Incredible fruit set on Paw Paw

Here in southcentral Pa my Paw Paw's are just starting to flower.
4-20-17%20007_zpsst1yn1he.jpg
 
OK - well I learned something! I had no idea they did that. I don't even look for paw-paw fruit until late summer. I'll have to take a walk sometime and take a look at mine. Not that I really care, but just to see.
 
Outstanding! I just planted a bunch of them this spring. These were all grown from seed and only got partial sun for the first two seasons on my deck. I'm looking forward to seeing how many of them fully leaf out this spring! Your post reminds me to check on them.

Thanks,

Jack
 
Everyone writes about how pollination can be a problem with paw paws, because insects don't seem to be interested in the flowers. That seems to be a fact, because I watched some this year, and even though I saw insects on the nearby apples, I didn't see any near the paw paws. But even the tree in my yard that is 100 yards from another paw paw is loaded this time. So, perhaps the wind and weather conditions were just really good this time. The one above is a grafted paw paw that is believed to be self pollinating.

I have one tree at the farm I'm anxious to check Saturday. I saw it covered with flowers the other day. All of the others nearby are too small to make flowers, and I don't know of another paw paw within a mile. if that one is also loaded with fruit, I'm going to start wondering about things.

I've read where the old timers rubbed bacon grease on their trees to draw insects. Never tried that but it sounds reasonable.
 
Native Hunter said:
Everyone writes about how pollination can be a problem with paw paws, because insects don't seem to be interested in the flowers. That seems to be a fact, because I watched some this year, and even though I saw insects on the nearby apples, I didn't see any near the paw paws. But even the tree in my yard that is 100 yards from another paw paw is loaded this time. So, perhaps the wind and weather conditions were just really good this time. The one above is a grafted paw paw that is believed to be self pollinating.

I have one tree at the farm I'm anxious to check Saturday. I saw it covered with flowers the other day. All of the others nearby are too small to make flowers, and I don't know of another paw paw within a mile. if that one is also loaded with fruit, I'm going to start wondering about things.

I've read where the old timers rubbed bacon grease on their trees to draw insects. Never tried that but it sounds reasonable.
Click to expand...

Pawpaw flower give off a rotting smell. It is my understanding that they are very attractive to flies which are an unusual pollinator but seem to be the main one for Pawpaw I understand.

Thanks,

Jack
 
I think the reason folks think of Pawpaw as lacking pollination is that they are not self-fertile or at least that is what I read. They require a genetically different tree. They propagate asexually through root suckers. So, when you find a grove of wild tree, they are often genetically identical. Any pawpaw grown from seed should be able to pollinate each other.

Thanks,

Jack
 
I'm fortunate that my dad lets me do habitat work on his property we hunt and he's show an interest in paw paws. One of my main goals before next spring is to have some paw paws to plant on his property. I made an effort THIS spring to get some but the local nursery wanted $30 for 24" paw paw seedlings. I wasn't going to pay that when I already knew I could several slightly smaller seedlings for much less money, or so I thought, from Musser. When I returned home from the local nursery and checked Musser they had sold out. So, maybe next year.

Very interesting reading about your paw paws. Thank you.
 
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I collect some every year for folks wanting seed from native trees. IF anyone is still interested come late summer early fall give me a shout. I have a patch that produces pretty regularly.....again these are native/wild variety, not some nursery stock cultivar or the like. I sent some to catchscratch and a few others this past year in fact.

I personally have little interest in them. They typically only feed coons as I have never seen one on the ground. Once they ripen the coons will bust off the tops of the trees (wood is fairly brittle) to get to them, but I try to get them before that point and let them ripen at the house, then pull the seeds out. It's messy, but what the hell.....I have done dumber things in the name of habitat projects!
 
Yes, paw paws are not self fertile and need to be pollinated from a different tree. The one grafted tree I have is a cultivar from Kansas (Sunflower) that many people have grown and some believe to be self fertile. However, KSU has not done testing to prove or disprove that the last time I checked. And, as we all know, it's not uncommon for people to believe something to be true that actually isn't true.

All of the other paw paws I have are seedling trees, but I had heard so much about Sunflower, I just wanted to try one. Both the seedling trees and the grafted tree seem to have a good fruit set this year.
 
Native.....you know if it's on the internet it must be true!

J-bird will win a million dollars, j-bird will win a million dollars......too much????
 
j-bird said:
Native.....you know if it's on the internet it must be true!

J-bird will win a million dollars, j-bird will win a million dollars......too much????
Click to expand...

Yep and they might have heard it on CNN.
 
Outstanding! I hope to see something like that some day...
 
Really pretty fruit. Looks like your seedlings are coming along great.
 
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