Thread: PawPaw Seeds
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Old February 1, 2018   #11
sliphorn
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Chicago
Posts: 91
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Hi,

I've been growing pawpaws for decades and have several cultivars on my property. I love 'em. The fruit is luscious and very tropical tasting; banana/mango like. The problem with seedlings is you do not know what the quality of the fruit will be.

Keep those seeds moist and in the fridge and come springtime plant 'em in a deep container like a 2 liter pop bottle. In nature they are an understory tree. They typically will emerge late June to July and have a long tap root. To transplant, slice off the bottom of the pop bottle and push 'em into a hole. They will produce the most fruit if they get sun, so simply put a tomato cage around them and wrap it with burlap to protect them from the sun. After a year or two they are good to go.

Please know that are dirty trees with brittle wood that makes a mess, and they throw off tons of runners. In nature they create their own patch that way. I have never had any trouble with pollination and hanging dead critters or raw meat in the trees is not necessary. I get bushels and bushels of them every year. The fruit ripens on the tree and then falls to the ground, so you need to beat the critters to 'em if you want your fill. They can not be picked green.

They are very delicate and go bad quickly, though refrigeration will give you a few days of fresh fruit. The pulp can also be frozen and/or made into sorbet......Outstanding. When cooked they lose their flavor because of their volatile compounds. Man, I love pawpaws. It's my favorite time of year when my pawpaws begin to ripen in late September. I'd suggest you purchase two different grafted, named cultivars for success. Stark Bros has a decent selection.

Good luck.
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