Pawpaws are notoriously hard to transplant. My friend Don, who was in two Pawpaws groups, did move some small Pawpaws successfully by keeping all the dirt around the roots of a few and putting the whole plug in a new hole.
Keith
I worked with a guy who did tree work on the side. He was good and knowledgeable about trees.
One thing he said stuck in my head.
He said " Don't buy a $50 tree and put it in a $5 hole , buy a $5 tree and put it in a $50 hole. "
I bet it is very true to be successful with transplanting.
That's true !
Most people think a shovel stuck in the ground , pulled back and the tree shoved in is good .
I plant all my trees, nut or fruit , with a 3-5 times larger hole than needed .
Fertilizer placed on the outside of the hole , and bottom of the hole .
Then fill around the roots with good soil .
The idea is to give the roots loose soil to grow in easier and food for the roots to grow to .
Not all trees/ bushes respond to this idea .
Certain things like blueberries don't respond to fertilizer , they like a more acid soil .
I have paw paws in pots that I started , 4 years ago , they didn't grow deep roots .
Gave some to a friend , that planted them , and I told him to make the hole a lot bigger than needed .
Just to give the roots room to spread out .
He told me they're doing great .
I couldn't believe the trees are still alive after 3 winters in pots .