The latest dirt from my garden: Save the Papaya

Sunday

Save the Papaya

Unfortunately, we don't live in an ideal world, and we as gardeners must adjust to unfavorable changes in the weather. In Texas, the major environmental threats to the garden are: too much sun, sandy soil, lack of water, too much rain, violent thunderstorms with accompanying high winds and hurricanes.
Papayas have a main tap root rather than the expansive network of roots that most other species of trees have anchoring them into the ground. The main tap root has a few side roots, but they are closer to the surface of the ground rather than deep in. As a result, the papaya is vulnerable to being toppled over by high winds or young boys who might like to uproot one just because they can.
The inner core of the trunk is hollow, much like bamboo. Even slight damage to it produces a rush of milk that streams to the wound (as white blood cells do when human skin is injured) to begin the process of creating a crusty "bandage". Keeping the tree properly hydrated maintains the "milk pressure" as our bodily fluids and the free flow of them maintain our blood pressure.
This year temperatures dropped to 31-32 degrees in the Houston area. Although the actual temperature was above freezing, there was enough wind chill to cause frost damage to most of my papayas.
All blossoms are lost and developing buds drop off. The leaves show all the signs of irrepairable damage i.e: wilting, rapid change in color from green to yellow to brown, complete crisping and eventual dropping off. If temperatures are expected to continue at the near-freezing level, it is best to let the leaves remain on the tree as long as possible as they will protect the tender and more likely to regenerate top growth. Absolutely remove all fruit. A tree fighting to survive doesn't need a pile of fruit to nurture. When all danger of frost has passed, strip off all dead leaves.
Don't be hasty about removing what looks like a dead tree. Be patient. Many trees will send out side growth or regenerate top growth. By being patient, you may salvage the tree and insure many more years of healthy, abundant harvests . Introduce plenty of water and gradual dressings of your usual fertilizer as soon as possible. If you must, saw the tree down to the nearest new growth at the thickest part of the trunk and paint the wound liberally with tree tar.
Sometimes, all is not lost. Patience and a good salvage job may lead you back to tasty fruits and your peaceful, leafy canopy.

No comments:

Post a Comment

canary creeper, nasturtium, grow, germinate, flower, edible, tropaeolum peregrinum, germination, germinate, growing light, ornamental seeds, amorphophallus, devils hand, mexican hand tree, garden, gardening, ornamental flower, garden seeds, seed propagation, australian seeds, rare seeds, exotic seeds, playing with seeds, germination instructions, garden blog, best garden blog, tropical garden blog, unusual flowers, exotic flowers, rare flowers, rare seeds, rare plants, mail order seeds, mom and pop seed shop, seed shop, international seeds, botanical garden, botany, rare botanicals, tropical garden, exotic garden, vertical garden, eclectic plants, eclectic flower, eclectic garden seeds, garden club, garden forum, ornamentals, gardening care, ornamental tree, bonsai, gardening plants, gardening care, home gardening, landscaping, hgtv, hydroponics, germinating seeds, garden, seed catalog, flower seeds, seed companies, garden seeds, plant seeds, seed shop, seed store, Aristolochia, Amorphophallus titanum, tropical plants, tropic, tropical, fragrant, fruit, flowering, blooming, trees, botany, rare, mail, order, online, purchase, herbs, spicery, spices, shipping, ethnic, tropicals, plants, gardening, growing, garden, exotic, unusual, catalog, encyclopedia, database, search, sale, cactus, succulent, orchid, tree, palm, flower, shrub, bush, gallery, botanical, identification, catalog, Mango, Lychee, Avocado, Dragon Fruit, Longan, Carambola, Sugar Apple, Guava, Fruit trees, Fruit tree nursery, Tropical fruit trees, Mamey, Jakfruit, Rare fruit, Exotic fruit, Punta Gorda, Florida, Spices, Abiu, Sapodilla, Passion Fruit, Pomegranate, Michelia champaca, Cacao, Miracle Fruit tropical plants, tropic, tropical, fragrant, fruit, flowering, blooming, trees, botany, rare, mail, order, online, purchase, herbs, spicery, spices, shipping, ethnic, tropicals, plants, gardening, growing, garden, exotic, unusual, catalog, encyclopedia, database, search, sale, cactus, succulent, orchid, tree, palm, flower, shrub, bush, gallery, botanical, identification, catalog, Mango, Lychee, Avocado, Dragon Fruit, Longan, Carambola, Sugar Apple, Guava, Fruit trees, Fruit tree nursery, Tropical fruit trees, Mamey, Jakfruit, Rare fruit, Exotic fruit, Punta Gorda, Florida, Spices, Abiu, Sapodilla, Passion Fruit, Pomegranate, Michelia champaca, Cacao, Miracle Fruit, seeds, free, catalogs, garden, palms, cacti, herbs, tobacco, trees, flowers, bonsai, software, contest, home income, house, plants, rainforest, pesticide, potpourri, vines, medicine, cigars, greenhouse, farm, health, smoking, gift certificates, unusual vegetables, oak trees, stevia seeds, rare palms, tobacco kiln, seed primer, seed germination, citrus seeds, banana seeds, datura seeds, pest repellents, fall vegetables, papaya seeds, acacia, houseplants, bible, chinese, essential oil, bottles, mother nature, xeriscape, extraordinary seeds, limited seeds, scarce seeds, singular seeds, strange seeds, subtle seeds, uncommon seeds, unique seeds, unlikely seeds, unthinkable seeds, seeds, unusual seeds, attenuate seeds, attenuated seeds, endangered seeds, isolated seeds, bizarre seeds, noteworthy seeds, unique seeds, odd seeds, rare seeds, exotic seeds, eccentric seeds, freakish seeds, unconventional seeds, weird seeds, extreme seeds, curious seeds, different seeds, alien seeds, alluring seeds, fascinating seeds, unfamilar seeds, enticing seeds, extraordinary seeds, ornamental seeds, stunning seeds, extraordinary plants, limited plants, scarce plants, singular plants, strange plants, subtle plants, uncommon plants, unique plants, unlikely plants, unthinkable plants, plants, unusual plants, attenuate plants, attenuated plants, endangered plants, isolated plants, bizarre plants, noteworthy plants, unique plants, odd plants, rare plants, exotic plants, eccentric plants, freakish plants, unconventional plants, weird plants, extreme plants, curious plants, different plants, alien plants, alluring plants, fascinating plants, unfamilar plants, enticing plants, extraordinary plants, ornamental plants, stunning plants, extraordinary flowers, limited flowers, scarce flowers, singular flowers, strange flowers, subtle flowers, uncommon flowers, unique flowers, unlikely flowers, unthinkable flowers, flowers, unusual flowers, attenuate flowers, attenuated flowers, endangered flowers, isolated flowers, bizarre flowers, noteworthy flowers, unique flowers, odd flowers, rare flowers, exotic flowers, eccentric flowers, freakish flowers, unconventional flowers, weird flowers, extreme flowers, curious flowers, different flowers, alien flowers, alluring flowers, fascinating flowers, unfamilar flowers, enticing flowers, extraordinary flowers, ornamental flowers, stunning flowers, extraordinary vegetables, limited vegetables, scarce vegetables, singular vegetables, strange vegetables, subtle vegetables, uncommon vegetables, gmo-free vegetables, organic vegetables, unique vegetables, unlikely vegetables, unthinkable vegetables, vegetables, unusual vegetables, attenuate vegetables, attenuated vegetables, endangered vegetables, isolated vegetables, bizarre vegetables, noteworthy vegetables, unique vegetables, odd vegetables, rare vegetables, exotic vegetables, eccentric vegetables, freakish vegetables, unconventional vegetables, weird vegetables, extreme vegetables, wild vegetables, curious vegetables, different vegetables, alien vegetables, alluring vegetables, fascinating vegetables, unfamilar vegetables, enticing vegetables, extraordinary vegetables, ornamental vegetables, stunning vegetables, extraordinary fruits, limited fruits, scarce fruits, singular fruits, strange fruits, subtle fruits, uncommon fruits, gmo-free fruits, organic fruits, unique fruits, unlikely fruits, unthinkable fruits, fruits, unusual fruits, attenuate fruits, attenuated fruits, endangered fruits, isolated fruits, bizarre fruits, noteworthy fruits, unique fruits, odd fruits, rare fruits, exotic fruits, eccentric fruits, freakish fruits, unconventional fruits, weird fruits, extreme fruits, curious fruits, different fruits, alien fruits, alluring fruits, fascinating fruits, unfamilar fruits, wild fruits, enticing fruits, extraordinary fruits, ornamental fruits, stunning fruits,

The latest dirt from my garden

Sunday

Save the Papaya

No comments:

The Gardener

Garden Helper.gov

Some Garden Helpers

Blog Archive

Other Things

Friends and Followers

Visitors

Blog Top Sites

Garden Blog Directories

Popular Posts

Note Pad: Currently looking for:

.