Large pawpaw - mushy and very little flavor

General Fruit Growing
#1

Last year my pawpaw season went on for 2 months, this year it lasted 5 weeks. The latest ripening is usually 275-17. This season there was another that ripened later. I grafted the tree, it is labeled 10-35, and this is the first year that it fruited.
My other 10-35 finished a few weeks ago. The later one is planted on top of some rocks that the overflow from my spring passes through, so this tree gets a lot of water, and a little more shade than the earlier ripening 10-35.
The fruit were large, mushy flesh, and not much flavor. I took the largest one to the post office and asked them to weigh it. 1 lb. 6.5 oz. The flavor was so poor that I did not eat them.
Does anyone have any thoughts on excessive water influencing the size, flavor, or texture of the fruit?

Benny

#2

I think most people have come around to the idea that excess water can cause exactly what you report. I’ve been preaching the advantages of deficit water for yrs. It’s not appropriate for everything, mainly berries. For large fruited species water can make a huge difference in fruit quality.

2 Likes
#3

Benny,

At 1# 6.5oz it was a huge monster, too bad the taste was bland. Maybe the gene got something to do with the taste. I know pawpaw is a under story tree and like to live near riverbed that had good source of water. My Mango and Shenandoah were huge this year and We had lot of rain plus the water sprinkler and they were tasty. I may ask you for some of that 10-35 scion and try it here in Omaha and see how it tastes.

Tony