Planted paw paw seed today

[tomc]

Paw paw is one'a them tree seeds that aught to never be dried before planting. It too needs scarification and cold treatment before it germinates.

I've been wheedling fer some more seed since August. It-they arived
today and got combed out of its fruit and went into a pot of dirt. till I can get them into the cold frame to await spring.

I'm sure a tupperware box fulla turds may not look like cristmas to some, but to me it does.

[Alan]

If you need any seed come next year friend then let me know, the back side of our woods is covered with Paw Paw trees of all shapes and sizes and they produce really well, I would be glad to collect some fruit and send your way.

Paw Paw is delicious in my opinion, one of the best tasting wild, naturally occuring fruits in our region in my mind. I know a lot of folks don't like them but I can gorge myself on them.

-Alan

[tomc]

I also beleive it will serve every bit as good as an apple tree for mast to call deer within sight of your rear porch rail.

I of course would never bait a feild for deer...

[houseodessey]

I know I could google it, but please expound on the merits of pawpaw for me, gentlemen. I've never heard of it.

[Alan]

I'll leave this one to Tom because I'm not really sure how to explain it. It's sort of like a banana but much sweeter, sort of mushier, and with a very distinct taste. The tree looks almost tropical and the fruit is a greenish-black (when ripe) elongated orb. The inside is usually yellow. Hmmm, Tom? Any thoughts?

[downinmyback]

I have tried PAW PAW and did not like them very much. Paw Paw trees are common around here as every wood lot has a tree it seems like. I know squirrels like them and they like to cut them and i guess them and possums and raccoon spread them around. Around here they ripen around the last of August and that is the start of squirrel season here.
I use to stakeout the Paw Paw trees as they were great attractors for squirrels. I have never heard of anyone picking them to eat as other fruits are available at that time. Like i daid they are pretty common in my neck of the woods.

[tomc]

Listed as a relative of the custard apple family (what ever that is). To me a blend of strawberry and banana. Needs a peel and seeds will choke a camel. Longish leaf that probably precludes it as a bonsai specimen. There are clearly better fruit, and if I'm not happy with the result of wild collected, maybe one day grafting will have to happen.

Not quite as stringent as persimmon when eaten out of season, but there clearly is an "in season" for this little tree.

If I am spared I will plant this tree far and wide if nothing else to give my state forester aigue. He is quite sure that if it isn't a black walnut, sugar maple, red oak, black spruce, or white pine then the feild should be promptly burned over. They won't let me shoot him but they can't convict me of planting trees yet... Somebody once said "you can't fix stupid" Too bad they was right.

[ohiorganic]

Last year I was given a small tub of around 50 paw paw seeds and eagerly took them home. I did siome on-line research and found out that dried out Paw Paw seeds will not germinate (well 10% or so should). this bummed me out but did not deter my husband who put them in pots and watered them and codled them and he waited. And waited. And waited some more before deciding that dried up paw paw seeds are indeed duds.

So he tossed the soil and paw paw seeds back into our recycled potting soil container and forgot about them and ordered some trees from Jung's (we had a credit). The Jung trees came and we planted them.

At several points during the spring and early summer several nigh blooming cerreses got new pots and soil as did a rex begonia. In Late July we started noticing seedlings with big tropical looking leaves coming up in these pots and we realized the paw paws had germinated and all it took was for getting about them for 4 months and leaving them in dampish soil for all that time. Now we have around 35 paw paw seedlings.

I'd say we got about 75% germination from those dried up seeds in the end.

[plantsnobin]

There is paw paw research going on in Kentucky, I think there is a festival somewhere that I have read about. They grow wild here and I have only tasted one. It wasn't bad, wasn't good, but I think that it probably should have been more ripe to eat it. There is a nursery that sells grafted paw paws-www.nolinnursery.com . I am planning to order the 'Overleese' and 'Sue' paw paws. I don't generally like grafted trees, but these are supposed to have really good flavor. Some of their offerings are of trees selected in Indiana, and they even have one found in Salem, Alan.

[silverseeds]

I ve had paw paws twice and was alot different both times, different trees. I guess. I bought some seeds and am going to try to grow them in new mexico. technically they should be hardy enough with some water.

[mnjrutherford]

I'd like to get some seed from you as well Alan!

[grungy]

Any chance of slipping some our way in dampish paper? Sounds like something else this place can use in the mini orchard.

[plantsnobin]

I think I sent some seeds to a few people last year, I dampened a bit of vermiculite in a plastic freezer bag. I don't really remember who I sent them to. Anyone get any germination from those?

[castanea]

Feb 11, 2008 19:42:48 GMT -5 houseodessey said:

I know I could google it, but please expound on the merits of pawpaw for me, gentlemen. I've never heard of it.

It's native to the upper midwest down to the southeast and grows wild in many places. The trees sucker readily and can form huge thickets. The best selected varieties can be quite large and most people like the taste. Some people never get to liking it though. One nickname is the Michigan banana because banana is the single fruit they are closest to in taste and texture. You can eat them when they are still fairly hard until they are mushy. Best is somewhere in the middle of that range. Few pests bother them.

[flowerpower]

I'm going to check on the hardiness for my zone. If its hardy here, maybe I will try to get some seeds on craig's list.