Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

nafex - Re: [nafex] The heartbreak of grafted pawpaws

nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Elizabeth Hilborn <ehilborn@mebtel.net>
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [nafex] The heartbreak of grafted pawpaws
  • Date: Mon, 23 Nov 2020 07:28:25 -0500

Hey Lee! Nice to hear from you, I hope that you are well!

Yes, thank you. Water is not an issue in this case I believe.

My shading system should not be either, but let me describe and tell me if you think it is too much.
I plant new grafted trees in full sun. I take an opaque 4 foot high plastic tree tube and leave it as an open sheet. I set it like a screen on the SW corner of the plant so it gets AM full sun almost to 1pm then is shaded in our scorching summer afternoons. The shade is not full from the plastic, but sun intensity is much reduced.

For others considering tree tubes for animal protection or whatnot- I tried leaving tree tubes as full enclosure tubes for a couple summers and killed pawpaw trees apparently by heat build up. It is better to leave big gaps for airflow in the sheet-type tubes. But in 7a central NC, I have better luck with sheets for shading pawpaws.

I grow seedling pawpaws in tubes in 6a VA no problem, but I also leave big gaps in summer for airflow. Close up tight in winter. against vertebrates

I realize as I write this, that I have grown (and killed) a LOT of pawpaws by this point!

The seedlings and sprout transplants thrive. It is only the grafted ones that die (except for the Shenandoah who let me have such good fruit for a bit - just long enough to miss it now...)

On 11/23/2020 6:08 AM, Lee Reich wrote:
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





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page