Author Topic: What to do with pawpaws?  (Read 1079 times)

TomekK

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What to do with pawpaws?
« on: October 30, 2020, 10:03:44 PM »
After thinking my pawpaw seeds I got last year wouldn’t sprout, I threw them all in a little area in my vegetable garden. At the end of the season, while ripping out the weeds/cucumber vines in that area, I saw that they did indeed sprout. I unfortunately ripped off a lot of the leaves, not knowing that they were there, but I transplanted them and many seemed to have survived and are growing new leaves.

So here’s my dilemma: I don’t know whether to keep them outside or indoors for the winter. They seem so frail and are only barely growing a couple tiny leaves, I don’t know if they would survive going dormant. But, indoors I don’t have room for them to be in an area with good light. Hopefully the pictures will help. Please advise, thanks.






850FL

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Re: What to do with pawpaws?
« Reply #1 on: October 30, 2020, 10:47:35 PM »
What do you think happens in the wild when pawpaws fall from the tree and sprout but only grow a few inches before their first winter..?
Is a zone-5 fruit really going to burn back in your zone 7?
Granted yes they’ll lose their leaves and go dormant outside, so staying inside a house above 60F will definitely extend their growing season

ScottR

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Re: What to do with pawpaws?
« Reply #2 on: October 31, 2020, 12:11:05 PM »
You could but out side if you slowly harden them off to out side temps. Also paw paws have tap roots and don't like there roots messed with so sooner you can get in ground the better you could cover with leaves for winter in ground. But have to harden off first. But I don't know what your temps are at where you live. Good luck

Triphal

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Re: What to do with pawpaws?
« Reply #3 on: October 31, 2020, 04:32:01 PM »
1.Paw Paw should be discussed in Temperate fruits section. 2.Temperature is in the 30s in Faifax county VA. since 2 nights. 3. PawPaw seeds need stratification in cool temperature for about 2 to 3 months before germination. So the seeds you threw last year got stratified during the winter and in mid spring this year sprouted into seedlings. 4.Since you really want these plants to be saved for next year this is what I recommend from my personal experience of many decades in PawPaws.
 You can keep the plants in your unheated garage in those pots, make sure you mulch it with deciduous leaves. Since this year's growth in completed by now you do not have to tranfer the seedlings in a different deep pots now. Transplant it in the ground in mid spring making sure that the hole is deep enough so that the roots including the main tap root is not let crowded. Use the same soil and NO FERTILIZERS. Make sure that it is SHADED FROM DIRECT SUN LIGHT FOR THE NEXT 4 (FOUR) YEARS OR SO. Also make sure that it is properly watered as needed.
Since there are many creeks in and around Reston (personal experience) the water table will be high and so good for the PawPaw trees and tap roots will easily reach there. Good luck.

TomekK

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Re: What to do with pawpaws?
« Reply #4 on: October 31, 2020, 05:16:50 PM »
Thanks for the replies. Yes, I realize this should be in temperate fruit section, sorry about that. If someone can move it that would be great.

I also do know that the seeds need cloud stratification, I was just surprised because they didn’t sprout in mid spring, but mid to late summer. I also had to transplant them.

My question is will they keep on growing through the winter like other annonas and stop only when it gets too cold, or do they go dormant without temperature changes. I would like them to grow a bit more through the winter before I plant them out, as they took a real beating in the process of me discovering them under the weeds.

If they don’t grow during the winter, I will either put them in the garage and mulch them or keep them in the house in a shaded location. If they do grow, I’ll keep them in the shaded area indoors.

Jaboticaba45

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Re: What to do with pawpaws?
« Reply #5 on: October 31, 2020, 09:05:49 PM »
Don't put them outside they will freeze to death. Try to overwinter them in your garage.(maybe force dormancy). This has happened to me with small chestnut seedlings also.
« Last Edit: October 31, 2020, 09:07:24 PM by Jaboticaba45 »

Triphal

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Re: What to do with pawpaws?
« Reply #6 on: October 31, 2020, 09:52:57 PM »
When the night gets longer, the deciduous trees shed their leaves and goes DORMANT. There is no growth at that time. So I understand your point that whether you can grow inside your heated house during cold / winter season? I do not think so. They need chilling during the dormant season. I have no personal experience on this question. You could take them into your non-heated garage and put 4" of mulched dry leaves over the potting soil. Good luck.

Francis_Eric

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Re: What to do with pawpaws?
« Reply #7 on: November 01, 2020, 11:27:36 AM »
I have took a hundred in a shoebox size plastic   container , and set in basement.

let them dry out they came back in spring.

We had that Polar vortex so didn't want them out side ..

Another time with another 100 separated (from that)
I also set out when dangerous freezes past, but had a un expected freeze
Roots still lived being frozen

I know because on a walk I checked mulch around trees , and it was froze solid.

This was only a day.


In the nursery business if yuo cannot plant tree's right away you heel over
dig a big mound and plant in it so it drains ...


I do have to say this do not keep them too wet
I had a hole already dug deep this year for storing seeds I used instead for placing 100 4 foot tree's plus 2 foot of roots

they did not grow to wet

somehow one was dug up
a month ago I saw it had leaves.
got to go for now.