Paw Paw tree

General Fruit Growing
1

I received a free Paw Paw tree with a order of trees I just bought. I have never seen or tasted a Paw Paw much less tried to grow one. Where would be the best location to plant it? I remember reading they need some shade when they are little. I am not sure if they need moist soil or if they need to be in a well drained area. I have 56 acres so I have plenty of places I can put it.

1 Like
2

For it’s first 2ish years, a paw-paw needs shade, or it’ll burn. How big is the tree? If it’s young you should be able to rig some sort of shade cloth to give it shade for a year or two

3

You will need 2 trees for pollination. Trees that are grafted don’t have much issue with full sun, seedlings will need shade.

4

They like water and are frequently found in protected spots in rich damp ground a long a creek. Filtered sunlight

5

I find them here in swales and bottomland. For all of my planting them, they need regular and ample water more than they need shade.

As c5tiger notes it takes two to make fruit. The bloom draws flies as pollinators. (fans face).

1 Like
6

It should do good where I planted it then. It has shade from a old lean to for cattle and gets water runoff from the barn. Whenever it rains it washes through close to where it was planted. I have a couple peach trees in the same area and they are twice the size of my other ones from the runoff.

7

Be aware that paw paw trees are very slow growers- at least for me. So don’t despair or worry that you are doing something wrong it grows at 1/2 the rate of other trees you plant at the same time.

Do you mind telling us which nursery just threw in a free tree? I’m curious and also think they deserve a plug if they just threw it in on your order. Not so much if they substituted it for something else, though. Good luck.

1 Like
8

I order my trees from a local nursery about 50 miles from me. They are Legg Creek Farms. All the trees I have ordered from them have all been really nice and usually larger than what I paid for. This is not the first time they have thrown in a free tree The free ones are small but for free you can’t complain.

2 Likes