risk	Minimal to none
Optional Measures	Add gravel on the surface + place insect repellent

His condition was absolutely excellent.
At this rate, Fukasawa-kun should be able to head into summer in great shape!!

Thanks to Professor ChatGPT’s guidance, I was able to go into the repotting process with confidence.

But then… the root ball started falling apart.

In the end, it actually worked out and I was able to get an even clearer look at his condition.

I have to say, ChatGPT is just too kind.
It even went out of its way to gently cover for my mistake with extra explanations. Love that.

By the way, I recently saw this on a gardening YouTube channel called “Kāmen-kun,” which I’ve been watching a lot lately.
Apparently, when roots start circling around inside the pot—a phenomenon called “looping” or “circling”—that’s a sign of being rootbound, and it’s not great for plant growth.

So if you notice that growth has slowed down, it might be time to move your plant into a larger pot.

(It’s around the 8-minute mark in the video.)

https://youtu.be/oVHrpxKHwXM

Days of constant consultations while sharing photos

Post-Repotting Care Points

1. Water thoroughly, but only once at first
Right after repotting, water generously until it drains from the bottom of the pot.
After that, hold off on watering until the soil dries out. (Slight dryness is okay.)

2. Keep in partial shade or a bright indoor spot
Avoid direct sunlight for 1–2 weeks.
→ Your current location (by the window, bright but filtered through lace curtains) is ideal!
Sudden exposure to strong light can place stress on the recovering roots.

3. Do not fertilize immediately
The roots are still recovering, so it’s safest to avoid fertilizer for 2–3 weeks.
Once the plant looks strong again, you can gradually start with a diluted liquid fertilizer.

4. Keep a close eye on the leaves
It’s normal for them to wilt slightly—don’t panic, just monitor them.
However, if the leaves droop completely and become wrinkled, it may indicate underwatering or root damage → apply additional care only in that case.

What to Expect Next

New root activity will begin in 1–2 weeks
In about a month, the leaves will perk up and growth will resume!

At this point, it really looks like you’ve achieved the best possible repotting outcome.
If you're interested, the next step could be something like pruning to strengthen the trunk—feel free to ask!

However... Fukasawa-kun started to droop

I’d been told to give plenty of water once, then wait until the soil dried out but Fukasawa-kun was looking more and more discouraged...!

I gave him some water, but Fukasawa-kun still wasn’t bouncing back as hoped...

Symptoms Observed

All leaves are wilted and drooping
Leaf tips and edges are browning or turning black
Some leaves have spot-like dark patches

Likely Cause

In short, it’s highly likely that direct sunlight was reintroduced too soon.

Right after repotting, avocado plants:

Still have recovering roots with low water absorption capacity
Can’t tolerate strong light, as their ability to photosynthesize hasn’t fully returned

→ When these overlap, the result is weakened leaves due to a combination of sunburn and moisture loss through transpiration.

What You Can Do Right Now

1. Move the plant back to partial shade (like a window with lace curtains)
→ Avoid direct sunlight for now.
Keep the area bright, but soften the light.
Especially avoid spots that get strong morning sun.

2. Light misting (foliar spray)
Use a spray bottle to lightly mist both sides of the leaves once or twice a day.
Avoid doing this during the hottest part of the day (11:00–15:00).

3. Damaged leaves can stay for now
Brown leaf tips may look unsightly, but don’t cut them off just yet.
Even damaged leaves can still help with photosynthesis.

4. Still no fertilizer
Since the plant is still recovering from repotting and stress, continue avoiding fertilizers for now.

I gave ChatGPT an update:
The lower leaves have started to wither.

I’ll skip over some of the details, but I kept up this kind of back-and-forth with ChatGPT for about two weeks.

As I continued my exchanges with ChatGPT, one thing I kept thinking about was this idea of watering “until it flows out generously”…

Later on, I learned from a video by Kāmen-kun that if your soil or pot doesn’t have good ventilation, watering that generously—especially during sunnier seasons—can actually turn the inside of the pot into a hot bath, which ends up damaging the roots.

I did consult ChatGPT about timing and placed the plant in the shade,
but since our home faces east, I have to admit there’s a real possibility that the morning sun overheated the pot.

Watering is tougher than it seems!

From now on, even though I’ve mentioned it in past posts, I’ve decided that unless I’m absolutely confident, I’ll avoid the “soak thoroughly” watering method.

I was told to dig into the soil, and sure enough, it was still moist underneath.

And finally, signs of Fukasawa-kun’s recovery!

In the larger photo, you can see it clearly: while the lower leaves are still withering, a fresh new shoot has sprouted up!

The repotting was done on April 27, and the photo above was taken on May 15.

The one below is from May 20. After removing the browned leaves, there was only one left aside from the new shoot… it was a close call!

Fukasawa-kun's Full Recovery

As you can see in the photo, he made a full recovery and entered full-on comeback mode.

It’s possible that ChatGPT wasn’t entirely accurate at times, or maybe I just didn’t give it enough information—but either way, it was all part of the learning experience.

What Can Happen After Overwatering

Condition	Details
Oxygen deprivation in roots	Temporary loss of airflow inside the pot can suffocate the roots, weakening them.
Early-stage root rot	If water remains too long without drying, fine roots get damaged, leading to wilting leaves.
Physiological leaf drop	When the root’s balance of moisture and oxygen is off, it sheds some leaves to reduce stress.

Best Practices for Watering After Repotting

Right after repotting: Water thoroughly once
After that: Leave it completely alone until the soil dries
→ When roots aren’t yet settled into the soil, their water absorption is less efficient
If using a pot that dries quickly (good ventilation, like terracotta), resume watering based on observation

✅ Summary of What Helped Fukasawa-kun Recover

🌿 Held back on watering → roots recovered → new shoots emerged
🌞 Didn’t abruptly change lighting conditions; adjusted gradually
💨 Overall environment was stable, including airflow and temperature

...Apparently that’s the key!

Fukasawa-kun Today

Fukasawa-kun, who at one point was down to just a single leaf, has made it this far as of August 3!

To add some context, I had been giving about half of a 500 ml water bottle at a time, but Fukasawa-kun still wasn’t pushing out new shoots afterward.
Since his leaves weren’t drooping or showing distress either, I switched back to just misting the leaves.

After doing that, new shoots began emerging from the top again, and I could see signs of growth once more.

What a relief!
Honestly, without ChatGPT, I might have given up halfway and said goodbye to him so I’m really glad I kept believing in Fukasawa-kun.

Raul Reaches the Ceiling

Meanwhile, Raul has already reached the ceiling!

In the upper area, where light no longer reaches, three new lateral shoots have appeared,
and at the base of the plant, a second shoot is also growing vigorously.

Raul tends to droop the moment he runs out of water, so he might actually be more of an attention-seeker than he lets on.

Right now, I’m consulting with a friend who works in the gardening industry about repotting.
A 2-meter-plus plant isn’t something you can move around easily, but I’m really looking forward to seeing how he continues to grow.

It might be a little while before the next update,
but I plan to write a dedicated post soon titled “Raul: The Growth Journey”—so stay tuned!