Deer are jerks! Why do they seem to like rubbing pawpaw especially?
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I have also observed this. Deer love rubbing on pawpaws. Very annoying.
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Also, why are they rubbing trees in the middle of winter!?!? They also rubbed a pear tree.
I do feel like they like pawpaw more than the others.
This is prime shed season, maybe they do it to knock them off, idk
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man Iāve got no idea but if there is a legal way to trade cool American native plants like a pawpaw in exchange for some of those high desert fruit trees i see in my mongolian friendsā gardens, i would! China and the US have a lot more in common than we may think in lots of ways. cool fruit only one of those ways
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WHERE DO HE LIVE
he better not live here
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Trading the seeds would be the easiest (seed certificates seem super easy to get) and best way in my opinion unless itās from something thatās sterile or a chimera.
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Thoughts on tree tubes on pawpaw seedlings? I saw them recommended by Project Pawpaw. Iām in the high desert, zone 5b and thought tubes could help with the harsh high elevation sun.
Thanks!
These are commonly used for pawpaws yes.
Personally I prefer giving them more space by erecting shade cloth structures.
However, at scale tubes are far easier and cheaper.
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My first pawpaws were protected with fencing and pillowcases iirc
Then i moved to 5g buckets with the bottom cut out and holes drilled in the sides because i had a bunch of them looking for something to do:
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Pawpaw magnate Dr. Ron Powell used the bucket technique
I got my pawpaw seedlings in a 5 gallon bucket. I thought they were duds but they sprouted in August, then I put them under artificial light when it got frosty, figuring they wouldnāt survive without a few months of growth. They stopped growing but never lost leaves. I moved them in front of a cold window for the last couple months (theyāre outside now but its above freezing). Im wondering if I should just put the whole bucket in the fridge till June?
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Thatās basically what I do except with commercial 50% shade cloth.
Every tree Iāve seen in a grow tube looks sickly and miserable 
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I thought @Blake says they need dormancy to survive. Mine were having a tough time under indoor lights last month and drop their leaves so I put them in the cold garage for now.
Surprised that yours are still going strong.
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when i processed all my fruit last fall i left the seeds in their jackets and a little bit of leftover pulp when i put them back in the fridge. they were in there for a while before i cleaned them down to the seed. i remember there was a slightly fermented smell when i opened the bag. could that have been detrimental? its been around ~1 month and i havent seen any sign of germination. in moist peat and on a heat mat. last year it was only about 2.5 weeks to see the first signs of germination.
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They do seem dormant but havenāt dropped leaves. I had buckets of hicans, buartnuts, parsimions, etc. next to the pawpaw seedlings. All of them dropped their leavesā¦ but some of the pawpaws hadnāt fully sprouted (leafy parts were still under the soil). The ones that were growing stopped when it got frosty, but didnāt drop leaves. So into the basement under lights they went. They all got to about the same size and stopped all growth. Iām dropping the bucket into the fridge this weekend. I donāt want to try to untangle that mess until they are fully dormant. The seeds were from Wisconsin grown fruit.
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They can go dormant the following year. You donāt really want your seedlings to go dormant when they are under a certain age. That still have there energy from the seed to use and they also donāt have a robust root system yet. In nature, the seeds would sprout after winter, so they would wake up after a chance for dormancy. One longer than normal growing season typically wonāt cause an issue.
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The seeds I have planted in the fall just by burying rotten fruit didnāt pop up until the summer solstice. Those trees usually have taproots that are a foot long, so if they havenāt sprouted yet donāt worry. Iāve had 2 year old seed from the fridge still sprout.
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ā¦.I never used anything and had no problemsā¦ā¦perhaps because the plants transferred to shade after about 3PMā¦..Beemster