Author Topic: TN Pawpaw questions (mostly for Triloba Tracker)  (Read 2234 times)

starch

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TN Pawpaw questions (mostly for Triloba Tracker)
« on: December 02, 2017, 10:24:52 AM »
I have a lot of family that lives in Middle Tennessee (Columbia, Spring Hill and Murfreesboro) and I got them hooked onto growing figs. Now I want to get them hooked onto growing pawpaws :)

Which cultivars grow best in middle TN?

Ideally these cultivars won't need any additional irrigation once established, and will rely solely on the plentiful TN rains (need to get them hooked on minimum effort cultivars first). But needs to withstand the muggy summers. Also, ideally, they would be full sun tolerant (planted out by itself with no other trees around it). Is that even possible with pawpaws? Or will they need a nurse tree in middle TN before they get established.
« Last Edit: December 02, 2017, 10:49:56 AM by starch »
- Mark

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Re: TN Pawpaw questions (mostly for Triloba Tracker)
« Reply #1 on: December 02, 2017, 03:28:03 PM »
Howdy! I live in one of those towns but I won’t say publicly which :)

I actually don’t know which cultivars are “best” in TN, from experience. My orchard will be planted in the spring of 2018.
However, a nursery here says KSU Atwood and Benson do well, along with Mango. They mentioned Overleese has not done great for them.
Not much info to go on. You could contact Hidden Springs Nursery to try to get a longer list of cultivars they’ve had success with. I don’t think any will outright fail - after all, we’re in the native range.

All pawpaws can tolerate full sun if they are at least one year old and, some experts say, 18 inches tall. Most people advise spring planting because the roots go totally dormant in winter and any damage incurred during planting cannot heal and disease can set in.
Trees will need likely lots of water that first year in the ground. If you shade them with shade cloth for a year it would reduce stress and possibly irrigation needs but is not considered by all to be required (some sources say to shade for multiple years). Deep mulching is a must.

I think what you’re doing is great!
I also like figs by the way but only have one tree (Celeste).

I’m happy to help with anything else.

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Re: TN Pawpaw questions (mostly for Triloba Tracker)
« Reply #2 on: December 02, 2017, 03:33:24 PM »
I should’ve pointed out- any purchased pawpaw of a named cultivar would be ready to plant in full sun.
You would just have to mulch as always and water the first year for sure.

(In my comments above I was partially addressing seedling trees)

starch

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Re: TN Pawpaw questions (mostly for Triloba Tracker)
« Reply #3 on: December 02, 2017, 07:36:12 PM »
Thanks for all the great info Triloba!!
I will start my search based on that criteria.

BTW: The fig that I got everybody hooked on is Marseilles Black VS (MBVS). The tree in my parents yard is doing particularly well, tons of figs for them this year and it was just a rooted cutting that I sent them in the early winter of 2016. Here is a review of MBVS that is growing in my yard: http://theyearofthefig.blogspot.com/2017/10/mbvs-fig-review.html
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Re: TN Pawpaw questions (mostly for Triloba Tracker)
« Reply #4 on: December 02, 2017, 09:36:49 PM »
That’s cool! I don’t think I’ve heard of that one. I had a Violette de Bordeaux in a pot until last winter when I killed it. :)
It had very nice tasting fruits - berryish kind of like you mentioned about MBVS.
I’ve never tasted Celeste but have heard great things about it. (Just planted last spring).