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Thread: Pawpaws

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    Default Pawpaws

    Based upon questions asked in another thread, there seems to be some interest in pawpaws. Since I have a few trees of my own, a thick folder of printed information about them and plenty of links to share, I'll start a thread.

    I don't have as much time as I'd like to devote to this subject, but I'll provide some links and attempt answers to a few questions. Whatever else comes of it depends upon the interest level of others and how much time you are willing to devote to it.

    I'll check in from time to time and add more information as time allows.

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    Registered User Dances with Mice's Avatar
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    3 years ago I
    You never turned around to see the frowns
    On the jugglers and the clowns
    When they all did tricks for you.

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    Registered User Dances with Mice's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dances with Mice View Post
    3 years ago I
    Sorry. New laptop.

    3 years ago I planted 2 trees. This year 1 had a few flowers but no fruit.

    The other leafed out then died, then resprouted from the roots and is now abou knee high. Bummer. Its mate, the one that flowered is now about 15 feet high.

    So that's the situation. How long before I can expect fruits? Any idea why one tree would die then resprout?

    Both are irrigated, the one that died maybe got a few more handfuls of 10-10-10 than the one that's thriving. How much and when should I fertilize?
    You never turned around to see the frowns
    On the jugglers and the clowns
    When they all did tricks for you.

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    Default Recommended links

    Pawpaw (Asimina triloba): A "tropical" fruit for temperate climates

    Pawpaw production


    The links above will get you off to a good start in your quest for knowledge about pawpaws and may answer many of your questions.

    Check back for more links. I'll add additional links here until my editing privileges expire.

    Some links to online documents I printed out years ago are no longer good and I'll need to see if I can find them under other file names. Stay tuned.

  5. #5
    Registered User Dances with Mice's Avatar
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    From the second link:

    J.S. Akin (1), has found that one important
    pollinator is the bluebottle fly, which is
    attracted to the scent of carrion. He says that
    in order to improve pollination, some people
    will hang “road-kill” in the orchard. If the
    flower is properly pollinated, fruit set is good
    Do you do that?
    You never turned around to see the frowns
    On the jugglers and the clowns
    When they all did tricks for you.

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    Default Dieback of transplants?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dances with Mice View Post
    Any idea why one tree would die then resprout?
    I wouldn't hazard a guess, nor would I worry too much about it. One of my trees did the same.

    I cut off the dead leader and trained the new shoot straight. Cut back your old leader to green wood. If you can begin training the new shoot early enough to get it completely straight, the wound will heal and no one will ever know the difference.

    You may find answers to your other questions by reading the linked information.

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    Default Interplant dogwoods for hanging roadkill

    Quote Originally Posted by Dances with Mice View Post
    Do you do that?
    Although I do nothing special to enhance pollination of my pawpaws, you might consider interplanting dogwoods between your pawpaws from which to hang roadkill. Dogwoods as you know have stouter branches and they make excellent hiking staffs.

    Waste not; want not. Your birds will love the maggots.

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    Default Budding best for propagation

    Quote Originally Posted by Two Speed View Post
    Didn't realize you could propagate them. Ever done that, and if so how tough were they to get going?
    My trees were purchased as potted seedlings. I once belonged to a local group of amateur fruit growers, some of whom had experimented with propagating some of the more desirable pawpaw cultivars.

    More success resulted from t-budding or chip-budding than other methods. Whip-and-tongue grafts did not take for the person who tried perhaps because pawpaw twigs of a size normally used in whip-and-tongue grafting have a pith resembling walnut which may contribute to the union drying out.

    I don't know whether tissue culture protocols have been developed for production of desirable pawpaw cultivars. I'd think tissue culture would be beyond the capabilities of most home growers who would be better off ordering potted, budded plants.

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    Registered User Dances with Mice's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shades of Gray View Post
    Your birds will love the maggots.
    I already told my wife: "Our trees might not set fruit."
    You never turned around to see the frowns
    On the jugglers and the clowns
    When they all did tricks for you.

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    Default A few general comments

    DWM, I predict you will be pleasantly surprised when the smaller tree bears flowers and you will be rewarded for your efforts. If not the 1st year, you may need to wait until the next year.

    I had a good crop last year and almost got to the point I began to tire of eating them. This year the crop will be smaller because of less flower production. I don't know if alternate bearing is typically the norm.

    As I wrote earlier, my trees were seedlings, rather than budded, select cultivars. One tree produces orangish fruits with a slight aftertaste suggesting walnut maybe even somewhat astringent as with native persimmons. The other tree produces yellow fruit that's something to rave about with no aftertaste.

    There are all sorts of recipes available and I'll put up some links later today or another day. Probably if harvested and prepared before they soften too much, it might be possible to dry strips after removing the seeds for on-trail consumption or use at a later time.

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    Default Ripe yet?

    Mine aren't, but they're beginning to show indications the blessed event is soon to occur.

    SOBO A.T. hikers may want to begin watching for them along the river bottoms in particular.

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    I have biked the C@O canal along the Delaware
    River in Maryland from Cumberland to DC.
    Encountered several on the trail, I did not know you could eat them .
    Also found a lot of mushrooms in places. Sid not eat those either.

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    Default Pics

    I'll try to remember to post some pics when they're ripe.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Shades of Gray View Post
    The other tree produces yellow fruit that's something to rave about with no aftertaste.
    The 3 pawpaws I ate today were god-awful.

  15. #15

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    Was on the Knobstone Trail (Indiana) at the northern end in Delany Park a couple weeks ago. Almost stepped on a pawpaw right in the trail. Looked up and there was about a 15 ft tree with a few pieces of fruit on it. That is the first pawpaw tree I have seen in many years.

  16. #16
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    I posted a guide to finding PawPaw trees on my youtube page. You can find it at http://www.youtube.com/trout2ber

    PawPaw trees are everywhere here in Northern Virginia
    If you don't have something nice to say,
    Be witty in your cruelty.

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    I picked all of the remaining pawpaws from my trees today. It was only a few years ago when I ate a pawpaw for the first time. I hope others will not be deprived of the experience for so long.

  18. #18

    Default

    I like eating pawpaws but don't find many when I'm out backpacking. To me they resemble fresh sweet persimmons as both have a sweet custard with large seeds.

    Here's a brain-tease: Has anyone ever eaten Azalea leaf gall? It grows as a fungus on the branches of azalea bushes and can get pretty big. It's called Pinkster apples and is a food delicacy to some. I've been eating it whenever I pass by an azalea bush and see it, and it tastes a bit like mild watermelon close to the rind.

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    Default Now Picking Pawpaws in Pennsylvania

    Today I picked the 1st ripe pawpaws of the season from my trees. Be on the lookout for them along the A.T. where it crosses river valleys and add some on-topic replies if you have any.

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    I've never had a pawpaw and wonder what they taste like. Apparently some varieties will grow up here.
    Be aware that in some countries papaya is called pawpaw.

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