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Pawpaw seed planting11/18/2023 ![]() ![]() They can take more than 2 months to sprout even after they have been stratified. The seeds are slow to germinate and will show a pinkish shoot which looks similar to a bean sprouting. ![]() You need to keep your containers of seedlings moist to ensure that they will continue to grow. I made this blend specifically for my pawpaws to try and mimic the forest floor which is where the seeds would naturally sprout. Since pawpaws grow in fertile soils you want to be sure that your potting mix to start them in is rich and able to retain water. Pawpaws are hardy zones 5 to 9 and will spread by producing suckers to form a thicket Potting Soil I started mine in 1 gallon containers to pot on into larger containers this fall. Some gardeners recommend 5 gallon buckets or those plastic buckets which had kitty litter in them to grow the seeds in. Pawpaws send out long, deep taproots first and need deep pots to start in. You can plant your seeds in fall and keep the container moist throughout winter too. They also require cold stratifying by placing in a damp paper towel in a resealable bag and keeping in the refrigerator for 3 months to mimic the winter. Pawpaw seeds must be kept moist to keep them viable. You can grow pawpaws from all 3 early, mid and late to extend your harvest times of the fruit so you can enjoy it for longer. Like apples have different pollination partners, pawpaws are the same. This means that they flower at different times and will need a second plant to pollinate with which will flower around the same time. There are early, mid-season and late varieties of pawpaw. They are a great fruit to add to your food forest because they tolerate semi shade conditions and produce palm sized fruits which can be very prolific once they are established. They thrive in rich, damp, fertile soils with lots of humus and benefit from mulching to mimic their natural habitat. Pawpaws are deciduous and will shed their leaves in fall. These pawpaw trees were right next to the Susquehanna River and they were thriving on the deep, fertile and moist soil nestled right by the walkway near the playground among many other trees and plants all growing together. I was recently visiting Harrisburg on a business trip and before I flew back, I headed over to check out the Susquehanna River and some local sights like the Rockville Bridge and the Fort Hunter Mansion. Whilst checking out the sights and taking photos, I noticed a cluster of wild pawpaw trees baring young fruit! The fruit is unusual in shape and forms in a cluster palm sized yellow-green to brown or spotted fruits which have a yellow-orange flesh and large dark brown seeds. There are early, mid-season and late varieties of pawpaw and the fruit is gaining popularity with people and is already popular to birds and critters in the areas where the plant naturally grows. They are also the host plant for the zebra swallowtail butterfly and their young. The plant grows well in semi shade and is gaining a lot of popularity in permaculture food forest designs as well as gardeners who are looking to grow hardy natives. They are a small tree or large shrub and are found in small thickets and forests all over. The pawpaw is known botanically as Asimina triloba and grows naturally east of the Rockies. Thank you for supporting Misfit Gardening. See Disclosure, Terms and Conditions for more information. Your support in purchasing through these links enables me to keep blogging to help you start homesteading and it doesn’t cost you a penny extra! In order to do this, please note that when you click links and purchase items in most (but not all) cases I will receive a referral commission. This post contains affiliate links: I am grateful to be of service and bring you content free of charge. In this post, I’ll share with you how to grow pawpaw trees from seed to add to your backyard garden or food forest. The fruit does not travel well making it something you might be able to get at a farmer’s market, forage for if you happen to live east of the Rockies or you can grow them from seed. The trees are often found together in woodlands as an understorey shrub and bear fruit which has been likened to custard, vanilla, banana and floral in flavor. The pawpaw is a native fruiting tree which can be found in woodland thickets across the eastern US states. ![]()
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