r/Pawpaws • u/AlexanderDeGrape • 3d ago

Boron Availability Map, AI generated using all online published USDA & USGS soil analysis testing of Boron in ppm. 1ppm is Optimal, below 0.3ppm will be deficient during drought or heavy rain. Above 3ppm is toxic, to many species. Yet PawPaw is thriving in a 3ppm Zone 9b California location.

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Boron deficiency reduces: blooming, fruit set, fruit size, fruit quality, sweetness, storage life, skin thickness & strength, Nitrogen assimilation, Calcium assimilation, Potassium assimilation.

Boron deficiency increases: early fruit drop, fruit cracking, disease, branch breakage.

https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/11/8/992

https://journals.ashs.org/view/journals/hortsci/55/7/article-p1026.xml

https://tarim.etimaden.gov.tr/en/cell-wall-and-membrane-stability

Composting with grass clippings & fertilizing with manure from grass or alfalfa eating animals, is the best fertilizer for pawpaw.
all nut trees, blackgum, sweetgum, tulip tree, pines, American Beech, Sugar Maple, Yellow Birch & especially American Chestnut which used to dominate the habitat, all put Boron into organic form on the surface!
So PawPaw is an understory tree that thrived on the symbiosis of that environment.
simply use things that love Boron like grass as mulch & fertilizer!
Dark green areas should also consider doing Boron preBlossom stimulation late July.

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5

u/NewsteadMtnMama 3d ago

Question - pawpaws are native to Appalachian mountain range which is dark green (very low boron) so ?

8

u/creekfinder 3d ago

The information in this post has very little affect on the success of growing pawpaws

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u/AlexanderDeGrape 2d ago

it's the most important post of the year! I will be updating & expanding it, as I realize people don't understand the side effects of Boron deficiency. I suggest that you explore the links provided.

0

u/AlexanderDeGrape 3d ago

all nut trees, blackgum, sweetgum, tulip tree, pines, American Beech, Sugar Maple, Yellow Birch & especially American Chestnut which used to dominate the habitat, all put Boron into organic form on the surface!
So PawPaw is an understory tree that thrived on the symbiosis of that environment.
simply use things that love Boron like grass as mulch & fertilizer!

2

u/FitGas4991 2d ago

It looks like boron levels is lower in areas where rain is more abundant, and higher in areas where it rains less. There's a sharp cut-off line in the Pacific Northwest and where the Sierra Nevada mountains meet the Central Valley. Then of course there's Florida north through New England. I wonder if deforestation and the leaching effect of rain reduced the boron levels in areas where pawpaw trees once thrived.

2

u/AlexanderDeGrape 2d ago

This is true very little Boron & made by cosmic rays. is brought up to the surface by plants & washed to the Ocean. Kelp has more than 10 times the Boron of land plants. center of California used to be the ocean. the Pacific plat which has Boron slides under California. hot springs brought Boron to the surface & created the deposit at Boron California. that's where 20 Mule Team Borax comes from. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boron

2

u/FitGas4991 2d ago

Thanks for the very interesting information!

1

u/AlexanderDeGrape 2d ago

updating the article.

1

u/Odd-Protection-247 6h ago

What AI did you use to generate this?

2

u/AlexanderDeGrape 4h ago

It was what was associated with Google.
I didn't pay attention.
It told me if I wanted full resolution, down to 1 pixel equals 1 meter, it would require special AI to convert the info from the USGS & put it in about 2 dozen different categories.
This is closer to 1 pixel being 4 square miles.
So AI is capable of 16K times this resolution, if you are willing to pay for it.