Where are you located?
I highly doubt alkaline is the issue with pawpaws, we have some wild ones growing on the edge and on top of a limestone shelf.
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Would tissue culturing be a way to stabilize a named cultivar?
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North Italy, Po valley 20 miles from sea
I heard Mr. Peterson say that alkaline soil is a no-no.
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Iâm trying to grow pawpaw but Iâm not sure I will ever get fruit. Iâm in zone 10a central florida, probably too far south for pawpaw but I ordered a handful of seeds last year and several of them sprouted and two of them are still alive. They are in one of those tall skinny tree pots and have dropped their leaves for now.
Would now be a good time to plant them in the ground?
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My goal is to get my first fruit from my Peterson Paw Paw Patch.
Last year my Shenandoah planted in 2021 had a few flowers, but none of the other trees flowered. I have some wild Paw Paw on the property, but they were too far away to pollinate. Last year was also the first year I fertilized and added compost. I plan to do a better job this year.
Shenandoah planted 2021
Susquehanna planted 2021
Potomac planted 2021
Allegheny planted 2022
Wabash planted 2023
Rappahannock planted 2023
MIght complete the set by planting a Tallahatchie this spring, but now worrying I will have too many Paw Paw once they start producing.
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Thanks for starting the thread! I planted Susquehanna, Shenandoah, Prolific, and Pennsylvania Golden in the fall a year and a half ago, but all of them struggled in our clay soil even with shade cloth and supplemental waterings. The Prolific and PN Golden didnât leaf out last summer, so I replaced them and watered more aggressively. Iâm hoping all 4 show some progress this year.
What I had more success with was germinating local wild seeds. I have 10 that are caged and 4 that are uncaged. Unfortunately, deer ate 3 of the uncaged ones, so itâs pretty clear they need protection here. Right now my plan is grow them out (in ground) for one more year and then graft about half of them over to named varieties. I like the idea that the roots have never been disturbed.
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You can plant them now. I live around the Plant City area, donât have alot of experience with pawpaws yet, but they seem to remain dormant till April-ish even if it warms up. At least my last one did. I bought and planted 3 in October (got them at the USF plant sale). They used to have a fruiting triloba at the USF botantical gardens in the 90s, so its possible for them to fruit here. Its keeping them alive for the first couple of years thats the hard part.
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Would tissue culturing be a way to stabilize a named cultivar?
Tissue culture has failed to work with pawpaws.
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Would now be a good time to plant them in the ground?
Yes, that would be fine.
Sounds like youâve got a good backyard grove happening!
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If anyone is looking for scions, ours are now available: Pawpaw Scion Wood | Peaceful Heritage Nursery
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How fares your âOsteenâ tree?
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Greetings, Triloba of Northern Italy. Do you grow any of the Italian and or Romanian cultivars?
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There is a new R. Neal Peterson Hybrid: âKanawhaâ 308 f3, A.triloba x A. Reticulata of Florida.
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Really?! Do you have any links where I can read more about this? Thanks!
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I have a large and productive patch on my alkaline soil (calcareous shale). The soil pH and my irrigation water is generally between 7.6 and 7.8.
They are in the shade of some larger trees. I have hot humid summers. In late spring and summer, if it doesnât rain for a week or so, I water.
They grow naturally in my region, mostly near rivers in part shade (my planted ones are on a hill, not near a river. And Iâve seen people grow them in sun, but I think itâs hard to get them started in full sun). The soil in those areas is very rich with lots of decomposing wood and leaf matter, so I think they probably need a good bit of fertilizer if the soil isnât rich enough.
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Where can we find info on it?
I have several of the new Peterson hybrid 308 f3 pawpaws growing along rivers in the Sabine River Basin in East Texas and Ouachita River/ Lake Arkansas, and in the southeast in the Suwannee River Basin. I just started a new Facebook group that I am going to provide detailed information about the Peterson hybrid- âPawpaw Tree Growers of Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, & Oklahomaâ. R. Neal Peterson also introduced the new cultivar at the KSU International Pawpaw Conference in September 1925. I will provide a link to the conference momentarily.
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