The climate of Hawaiʻi is ideal to encourage infection. Problem 3, Anthracnose: This is a fungal infection that is damaging to the fruit. This is an effective treatment that also controls powdery mildew, aphids and white fly. Spray the top and underside of the leaves with Neem Oil. At the first sign of powdery mildew, remove the infected leaves to prevent spreading. Solution: You can’t control the humidity but do what you can to improve the air circulation. Problem 2, Powdery Mildew: This is the result of poor air circulation and high humidity. Treat the plant with Neem Oil at first sign of aphid infestation. Fourthly, aphids are fond of papaya and are a vector for disease transmission. Papaya is tolerant, but it does not like extremes. It adds time but may prevent the spread of disease. A spray bottle is an easy way to apply this to your tools. When you trim off an infected leaf, clean your tools with bleach water before using it to remove another leaf. Clean your tools with a solution of 1-part bleach, 9-parts water and a small drop of soap. Secondly, most problems are caused by poor sanitation. Solution: Don’t make me send my wife over, she carries a wet squirrel in her purse. Problem 1, You: Most of papaya problems are your own doing or not doing. It also removes the fruit before the fruit flies and the Parrots of Paradise show up for lunch. In my opinion, this gives a superior taste to the fruit. Pick it and let it finish ripening in the house. Harvest the fruit when the first patch of yellow appears. Most sources recommend using a balanced fertilizer (14-14-14) every two weeks until the plant is 7 months old, and then fertilize once a month.ĭirection 7. Fertilize regularly once the plant is over a foot tall. Most home gardeners remove the male plant.ĭirection 6. The hermaphrodite plant is the preferred since it has both male and female characteristics in the same flower and will self-pollinate. Female and hermaphrodite trees have flowers that are tight to the main stem. Male trees have flowers that are on stems that extend from the main trunk of the tree. Papaya has three sexual types: female, male and hermaphrodite (both male and female). Sex determination in papaya in 2007 by Ming, Ray & Yu, Qingyi & Moore.ĭirection 5. Leaf and blossom drop is a sign of too much or too little water. Depending on where you live and the papaya variety, you may need to water every day, every couple of days, or never if you live in a rainy area. There is no magic formula since soil conditions and rainfall are too variable. When you plant, prepare the soil horizontally as well as vertically.ĭirection 4. The papaya plant has a shallow root system. A sandy loam mix, rich in organic matter that drains well is best. Papaya will grow in most types of soil, but healthy plants and tasty fruit are the product of good soil. I have said this repeatedly, your garden is only as good as your soil. If fruit does develop, it is likely to be smaller in size.ĭirection 3. If you are at a higher elevation, you may still be able to grow papaya, but you may experience blossom drop, i.e., the plant flowers and then falls off without setting fruit. If you want to find the elevation of your property, click the following link. A little-known fact about papaya is that it does best below 500 feet elevation. When planting papaya, leave at least 6 feet between another papaya, building, tree or anything else that restricts light and air flow. Papaya requires a lot of sun and fresh air. The choice is a matter of taste, size and shelf life.ĭirection 2. The Sunset, Sunrise and Low-bearing papaya share similar planting, watering, fertilizing and harvesting characteristics. The U of H Seed Lab offers three varieties that perform well in Hawaiʻi’s climate.
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