How big is too big to purchase a grafted Paw Paw?

General Fruit Growing
1

Hi there!

I plan on starting my conversion from lawn to fruits/shrubs/etc. this fall. I saw a local nursery had paw paws in a 2 gallon container that were 4 feet tall. My concern is that those could be too big/cramped due to the tap root and general concerns over being root bound.

Is that a real concern? Should I skip the purchase? Should I take a shot?

Thanks for any advice/input!

2

4 feet in a 2-gallon is pretty cramped for a paw paw given the tap root situation. That said, grafted ones are genuinely hard to find at local nurseries so if it looks healthy it might be worth taking the chance. I’d get it in the ground as quickly as possible after purchase and disturb the roots as little as you can.

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3

Yeah that was my concern as well, but I’d also like to get it in the ground before winter if possible.

I’m reaching out to the nursery to see if he can provide me any information about the roots. Thanks so much!

Update: He said that the tap root/other roots were significantly trimmed but that it wasn’t a problem. That seemed like a huge red flag and I decided not to go lol. It seems like a fairly new nursery with only 4 reviews so better to not drop $250 on two trees.