Things are going to be different this year in the paw paw patch.

all photos taken this April, 2018

Last spring I posted photos of these same trees in blossom, and was preparing to photograph the progress through the year, anticipating a bountiful harvest. There were no more photos last year because something ate the paw paws before they could grow.

Ants were the only thing on the tree after the blossoms were gone, and so this year I've decided to create a little paw paw desert here.

I reasoned that if the ants had no business around the paw paw tree, then those ants would have to find food and lay their eggs in some other area, where there would be some diversity all through the growing season.

By creating a monoculture of just paw paws, I could eliminate the food supply that might sustain the ants while they wait for paw paws, forcing them to wait elsewhere.

I uprooted everything that wasn't a paw paw tree, and laid down a bed of chipped wood mulch.

mulch beds for the paw paw trees

I'm testing to see if the lack of diversity below the trees will reduce the traffic of insects and other potential pests, just to finally harvest some fruit from these trees.

Now, if ants want to explore the area looking for fresh food, they will have to explain to their queen that the tiny paw paws that they scored last year would require a long, dangerous journey across a desert of dried wood chips, and that many ants would starve along the way.

If the ants are smart, they will stay out of my paw paw desert, so that my other plan can come to fruition.

Other plan?

My devious plan is to grow enough paw paws on these few trees so that everyone in the community here will get to try one, and then perhaps next year I'll have a lot of help clearing the vines and hedges that are constantly trying to overtake the paw paw patch.

I need help back there, and my plan is that the paw paw fruit will entice more neighbors to join in on building the edible forest that I keep dreaming about.

I will be posting updates of the progress of the paw paws this year, and we will see if my mulch desert works to keep the ants away. If not, at least the weeding will be reduced, and the rain's moisture will be retained in the ground out to the drip-line of the branches by the layer of mulch.

Then there is the additional benefit from the mulch as the decomposing wood will feed the paw paw trees for a few years.


Thanks for looking in on the edible forest, more to come, with paw paws!

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Photos taken 2018 with Canon Rebel EOS, the photos above are from two different days, one day was cloudy, the next was sunny. Thanks for visiting, and I appreciate the upvotes and support. As always, for more variety and stories, click below.

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