My six-year old pawpaw trees are sending up suckers. I’ve read that these are hard to transplant; has anybody here had luck with them? Do I need to mow them down to make sure they don’t take away from the main tree?
One of these is grafted, so I’d like to plant the sucker for the unique genes; the other is a seedling, so the sucker is only useful if I can move and graft onto it.
I have had poor results transplanting suckers.
Maybe 1 out of 20 made it.
Best done in spring.
Probably best to just cut them off, and keep them cut off, if at the base of a grafted orchard tree.
Plant seeds for rootstock,
They grow wild here and I have never managed to transplant one. You can find seedlings on ebay and nurseries for like $10 or less.
I moved a bunch of suckers this spring and they all did fine. They all had a sideways root leading back to the mother plant. So saved as much of that as I could, dug a narrow trench for that root in the new location, and then covered the whole thing with four inches of wood chips. I also moved them to a fairly shady spot, which may have helped.
You can make some Weeping willow water is a rooting Hormone
Gather The branches soak in a 5 gallon bucket for 3 days,
and water with that it may help.
(I have used the leaves but mold formed
(next time will weigh down in a paint straining bag with a rock or tee shirt )
Willow Water may be due to the aspirin in it
(salic acid converts to aspirin in your body found in willow bark)
it is also found in other trees (I have a list , but just getting busy as of now,(
Here it is those Mites in Chest nut trees leaves (the galls in leaves)
are also A root hormone
(auxins or something of the Kind kind of busy)
I forgot to add for if you have a (Salix) willow tree around (making willow water doesn’t hurt)
for making a Rooting hormone just fill a bucket add willow sticks ,and let soak for 3 days.
I tried the leaves , and mold grew, on top leaves
next time will tie down with a rock in (chesse) cloth/ sock or something for leaves.
(edit) Popular tree’s (Salicaceae) will work
(so will alder/birch (Betulaceae I believe (but not a Salicaceae, but contain Salicin)
https://pfaf.org/user/otheruses.aspx
I Did search the site for salicin too only (don’t waste your time all willows , and poplars)
one other was black haw /nanny berries (which taste like hackberry) a Viburnum species has it listed there.)
willow Bark is also used for aspirin at a time may try plain aspirin one day for seeds/cuttings.
which contains (aspirin) salicin converts into aspirin in the body.
I meant gather the weeping willow branches to make willow water
not sure if soaking the saplings in willow water will help.
Over watering may be a problem see below
I have noticed my pawpaw trees kept to watered didn’t leaf out,
but when trees pulled out of the ground started to set leaves
(this is recent , but haven’t leafed out this whole summer)
Long story , but I had trees when you mound them up
it is called healing over until your ready to transplant
I had the hole dug deep, but not for trees for cold stratifying seeds during winter.
I already had the hole so placed Land scape cloth, on bottom
My Mistake was not using any sand or Perlite as I have plenty
The peat moss has been so soaked this year
so this is a reason my 80, trees 4 or 5 foot did not leaf out
one dug up recently exposed to air was leafing out (after this whole summer)
so only one dug up, and 79 not roots the odds are over watering prevented leaves
This may offer some Idea’s as to over watering
or adding Perlite or /sand/ or expanded air clay pebbles (hydroton)
to Newly dug tree If even around the soil dug with it…
These were not dug up from a tree they were living trees
set aside, and not to be put in pots to be more work for me
(and not very good to do in the first place in my situation when I can heal over)
I think your Best bet, but this is just a Idea not certain could try on a wild tree first, before yours
May be to Dig tree’s up wrap in (whole) sphagnum Moss (not broke up peat moss)
with air flow get a good amount of
(like a large sheet of wax paper from garden home depot maybe even )
and let them rest in side for a building up of humidity for a week
(Or very deep shade for a few months)
Something similar to this maybe.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Roberts-750-sq-ft-3-ft-x-250-ft-x-009-in-30-lb-Waxed-Paper-Underlayment-for-Wood-Flooring-70-120/203270943?mtc=&cm_mmc=---&msclkid=9f4f0aaeaaa2198b137f55db482d235a&gclid=CITJ9vrIk-wCFaWsZQodhZQPwA&gclsrc=ds
Dug up lots of suckers in the winter time here near Houston. All were successful. Tried to get as much roots as possible. No tap root on suckers. Pawpaws - mrtexascitrus
Hilbilly Hort I do think most trees you would do in spring,
but there is some debate as for pawpaws some say August for runners.
I know the energy will be stored during winter to start growing in spring
I just thought I will put this out there.
I cannot say but If the tree is valued
a testing of the wild tree’s may be a good thing to do first
He also has more then one, but Just a Idea, and if done, and failed will runner again.
Early roots from a seed I can break those , but the hormones are strong
I found this out by accident , but broke off seed heads of roots
placed in zip lock bag with air puffed up inside to build up Humidity
the seed heads broke off from the main roots made a clone
I made many of them this way (why give up when breakage happens)
KYSU states to clone young trees the roots of young tress can work,
but rooting older roots is harder in the research .(2 or 3 months I believe)
I have to think if using some mash of seeds sprouted
or young buds in spring spayed on roots could be a hormone for pawpaw.
I have also To think of nature as the seeds sit under the leaves it is like a Blanket
of humidity trapped , and warmth waiting to sprout next spring .
This is why I brought up the wrapping in wax paper
as My new seed heads sprouting broken off from the roots
they were placed in a closed zip lock bag with air puffed up for humidity
you could see the water droplets forming from the humidity
this is why I brought up the Hormones trapped in new seeds sprouting.
I really desire this myself (rooting older roots instead of collecting scion)
as Want to take a week searching for lost fruits this year has been no good
didn’t get out for forging (hoping Michigan cool whether has some still)
I have lost a tree with 4 seeds nothing special of taste just a clean common taste
,and also of not been able to go back looking in spring for scion,
People stole, and robbed GPS(s) too , but at least I am not hurt after it,
so getting a lone tree being in the woods for days to root by myself is a goal.
Oh didn’t see your post Mr.Texas you do it in Winter
I’ve heard August too
would love some TX Pawpaw native seeds
(even if bad fruiting for breeding, and Louisiana too )
These are amazing trees
I have had a few seedlings the roots were “rotted” tree’s 4 to 6 inches (over watered)
I tore off the Root bark actually a tiny tea string thread remained ,
and some base of the stem.(the really bad one I tore off the root bark)
I cannot remember exactly , but I know one was so bad maybe more
I placed these In a very dark spot behind a object the months later it leafed out, and the other did also
Other times I saw other strong germinating trees of neglect (traveling)
some how watching the 100’s of seedling some strong ones died some didn’t,
but a surprise A very week looking 4 incher thinner stem like a tooth pick
survived so you never know with these all grown in the same propagator too…
Most suckers are highly dependent on the parent plant. If you cut the soil around the sucker in late fall, the sucker often can heal over winter and create it’s own roots. The following year, transplant the suckers that survive and you will have a high percentage of success. You can do this in the wild also. Find a tree with suckers, did a circle around them to break any connecting roots and mark the sucker with a tag. I use a twist tie. Keep in mind that the connecting root contains energy so if you cut a little further from the sucker toward the parent tree, there will be a better chance for the sucker.
Most suckers are highly dependent on the parent plant. If you cut the soil around the sucker in late fall, the sucker often can heal over winter and create it’s own roots. The following year, transplant the suckers that survive and you will have a high percentage of success. You can do this in the wild also. Find a tree with suckers, dig a circle around them to break any connecting roots and mark the sucker with a tag. I use a twist tie. Keep in mind that the connecting root contains energy so if you cut a little further from the sucker toward the parent tree, there will be a better chance for the sucker.