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[Lee Reich <leeareich@gmail.com>]

Just a couple of comments on your pawpaw experience:

“Water attentively” is not necessarily watering correctly which is all 
important to the health of a plant. If the soil is well-drained, whih it 
should be, I generally recommend 3/4 gallon per square foot estimated spread 
of the root system, once a week. (More frequently for an initially planted 
potted tree which is, essentially, still growing in a pot until its roots 
reach out into surrounding soil.

As far as shading, older trees do best in full sun. A grafted tree’s portion 
above the graft was taken from mature, fruiting wood, so its top portion is 
mature and will do best in full sun right from the get go. (I also have seen 
no definitive substantiation that even seedling trees need shade when young 
if given good soil conditions, which mostly means adequate moisture.)

Lee
Lee Reich, PhD
Come visit my farmden at
http://www.leereich.com/blog <http://www.leereich.com/blog>
http://leereich.com <http://leereich.com/>

Books by Lee Reich:
•The Ever Curious Gardener: Using a Little Natural Science for a Much Better 
Garden
•A Northeast Gardener’s Year
•The Pruning Book
•Weedless Gardening
•Uncommon Fruits for every Garden
•Landscaping with Fruit
•Grow Fruit Naturally

> On Nov 22, 2020, at 2:33 PM, Elizabeth Hilborn <ehilborn@mebtel.net> wrote:
> 
> I planted my first pawpaws in 2009, I ordered the superior Peterson pawpaw 
> varieties directly from Neil himself. One of four survived - a Shenandoah 
> that was vigorous until 2015, then visibly declined. I removed the dead 
> tree this summer. My working hypothesis was that the tree suffered a 
> pruning injury back in 2013 or 2014 that became infected with fungus. That 
> Shenandoah was an outlier, but it is the only grafted tree that has ever 
> successfully matured fruit for me. It showed me how delicious selected 
> pawpaws can be.
> 
> Every other grafted pawpaw I have planted (about 16 of them) has died but 
> for two five-year-old (at site) trees that are still less than 16 inches 
> high.
> 
> The typical scenario is that the plant will sit for a few years in my 
> artificially shaded site as it becomes established. Then in its third or 
> fourth year at site it starts rapid growth. Within a year to three years of 
> putting on height, it flowers, maybe begins to set fruit (they do not 
> always get this old) then midsummer, the leaves suddenly wilt and the tree 
> dies within a few months. Post mortems reveal seemingly healthy roots, no 
> trunk lesions, no discoloration of cambium.  No clue.
> 
> The kicker is that I have healthy seedlings all over the place. Some 
> seedlings are seven years old, volunteers in the woods where I tossed 
> overripe fruit. Some were planted intentionally. The rootstock sprouts well 
> if I leave it and seems healthy. Rootstock has started producing fruit (not 
> very good fruit). I have divided rootstock from dead grafted trees to start 
> new patches with the hope of later grafting. I have not seen remaining 
> rootstock, divided rootstock or seedlings die like the grafted varieties.
> 
> How I care for them:
> 
> I water attentively for a couple years after planting, then only when 
> weather is unusually dry. I shade the young grafted trees for two - three 
> years at site. I only plant trees in spring. I have tried planting at 
> ground level and recently higher in mounds to discourage root rot (no 
> indication of root rot, just varying procedures).
> 
> I plant with no amendments in soil, but top with compost around the site. 
> The trunks are not smothered.
> 
> This year, I transferred soil from a native pawpaw patch in the woods to 
> the struggling small grafted trees in the hope they would get something 
> they needed. They still are struggling. I will see next year.
> 
> Any ideas? Has anyone else dealt with this?
> 
> Pawpawless in central NC zone 7a
> 
> Elizabeth
> 
> -- 
> Elizabeth Hilborn, DVM
> Bee Well Mobile Veterinary Services, PLLC
> beewellvet.com
> 
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