If you remember last year around the Small-Hold it started raining in May and didn't stop until almost July. We were something around 22 inches above normal in rain by the middle of June and it ended up killing off most of the Buckwheat I planted.
So this year I was prepared. I waited until the end of June to plant my strip of Buckwheat and put my new Paw Paw tree into the ground.
Then it rained like 15 inches on us in about 3 days.
The Buckwheat fared pretty well through it all I must say and is beginning to pop out blooms now. The bees should be going crazy over it in another few days.
My Paw Paw tree? Well it lasted about a week and then died. I have never killed a plant, let alone a tree, so fast in my life. That little tree lived in it's little pot for over a month why I decided on the perfect spot to plant it. I found a little raised area where it would get shade about half the day and what I thought would be good drainage. I dug a good sized hole and filled in around the root ball with rich soil straight out of the compost bin. I staked it and tied it up so the wind wouldn't hurt it....
Then I go over to look at it and all the leaves are wilted and drooping. The next day they are turning brown. I finally dug it back up and put it back in it's pot but I know it's too late. Either there was some type of poison, which I never use, in the compost bin soil or the heavy rains just killed it in a few days.
I never have seen a plant die so fast. I am so depressed I can't even take a picture of the poor dead thing.
If I had just bought it I would think it was just a dud or something but I have had that little tree on the porch in it's pot growing like crazy for well over a month before I planted it. The spot I put it in is less than 10 feet from the spot the other Paw Paw was in that lived until the rabbits ate it.
I guess for some reason I am just not fated to get paw paw trees growing around here. It's particularly depressing too since the Japanese Beetles have pretty much destroyed all my Apple trees this year too.
In fact 2016 has not been a good year for fruit trees around here at all it seems.
Keep Prepping Everyone!!!!!
oh PP - don't feel too bad...although when we suffer a miserable fail, we get down, too. like - for example - who on earth can't grow a beet. yep - that's us. can't get a freakin beet to grow here for the last 5 yrs. we've amended the soil, done soil tests....but this year i currently have 7 beets growing - woohoo! i only planted one hundred - you do the math. something was just not right about your paw-paw (even tho i still don't even know what one is???) but you have had crazy weather, crazy work hours, crazy women stopping you from getting your projects done (sorry Mrs. PP and Mom PP) - buddy - as we well know it - every year in the garden is different. but congrats on the buckwheat!
ReplyDeletesending love. your friend,
kymber
LOL Thanks Kymber!!!
DeleteI have a paw paw patch @ my place & could send you seeds late this fall, if you're interested & can't obtain elsewhere. I probably push several hundred seeds into the soil when I mow the patch & always have probably 30-40 little paw paws pop up in mid to late June the following year. Ya might try scattering a few handfuls & pressing them into the soil with a mower or other vehicle.
ReplyDeletePlease omit --- Contact me at NAMVETCAV6768@hotmail.com, if interested.
Tcav6768 - Thanks I will send ya an email!!!!
DeletePP,
ReplyDeleteGood to hear your Buck Wheat took off. So sorry to hear about your PawPaw tree. I'm sure it wasn't anything you did or didn't do.
Sandy - So far it's going good more rain might kill it off too.
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Happy bees when the buckwheat starts blooming. I see the occasional honey bee working clover but I am mainly killing yellow jackets and wasps. Only got stung once so far.
ReplyDeleteYou might want to plant some paw paws during the winter.
Sf - Ya I can'twait until the bees really start hitting those white blooms.
DeleteWe have a paw-paw patch that grows on the river bottom in shade just at the base of the river bluff. I would be glad to send some Missouri native seeds at the end of the season, just let me know.
ReplyDeletePerry - That would be so cool. If I got some from you and Tcav above I would have some unrelated ones and able to cross pollinate like the books say I must.
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