Young Papya tree wilting

[PunkRotten]

Hi,

Well I got a small Papaya tree. It was given to me, it is about 2 feet tall. I have been keeping it at the window. Lately I have been noticing the leaves are wilting. There is 2 things I can think of as why this is happening. I am thinking it is either too cold for the tree or it is not getting enough sun.


I am in Zone 9 so it is in the low 40s outdoors at night, but indoors it stays around 60-70s. It does not get much sun though. It only gets filtered sun and just barely. And lately it has been cloudy and dark too. It may not be any of these problems really so I am waiting on your opinions.

[lorax]

Is it all of the leaves or only the lower ones that are wilting? If it's just the lower ones, it's natural leaf obsolecence. If it's all of them, then it's too cold and dark by your window and you need to move the plant to a warmer area and give it a bit of unnatural light.

[PunkRotten]

Just some of the lower leaves so far. I have to look at it again more thoroughly. But I did move my blinds a little bit so it gets more sun.

[PunkRotten]

More leaves are falling now. If it loses all of the leaves will it die? I had a small avocado tree do the same thing and it never came back. I thought by Spring new growth would show up but never did and the little stick (stem) just dried out.

[lorax]

I have seen papayas go dormant and then come back, but this was in the tropics. Is there any way you can move your tree to a warmer location and give it some unnatural light?

[PunkRotten]

WHat kind of unnatural light?

[rainbowgardener]

A lamp shining on it!


I have one sort of like this (but without the colored shades)

https://www.meijer.com/s/at-home-with-meijer-floor-5-arm-gooseneck-lamp/_/R-167861

It sits in a corner between windows on two sides to put extra light on plants that need more than the windows provide.