Author Topic: Paw Paw Farm sugestions  (Read 5824 times)

Luisport

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Paw Paw Farm sugestions
« on: July 22, 2017, 01:25:25 PM »
Hi everyone. I want to start one paw paw production farm here in my country. I'm totaly obcessed by this fabulously nutritious, healing and versatile fruit! It's possible to do so much things with paw paws that i see it can be very profitable if the project is made correctly. First i'm selecting 10 to 15 diferent paw paw varieties to make a second selection when they get fruit.
For fruit selling i thing the best var will be the ones of medium size less seeds, and good not too strong flavour and no bad aftertaste.
For pulp extraction, varieties presenting big size, fewer seeds and excelent taste. It's possible a blending of several varieties maby.
I have to start to grow many seedlings from seed. Now i don't know the best rotstock varieties. I think i will have my first fruits from my two big sunflower paw paws... i have many ideas... any thoughts?

 ;D

AndrewAZ

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Re: Paw Paw Farm sugestions
« Reply #1 on: July 22, 2017, 11:27:46 PM »
I wish you good luck.  Beautiful tree, beautiful flowers, great fruit. The problem with paw paw is that the fruit don't hold long after being picked.  That is why it is not commercially sold in the USA. 
So, if you are looking for varieties to sell, need to find fruit with longest shelf life.

Luisport

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Re: Paw Paw Farm sugestions
« Reply #2 on: July 23, 2017, 07:00:20 AM »
I wish you good luck.  Beautiful tree, beautiful flowers, great fruit. The problem with paw paw is that the fruit don't hold long after being picked.  That is why it is not commercially sold in the USA. 
So, if you are looking for varieties to sell, need to find fruit with longest shelf life.
Thank you for your reply! Yes it's true, but i don't know what var are more durable. Even so we can always sell part of production locally and transform the pulp of the rest that will not be selled.

Triloba Tracker

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Re: Paw Paw Farm sugestions
« Reply #3 on: July 26, 2017, 12:54:33 PM »
I wish you good luck.  Beautiful tree, beautiful flowers, great fruit. The problem with paw paw is that the fruit don't hold long after being picked.  That is why it is not commercially sold in the USA. 
So, if you are looking for varieties to sell, need to find fruit with longest shelf life.
Thank you for your reply! Yes it's true, but i don't know what var are more durable. Even so we can always sell part of production locally and transform the pulp of the rest that will not be selled.
Yes, shelf life and fragility are 2 of the biggest, if not the biggest, impediments to commercial pawpaw production.

I am not aware of any cultivars that are dramatically better in these categories. research has been done on things to improve shelf life like hot-water treatment, etc, but no silver bullet has been found to my knowledge.

Firmer-fleshed varieties might be helpful. I believe Susquehanna is known for firmer texture, and I can attest to its mango-like texture in terms of eating. Not mushy/watery like many wild fruit. Other varieties purportedly are firmer too but can't recall which.

The new KSU-Benson variety is more spherical in shape which may aid in transporting/packing.

I also do not think there has been an overwhelming favorite for rootstock production. However, my experience, and that of Kentucky State in some research, is that Sunflower has vigorous growth characteristics and thus is capable of grafting sooner. The same KSU study concluded Susquehanna seedlings were poor rootstock choices.
Sunflower seeds have produced the tallest/most vigorous seedlings for me (aside from some wild seeds - in my limited experience).

Luisport

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Re: Paw Paw Farm sugestions
« Reply #4 on: July 26, 2017, 03:12:22 PM »
Thank's a lot! By the way i will receive my Potomac pawpaw soon!  ;D

Triphal

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Re: Paw Paw Farm sugestions
« Reply #5 on: August 01, 2017, 03:55:39 PM »
Grown wild along side of the river and creeks here. The higher water table should be easy for the tap root (main) to reach. Or else like I do, surface irrigate often.
Pollination will be a big problem. I planted two (2) grafted trees almost 3 feet apart and a seedling nine feet away from them. I put eight feet metal posts and covered with old cotton sheets from direct sun light exposure for nearly four years. They are about 20' tall.
Since bees don't pollinate I have hand pollinated + I have kept whole fish put inside metal nets to rot and thereby attract flies and other insects which help pollination. Fruiting has been heavy this year and I had to prune some branches and bunches of fruits.
Fruits are not marketable as the shelf life is a few days. MOREOVER you have to harvest only ripened fruits it is labor consuming and not economical. Fruit ripening will start in September / October. I may be able to save and send some seeds for you AT NO COST TO YOU if Portugal Agriculture Department allows importation of Foreign seeds.

Luisport

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Re: Paw Paw Farm sugestions
« Reply #6 on: August 02, 2017, 10:04:31 AM »
Grown wild along side of the river and creeks here. The higher water table should be easy for the tap root (main) to reach. Or else like I do, surface irrigate often.
Pollination will be a big problem. I planted two (2) grafted trees almost 3 feet apart and a seedling nine feet away from them. I put eight feet metal posts and covered with old cotton sheets from direct sun light exposure for nearly four years. They are about 20' tall.
Since bees don't pollinate I have hand pollinated + I have kept whole fish put inside metal nets to rot and thereby attract flies and other insects which help pollination. Fruiting has been heavy this year and I had to prune some branches and bunches of fruits.
Fruits are not marketable as the shelf life is a few days. MOREOVER you have to harvest only ripened fruits it is labor consuming and not economical. Fruit ripening will start in September / October. I may be able to save and send some seeds for you AT NO COST TO YOU if Portugal Agriculture Department allows importation of Foreign seeds.
Thank you very much my friend. I think it's a bit risky to have seeds to enter in EU. They will be apreended on costumes service. But thank you any way!  ;D

Luisport

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Re: Paw Paw Farm sugestions
« Reply #7 on: August 23, 2017, 11:13:51 AM »
Just got two more trees: Susquehanna and Shenandoah! Collection is growing fast!  ;D

Triloba Tracker

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Re: Paw Paw Farm sugestions
« Reply #8 on: August 23, 2017, 04:09:27 PM »
Just got two more trees: Susquehanna and Shenandoah! Collection is growing fast!  ;D

Susquehanna tastes awesome. Have not tried Shenandoah yet.

Luisport

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Re: Paw Paw Farm sugestions
« Reply #9 on: August 24, 2017, 04:11:52 AM »
Just got two more trees: Susquehanna and Shenandoah! Collection is growing fast!  ;D

Susquehanna tastes awesome. Have not tried Shenandoah yet.
Hi! And i have Potomac too. My collection of pawpaw trees are growing untill i got 15 varieties. I will get KSU Atwood too.  :P

Citradia

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Re: Paw Paw Farm sugestions
« Reply #10 on: September 04, 2017, 09:16:03 PM »
I have several trees, some from wild, but my favorite is Rebecca's Gold, which is large yellow fruit and matures earlier than my other trees' Fruits. I used to hand pollinate but didn't the past two seasons and still get more pawpaws than I can deal with for fresh eating or making preserves before having to give them away before they go bad. Out of all my fruit trees, paw paw is the easiest to care for; bug, disease, pest free fruit trees.

Bush2Beach

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Re: Paw Paw Farm sugestions
« Reply #11 on: September 05, 2017, 11:22:22 AM »
May I ask your approximate location and general planting conditions that make for good fruiting ,generally care free conditions ? I have a place to plant in Wayne county NC near a waterway and I'm wondering how good id do there. Thanks!


I have several trees, some from wild, but my favorite is Rebecca's Gold, which is large yellow fruit and matures earlier than my other trees' Fruits. I used to hand pollinate but didn't the past two seasons and still get more pawpaws than I can deal with for fresh eating or making preserves before having to give them away before they go bad. Out of all my fruit trees, paw paw is the easiest to care for; bug, disease, pest free fruit trees.

Triloba Tracker

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Re: Paw Paw Farm sugestions
« Reply #12 on: September 05, 2017, 06:08:29 PM »
I have several trees, some from wild, but my favorite is Rebecca's Gold, which is large yellow fruit and matures earlier than my other trees' Fruits. I used to hand pollinate but didn't the past two seasons and still get more pawpaws than I can deal with for fresh eating or making preserves before having to give them away before they go bad. Out of all my fruit trees, paw paw is the easiest to care for; bug, disease, pest free fruit trees.

Which other named varieties do you have (or have you tasted many times) that you are comparing to Rebecca's Gold?
Just curious which other cultivars it's "beating out" on your rating scale of best taste.

Also - how is the texture of your Rebecca's Gold? I can't be certain because I don't have it with me, but I thought I read that Rebecca's Gold got very soft and quickly at that. I prefer mango-firm texture in pawpaws if possible.

Thanks!

Triloba Tracker

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Re: Paw Paw Farm sugestions
« Reply #13 on: September 07, 2017, 09:10:36 AM »
I'm going to be adding a few named varieties to my mini-orchard.
I have ordered Lehman's Chiffon (offered only by Hidden Springs Nursery, I believe), KSU-Atwood, and KSU-Benson.
I'll probably also get Maria's Joy, and either Tropical Treat or Overleese or Shenandoah or.....I dunno :)

Luisport

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Re: Paw Paw Farm sugestions
« Reply #14 on: September 12, 2017, 05:52:31 AM »
I'm going to be adding a few named varieties to my mini-orchard.
I have ordered Lehman's Chiffon (offered only by Hidden Springs Nursery, I believe), KSU-Atwood, and KSU-Benson.
I'll probably also get Maria's Joy, and either Tropical Treat or Overleese or Shenandoah or.....I dunno :)
KSU-Atwood is my next one...  ;D

Citradia

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Re: Paw Paw Farm sugestions
« Reply #15 on: September 18, 2017, 10:15:57 AM »
I live on top of a mountain and my trees are on well drained black sandy soil on gentle slope growing under tall black walnut tree but get a good bit of full sun every day. I put rock berms around each tree and mulching when planted about 6 years ago. I had ordered 4 trees from Raintree Nursery with one I know is My Rebecca's Gold and I think one was "Prolific ", and the other two were just seedlings. I have planted a few more that I grew from wild local seed. They all seem to produce well, wether I hand pollinate or not. Each year I'll have one or two trees that seem to alternate bear which I think is due to varied flower maturation timing with male/female phases. Rebecca's Gold is softer  and yellower than my other greener and firmer fruited varieties, but I like its flavor and pudding-like texture more. Either way, I have to go check all fruits on all trees daily or I'll find some nice big fruits half mashed on ground from falling off trees. I'm currently making jam out of all paw paws I gather since I can't eat them fast enough before they go bad. The Prolific paw paw doesn't seem to be much different from other seedlings. All the trees look the same. Now that my trees are well established, I don't have to irrigate much unless we have bad drought.

Triloba Tracker

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Re: Paw Paw Farm sugestions
« Reply #16 on: September 19, 2017, 05:15:55 PM »
I live on top of a mountain and my trees are on well drained black sandy soil on gentle slope growing under tall black walnut tree but get a good bit of full sun every day. I put rock berms around each tree and mulching when planted about 6 years ago. I had ordered 4 trees from Raintree Nursery with one I know is My Rebecca's Gold and I think one was "Prolific ", and the other two were just seedlings. I have planted a few more that I grew from wild local seed. They all seem to produce well, wether I hand pollinate or not. Each year I'll have one or two trees that seem to alternate bear which I think is due to varied flower maturation timing with male/female phases. Rebecca's Gold is softer  and yellower than my other greener and firmer fruited varieties, but I like its flavor and pudding-like texture more. Either way, I have to go check all fruits on all trees daily or I'll find some nice big fruits half mashed on ground from falling off trees. I'm currently making jam out of all paw paws I gather since I can't eat them fast enough before they go bad. The Prolific paw paw doesn't seem to be much different from other seedlings. All the trees look the same. Now that my trees are well established, I don't have to irrigate much unless we have bad drought.

Sounds good!
Quick question - did you plant your trees in the fall or spring of the year?

Citradia

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Re: Paw Paw Farm sugestions
« Reply #17 on: September 19, 2017, 07:53:57 PM »
Triloba Tracker, I don't know for sure if I planted my mail order trees in spring or fall, but I think it was Spring since the trees were small and not leafed out. The ones I grew from seed in pots myself, I may have planted in fall. I don't think it matters much. As long as you don't traumatize the roots much when you plant it, and water and mulch, the paw paw for me has been pretty easy to grow. In spring I like to put some compost around base of my trees and they seem to like that.