Hi guys,
I live in Southern California. My boyfriend's parents have a small papaya seedling that is growing in a container. I believe they planted it from a seed from a grocery-store papaya, but I'm not positive about that. It's several months old now.
The seedling has been doing very well, but a few days ago (after some weird back-and-forth weather that was rainy, then super-hot), the top half of the seedling flopped over. My boyfriend reported that the trunk/leaf stems felt soft and squishy that same day.
I felt the trunk yesterday and it felt relatively firm, not squishy or anything. If I attempt to gently straighten the seedling, it resists a bit. The leaves also felt relatively robust; not dry or shriveled, but the newest leaves growing appear very translucent and feel fragile. (see attached picture).
My boyfriend's parents do tend to over-water, and the house gets a lot of morning dew this time of year, plus the backyard doesn't get a lot of sun. I know these are all less-than-optimal conditions for growing plants (especially fruiting plants), but no other plants in the backyard have exhibited this papaya seedling's floppage. I don't think the pot was laying on its side for any significant amount of time either.
Does anyone have any theories why the seedling, which was growing straight and fine up until now, would suddenly flop over? Is there anything we can do to remedy it? Should we perhaps gently pull the seedling upright and stake it?
Thank you.
-
LakotaWolf
- Newly Registered
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Thu Jun 04, 2015 9:12 pm
Why Did Papaya Seedling Flop Over?
- Attachments
-
-
-
-
-
CharlieBear
- Green Thumb
- Posts: 588
- Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2011 5:19 pm
- Location: Pacific NW
is it on a patio and maybe bending towards the light? All plants have that tendency. Are there far more leaves on that side? in a small plant that will do it too. As for staking it you could try it very carefully using something like torn t-shirt to tie it loosely. Anything too tight would strangle it. It may or may not work, if has the beginnings of say some fungal disease, it may simply be dying. (impossible to tell from as photo at this point)
The stem has grooves that you see when the plant actually dries out too much. That would cause a papaya seedling to wilt and fall over since it essentially is an herb not a tree. The stem is hollow. If the pot dried out for too long or even if it ended up on its side for a day or two, it would twist and bend that way.
Once the stem firms up it is hard to straighten it.
There are a few things you could do.
1. Start over. Papaya seeds take a while to germinate and grow slowly at first.
2. You can cut the top, repot into a much larger pot like a tree pot, or put it in the ground. Do not untangle the roots. If the taproot is broken it will die. put a can over the top you cut to keep water out. You will need a larger can as it grows but the can stays on for life. A new leader will come from a lower node. Do not let more than two branches grow.
3. If the plant is over 5 months old, you really should start over. It should start blooming around 5 months of age, but a plant that small will produce small fruit.
Once the stem firms up it is hard to straighten it.
There are a few things you could do.
1. Start over. Papaya seeds take a while to germinate and grow slowly at first.
2. You can cut the top, repot into a much larger pot like a tree pot, or put it in the ground. Do not untangle the roots. If the taproot is broken it will die. put a can over the top you cut to keep water out. You will need a larger can as it grows but the can stays on for life. A new leader will come from a lower node. Do not let more than two branches grow.
3. If the plant is over 5 months old, you really should start over. It should start blooming around 5 months of age, but a plant that small will produce small fruit.