The extended forecast looks less than desirable for the northern tier after this week. I’m in NH and I’m holding off on the field grafts for a couple more weeks. 60s and sun can help them callous, but it’s looking a little cool, unsettled, and cloudy in the long range.
I may graft my potted ones soon because they’re getting their first early push of growth now.
I agree with waiting for consistently warmer temps. Even here in TN I haven’t done any field grafting because temps overall have been unseasonably cool and volatile.
i dont know if this was correct as this was my first time grafting pawpaw but i had a week or more of sunny and upper 70s and 80s but mostly that the nights were above 50f. well see how it plays out. grafts are like little 
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Thanks @weatherandtrees @TrilobaTracker @kinghat
Sounds like it would be wise to wait until the next warm stretch. It’s so easy to want to get out there and graft when everything else is green and growing! Also, because I have over a hundred to graft, I wanted a head start. Though, the only thing worse than a hundred grafts is getting 50 failed grafts due to impatience!
Best to graft when temps are 75-80 F or so. I only graft mine when it is around 80 F or warmer. I just completed about 450 grafts ( in high tunnel)
That’s late June or early July here 
I did mine a couple of weeks ago when we had a spell in the high 70s for a couple of days. Now its cool and rainy again
Yeah I’ve been burned too many times (not that any graft failure can definitively be blamed on one variable).
Herein middle TN it’s mid to late May before graft.
BTW I’ve had successful grafts in late summer, even august IIRC.
On those late summer grafts, do you find they harden off properly in fall and come back strong the following spring?
Right, yes.
Though of course this depends on the length of your season. In northern latitudes this may not hold true.
I’ve grafted pawpaws in the 60s here with near 100% takes.
Persimmons OTOH seem to want consistent 70s for graft takes.
I did about 15 pawpaw grafts this year from March to April. Only one failure but that was a micrograft on a seedling, hard to get it good and tight on that one as it was too thin. The other micrograft took well, to me they seem to be quite forgiving in temperature also.
I did 2 late field grafts last year and although they both took, I’m not sure they hardened off in time. Neither is showing signs of waking up yet. I’m hoping for some push out of the old buds from the original scions. I’ll give it a few more weeks before I scratch.
planted overleese and nc-1 grafted a week ago… dont know much about pawpaw. what other cultivars should i grow to get fruit in my short growing season in cold z4b? any insight appreciated.
‘Halvin’ pawpaw is probably the most cold-hardy.
Allegheny is an early ripening one,but not sure about cold resistance.If the trees can be established,that will help.
all leaves here, small but going along fine. plus two seeds set and pushing. hoping to have a good patch in a few years.
I agree with Bradybb on the Allegheny recommendation. It was just as early as PA Golden and Overleese for me last year. It’s also my current favorite for taste and is reliably productive. PA Golden is early and cold-hardy, but the fruit quality isn’t as good compared to modern cultivars. I haven’t tasted Halvin, Summer Delight, or Kentucky Champion yet, but those might be good options as well.
well at lease i have 1 thats a winner. maybe i can find some allegheny wood to graft the other one over to. hopefully they survive here.
Getting them to ripen will be a challenge. I wouldn’t expect fruit most years, but in the luckier longer growing seasons maybe it’ll work out. Hopefully you don’t get any extreme cold (-30s) for a couple of winters so they can get established.
VE-21 is another I would try. If you want to experiment with seedlings, Cliff England has individual Halvin seeds available and may have some experimental early ripening breeding goal seeds.
