It’s August break, and the rain has taken a pause from falling. Taking care of farm crops in a moment like this can be quite challenging because some crops require adequate water to thrive and yield needed results, while others need little or no wetting at all.
Pawpaw has a hollow trunk that harnesses water, which aids its growth, especially in drought. It is one of those crops that needs wetting only once a week and at most twice a week. I am talking from my personal experience and according to the needs of the pawpaw trees on my farm.
Several other factors, like level of growth, soil texture, and a few others, can make other Pawpaw plants or trees require more attention.
Pawpaw is one of my best fruits. I love taking it chilled and sometimes with cold water. I can’t count the number of times I have eaten pawpaw this year. And as I prepare for another harvest, I hope to have another refreshing time alongside my neighbors.
I don’t do much to take care of the Paw Paw trees on my farm. There are two trees. One is well developed and has yielded good fruits in the past, while the second is still yet to reach the fruition stage, or at least the fruit is not big enough to be edible.
As said earlier, I only wet them once a week, and maximum twice. Although at the initial stage, I wet a lot more than that, just like one does for every other crop at its initial stage.
Pawpaw is so blessed with several benefits. For those in the agricultural sector, pawpaw seeds can be added as a supplement to poultry feed, and this can aid productivity and save costs in feed production.
The skin, which is often peeled off before consumption, can be used in feeding goats or dried, grounded, and used in skin care.
In some parts of Nigeria, paw paw leaves are used as herbs to prevent malaria. While the same leaves are also very useful in the growth of poultry animals like broilers, among others. Imagine how much could be done if experts developed the knowledge.
If you have been following my former posts in this community, you would notice I have been touching on several gifts embedded in nature.
This is no coincidence, as I believe we humans need to focus more on making the best of all that is available in our environment, especially in a place like Nigeria where things are currently on the high side.It is important to discover several effective alternatives to keep body, mind, and soul together.
ALL IMAGES SHOT BY ME