Lopping the top off the pawpaw tree

Monday, November 8, 2010
Lopping the top off the pawpaw tree

What do you do when you can no longer reach to pick the pawpaws on your tree? You lop off the top! I find the thought of this proceedure quite scary, as I dont want to lose this tree, and if you are not careful and allow moisture to get into the top of the stem then the entire trunk will rot. I have a few other pawpaw trees starting up, but often they succumb to a virus and dont make it past a few feet tall. This one is large, healthy and very prolific.

This is predicted to be a very bad cyclone season and so high pawpaw trees will often get knocked down by strong winds. Cutting it down could actually protect the tree, and you can see the tree is ready for this - there are already side branches forming. I need to get it done before the wet season really starts....
Ooh.... first I need to research some recipes for using up green papaws :)
commonly called procrastination!
OK all set.... down she comes! Hubby cut it off with a saw and I stood by with the broom to knock it away so that it didnt fall on his head.
A clean and dry empty tin can will prevent rainwater from entering the exposed cut.

I wonder how long it will be until we get some more pawpaws? well, it is done, and I now have to find uses for 14 pawpaws - well 10 as four already went to neighbours. Some of the pawpaws have a little yellow so I will leave those on the potting table and see if they ripen over time.
I see there are some flowers so I am sure we will soon see some new little pawpaws forming within arms reach.
Here you can see the hollow stem and imagine the disaster it would be if we got some rain inside the stem!

Off to stir my green pawpaw chutney :)