Paw paws

Picked up some paw paws still pretty green . with the temperature to be in the upper 80 s it won't be long be for They are ripe.

Are they native to your area? I do not think we have them here .Or else I have just never found any .They are supposed to me a favorite of deer .And also raccoon and foxes like them

Yes everything eats them here .I would think you have them also. When there ripe trapping season is close lol

Mine are starting to drop now.

Picked some soft ripe ones last night - first of the year for us. We shake the tree gently and if they fall, they generally are soft enough. Looks to be quite a few this year in our woods.

they remind me of a persimmony banana

Just picked a few for the wife's pet fox last night. Some of the heaviest crops I have seen. He liked them but he still wanted his daily Twizzler. Mike

I have a giant pawpaw tree in my tiny backyard. The fruit has been gone for a month now.
I used to have a pet raccoon who couldn't get enough of them. Otherwise he was a bit of a picky eater. Spoiled rotten, he was.

I planted some seeds I got from a member here, I was ready to dump the pots as nothing green was coming up. The chestnuts I planted at the same time were already a few inches tall. When I dumped the first pot I found that the seeds had tap roots that had nearly reached the bottom of the bucket. It took a while, but I got abut twenty-30 that are about 8" tall of so. I'll be putting the out soon.

Can you get fruit if you have just one tree, or do you have to have 2 trees to get fruit? I'd be interested in having a tree. They grow native here so I know it'd grow okay, I have a need for only 1 tree of some sort in my yard, not 2. How big do the trees get?

Gotta have two. I have two baby ones in my yard here in South Bama. Pretty sure I'm at least 5 years from getting fruit.

You will have a lot more fruit if you have 2 trees which originated from 2 seeds. Most pawpaw groves are actually just a bunch of suckers originating from one tree.
There aren't male and female trees, but the male and female flower parts on a tree do not mature at the same time, so they have a big problem self-pollinating.

If you plant from seeds do not expect much emergence until the next August. After that they will grow pretty fast. Mike

Next year I am planning to plant paw paw in central NYS. Anyone from around there had success with them?

I am planning to get my seeds from: https://www.rareseeds.com/pawpaw-premium-giant-mix/

And follow these instructions...

"Grow a champion pawpaw! Once a staple in Native American and early settlers diets, the pawpaw is now considered a rare delicacy. This tropical-flavored treat is the largest fruit native to North America. Most available pawpaw seed is obtained from wild, small, random seedling sources of greatly mixed and questionable genetic quality. Not our seeds! Offered is a mix of domesticated pawpaw genetic lines for optimal cross-pollination that results in large size (average 8-16+ ounces), excellent flavor, and premium quality. Peaceful Heritage Nursery is a rare fruit tree nursery and mini-farm located in Stanford, KY. Seeds are shipped in special controlled conditions for easier germination. Includes detailed growing tips.



PLEASE READ THESE DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY AND FOLLOW CLOSELY OR FAILURE MAY RESULT. Pawpaws are easy to grow but take special care the first few years, and when starting the seed. Pawpaw seeds must never dry out, freeze or dehydrate. This kills the seed. Remove your fresh seeds from their bag and plant immediately, or leave in the bag with moist material, in the fridge until ready. Plant seeds immediately under 1 inch of potting soil in containers and keep consistently moist (but not soaking wet), keep warm (around 70-82 F) and dark, out of direct light. Potting mix should be very light and fluffy with perlite or similar material. Seeds first grow roots, then the tops show. Roots emerge in about 1-3 weeks from planting, expect tops to show in about 6-10 weeks from planting. BE PATIENT! Do not attempt to dig them up and check them! This can kill them. The tops will show eventually, but it can take a few months. Remember to keep constantly moist and out of freezing temperatures. If the seeds or potting mix dries out, it will kill the plant. Seeds can also be direct-sown after all danger of frost, in May-June outside in prepared seed beds or holes. Plant shallowly about 2 inches deep and keep moist. Seedling pawpaws must be shaded until about 3 years old or will get sunburned and die. 3-foot tall chicken wire tubes covered in cloth or cheesecloth work well. Make sure the cloth is securely fastened. Annually fertilize from April-July with a balanced organic fertilizer high in potash and nitrogen and keep roots mulched, moist but not wet. Pawpaws should start fruiting from seed in about 4-6 years depending on care given and rate of growth. More than 1 seedling is need to get fruit set. Plant pawpaws closely together (8-12 FT apart.) This is necessary for cross-pollination. Make sure your trees do not get direct sunlight until they are about 3 feet tall. This can be done with commercial tree tubes or any improvised way of keeping the trees in shade. Three-foot tall chicken wire baskets covered with several layers of cheescloth or greenhouse shade cloth attached with clothespins works very well. Full sun kills young saplings, as does hot, dry weather with no irrigation or drought."

Gave a few pawpaws to my chickens and they didn't care for them.
I thought they would eat them right up they do everything else.

I'm getting fruit from a lone tree, (36 this yr) about 10 yrs old now, dug up a root sprout from an established tree in the Ozarks. I have started others from seed and they are growing fine.

it might have been me......I remember mailing off a good batch of seeds to someone on here

I know of three good sized patches in woods here, checked for the last 3 years and there hasn't been any fruit on them in that time. I like them, but I want them good and ripe.

Garry-