Paw Paw Trees

[ljcoolj]

Does anyone here grow Paw Paws or know anything about them? I'm about 25 miles north of Cincinnati and I know they are a native tree so I'm looking to plant 2 of them. Just don't know much about them. I'd like to know how hard/easy they are to grow, etc.

[momo]

I'm across the country and don't have any personal experience, but I've been wanting to grow pawpaws for years and I have done some research.

Pawpaws are easy to grow trees with a pyramidal shape, they can grow up to 30 ft tall and spread as wide. You need to plant two different named varieties for proper pollination and fruit set. They can grow in part shade but will produce more fruit in full sun, although in hot summer climates they need some shade in their first years. Apparently the leaves produce a bad smell when crushed.

Good luck! I hope you grow lots of delicious fruit.

[ManokAnak]

Ah, good old Asimina Triloba! I been looking to grow some for a while now. I had a nice talk with some lady at a farmers market who has an orchard. I love them. Seeming you are in Ohio, there should be a few farms with seedlings.

I heard to make sure to get transplants with plenty of dirt in their root. It is suggested that you get ones that are grown in gallon pots and not use bare-root transplants. They also develop a deep taproot (says right in the book I have)

I like the fact that it is host for tiger swallowtail butterfly. Also, pollinated by flies.

I have about 8 seeds in my fridge atm. Goodluck with your future paw-paw.

[applestar]

I just planted my pair last fall. Seedling and not grafted, but that's basically because the source I used Edible Landscaping was out of stock on their grafted varieties -- potted Davis and Mango - AND the seedlings were on fall sale. Not sure if that was a mistake, but what the hey. If nothing else, I can get grafted ones later, which should bear earlier, AND will have seedling stock to graft onto (I've been practicing -- I should be better at it by then). I've seen the better recommended selections in the Miller Nurseries - bareroot? Sunflower and Wells - and Stark Bros - potted Mango and Pennsylvania Golden.

I've also heard that potted survive better, though one source said he grows bareroot all the time. The plants should get some shade for the first year or two and one nursery sells all their pawpaws with a piece of shadecloth. Raised mound is recommended if you don't have good drainage I.e clay soil. Chicago and Ohio are more central to their native area so you really should have no trouble growing them.

I'll dig up the links to my pawpaw research if you like. No time right now.

[ljcoolj]

Well, I got my 2 paw paw seedlings over the weekend. They look like little sticks! Got them planted so now I'm hoping they actually grow. I think I may get 2 more this fall....thinking about it anyway. I'm excited to watch these babies grow. Also found out there is a Paw Paw festival in southeast Ohio in September, already have it marked on my calender to attend!! I'll keep you posted on my 'babies'.

[bangstrom]

I am just getting started with growing paw paws. Two years ago I planted two 10 inch seedling trees in 4 inch pots from Stark Bro's and they are about 3 feet tall now and doing well. I also planted three "seedling trees" from another nursery. The trees arrived badly dried out with no packing material and almost no roots. They also looked like sticks. Only one of these leafed out but it did not survive the winter. I know now that if your trees look like sticks that were broken off at the base they are probably suckers torn from an adult tree and paw paws are hard to grow from suckers even if they are rooted. The tops may look perfectly healthy but the trees die because suckers usually don't establish new roots and the tree slowly rots from the bottom up. Real seedling trees should have a long tapered tap root and even these can be hard to establish if they are bare root. It depends a lot on how they were harvested and handled. I am also growing paw paws from seed. I had a 90% germination rate this spring and I am eager to see how they turn out.

[hendi_alex]

I'll plant a couple of paw paws sometime this year, purely as a host plant. Am glad to have found this thread. Will likely use potted plants that are not root bound.

[rainbowgardener]

I'm in Cincinnati and I have three paw paws, that I bought as potted plants. I got one maybe five years ago and two more three years ago. They all are doing very well. The older one is more than five feet tall and the other two about three feet. The older one last year put out it's first flower (one!) and this year had two flowers. Didn't set fruit, but since the other ones aren't flowering, it may not have gotten pollinated. Paw paw trees are dioecious, I.e. separate male and female plants. The nearest other trees that I know of are about 5 blocks from me.

Anyway they are understory trees, like some shade, but they are adapted to our clay soil and once established are easy to grow, low maintenance. I don't do anything to mine except water a little when we are in drought (not this year!).

[Gary350]

Paw Paw trees grow wild in your part of the world. Go to your nearest State Park and take a walk through the woods. The Paw Paw tree is not a large tree. I use to live in Illinois only a few miles from Bells Woods State Park Paw Paw trees were everywhere, I could pic 100 Paw Paws in about 10 minutes. I seem to recall the fruit is ripe late Sept. Paw Paws were also known at the American Banana where I lived.

[tomc]

This is a very old thread. I live about two miles from where the pawpaw festival is held (in Albany OH).

If you are feeling that itch, to get you some pawpaw. It is forgiving in bottom land settings. It needs water (IMO) more than it needs shade.

Transplant seedlings with a minimum of disturbing the roots. And while fully dormant.

[hendi_alex]

I never planted any paw paw trees. Shame on me!

[applestar]

"Promises to keep...."

Will you this year, now that you've been reminded, Alex? I see a lot more grafted, specific cultivars being offered now.

One of my three little trees had three blossoms on it last year. Hopefully more blossoms this year, and I need to see one of the others to mature enough to bloom, too. Third one is younger, so is excused for the time being -- seed grown from seeds from Ozark-Lady.

[Theclowndog]

Just bought a bunch of paw paw seeds to start for the spring. They are native to Massachusetts too but I've never seen one in the wild here. So I'm going to start a small grove.