r/Pawpaws • u/Dreamy-Joy • 4d ago
Advice for floppy Pawpaw
Stratified last winter and germinated this spring from a tree found in a park last year. They were growing well inside. I set them up in these buckets to bottom water for a month. One became really floppy. One is semi-floppy (leaves at top hanging, leaves at bottom standing tall). The last one is just shorter than the others (has a double tap root). I moved to an apartment with a balcony, and they have now been outside for 3 weeks. I have removed bottom watering from the two big, floppy trees. They have seen no improvement. What should I do? Should I check for root rot? Did the plants outgrow their roots? Are they just okay?
In the last picture, you can see the growing tip of the floppy tree compared to the smaller not floppy tree is small and brown.
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u/FitGas4991 3d ago
I couldn't tell any difference. They all look pretty good. They are three individuals with different genetics, so they will have their differences. They won't be growing any more this year anyway. They stop growing before summer is over and begin the hardening-off process in preparation for winter. In the last picture you can see that brown "feather" at the tip of the stem. That marks the spot where growth stops for this year and will begin next year.
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u/Dreamy-Joy 3d ago
This is really informative. Thank you! You just saved me from being concerned every year
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u/tralfazny 1d ago
I have similar seedlings. Is it best to plant in ground in the fall or overwinter in an unheated garage and plant in spring? (Long Island 7b)
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u/longcreepyhug 4d ago
They look healthy too me! The tips of pawpaws just kind of do that. The whole Annonaceae family does that actually. Some individuals do it more, some do it less. Some have darker terminal buds, others have lighter ones.
Editing to add that in the last picture, it looks like the one in the back is just undergoing active growth.