What happened to my papaya? High maintenance?

[bbates123]

Bought a papaya last spring from a local reputable grower (no idea what kind).  I live in Ft Myers FL.  I see them growing all around here like weeds so I didn't think they were a high maintenance plant.  The plant was about 5ft tall and had lots of healthy green leaves when I planted it.  I planted it in an area that gets irrigation twice a week.  Full sun.  As the spring and then the summer went on it started to lose leaves from the bottom, then through the summer it lost more and more leaves until just a few remained at the very top.  Eventually this fall those dropped as well and then the plant died.  Any thoughts on what might have happened?

[raiders36]

Pull the plant out and look at the root.

[pineislander]

Possibly root rot set in when we got the big rains pre and during Irma. They do not withstand wet feet at all. Thousands died all over. Plant on a mound next time and it should do well. I had 20 survive both storms while my neighbor had 20 which died all of which were on flat ground.
If you planted and it was 5 feet tall it may have been a bit too tall. I grew mine from seed and had best luck with transplanting @ about 1 ft. tall. Some grow from seed and let 3 grow together choosing out the males.

I grew these and every plant turned out female or hermaphrodite, not a single one was male.
http://www.shop.alohaseed.com/product.sc?productId=17&categoryId=4

 Even though mine were only 1 ft. tall I buried some with 6" of stem underground and they seem to have no problem with that, becoming much more stout at the base which I hope will be resistant to lodging over.

PM me and when my new trees come up I can share some.

[sahai1]

papayas are heavy feeders,  they will use up most nutrients just get to 5' tall and get leaves, so just because they get up that tall and look healthy, they may have used up all nutrients available to get there.  E.g. just cause it looked good growing, doesn't mean it has enough to eat when it is ready to fruit.

So I was taught really put in 16-16-16 about a pound every month to help develop a big healthy trunk and root system, after that you can work in more organics.  I like to mound up sacks of manure and let them drip out every time there is a heavy rain.  I achieve this by creating a rock pile and stacking up the manure on top of that.  Otherwise it can burn out the leaves.

[bbates123]

Thanks for the great advice everyone!  Yeah, when I planted it I created a basin to catch water so it would get enough.  Sounds like that's exactly the opposite of what I should have done.  I'll know better next time!

[greenman62]

Possibly root rot set in when we got the big rains pre and during Irma. They do not withstand wet feet at all. Thousands died all over. Plant on a mound next time and it should do well.

yep

and they are surprisingly drought tolerant.
that doesnt mean they do best with little water, it just means they wont die easily in drought.

make a mound as high and wide as possible.
and use LOTS of mulch on top.
when making the  hole add lots of organic matter.
they will grow in straight compost. but they need drainage
fish emulsion, chick poo, are excellent ferts. they dont mind it kinda hot.
a lot of woody mulch (plus, leaves, grass clippings etc...) on top keeps moisture in.
i actually use a layer of composted leaves, coffee grounds and grass clippings
THEN a layer of cardboard or newspaper, then a layer of woody mulch.
the worms get a protected area with lots of food and go to town.
worms fertilize and aerate the soil for you.
they work 24/7, dont need a healthcare plan, and never ask for a raise.

If you planted and it was 5 feet tall it may have been a bit too tall. I grew mine from seed and had best luck with transplanting @ about 1 ft. tall. Some grow from seed and let 3 grow together choosing out the males.

I grew these and every plant turned out female or hermaphrodite, not a single one was male.
http://www.shop.alohaseed.com/product.sc?productId=17&categoryId=4

most papaya seed you buy now is %66 hermaphrodite and %33 female
(sometimes 50/50 depending on variety, grower, etc...)
with almost no males.
there is no need to plant 3 per hole anymore.

Even though mine were only 1 ft. tall I buried some with 6" of stem underground and they seem to have no problem with that, becoming much more stout at the base which I hope will be resistant to lodging over.
 

pineislander
did you grow these out to fruiting size yet ?
i would have thought the extra soil on top would give less oxygen to the roots ?
papaya roots are usually very close to the surface so they can breath.
the soil must be loose and well draining ?

[pineislander]

pineislander
did you grow these out to fruiting size yet ?
i would have thought the extra soil on top would give less oxygen to the roots ?
papaya roots are usually very close to the surface so they can breath.
the soil must be loose and well draining ?

Yes they are holding fruit well. I've seen lots of papaya lodging/breaking over and decided to try it with some. The soil here is pure sand so perfect drainage except a high water table in summer especially during storms. This year we got 11" in a week then another 10 or so with Irma which meant waterlogged soil for weeks and killed most papaya that went under. All my trees are on 1 ft raised beds, compost and mulch, multispecies interplanted permaculture style. papaya & banana are interplants between each young fruit tree. Like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KpFAIxaW1c

[greenman62]

pineislander
did you grow these out to fruiting size yet ?
i would have thought the extra soil on top would give less oxygen to the roots ?
papaya roots are usually very close to the surface so they can breath.
the soil must be loose and well draining ?

Yes they are holding fruit well. I've seen lots of papaya lodging/breaking over and decided to try it with some. The soil here is pure sand so perfect drainage except a high water table in summer especially during storms. This year we got 11" in a week then another 10 or so with Irma which meant waterlogged soil for weeks and killed most papaya that went under. All my trees are on 1 ft raised beds, compost and mulch, multispecies interplanted permaculture style. papaya & banana are interplants between each young fruit tree. Like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KpFAIxaW1c

man
thats a great setup
i wish i was in a warmer climate and had that much room.
papaya and banana are great when they die to add biomass
papaya adds boron, and often sand is lacking in it.
banana adds potassium. they also break down more slowly
 and hold water in the tissues.

[sahai1]

2 trees female and male,16-16-16 for 6 months now just letting the manure seep