growing paw paw tree

Has anyone here grown a paw paw tree from seed? I just ordered seeds and am really anxious to be able to grow these. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

thanks

Thanks Eileen, I'll sure check out site. I have never eaten one of these and they sound yummy! I never even saw them at any stores, so not sure why? Anyway wish me luck and thanks for answering my question!

 

Dried (or frozen) paw paw seed are most likely dead paw paw seed.

Plant those seed promptly into pot of 1/2 soilless mix and 1/2 sand. Scarification is a good thing.

Put them outside where soil can chill at night / warm in day.

Water when ever soil is dry to touch.

A touch of cold frosty nights is good for their gemination.

*If* you do get some to germinate, grow seedlings out in pots till you are ready to plant to feild. For me that'd be year two in the spring. They don't transplant that well when dug up from field.

Seedling trees the first year in pots and for the next couple (years) some afternoon shade is another good thing. Paw paw is the most northern hearty of the ebony family. It makes a large tender leaf which likes a bit of shelter when young.

Mine were hearty in central NH, there are commercial growers in MI, so yours should do fine in PA.

 

I like the name

 

seeds

These were dry when I ordered so I assume unless they are fresh no good? Had 2 in pot for 2 weeks and haven't seen anything. I guess I can give up on growing these unless I find fresh seeds. I also heard they don't take well to transplanting so thats out. I will move on to trying another fruit now, Thanks.

 

Please plant your paw paw seeds promptly. I have spent years growing out asimonia triloba and fully dried seed have much lower germination rate.

*If* your seed house was responsible they stored their seed in moist medium till they shipped to you. So your end of this growing experiment is to get your still viable seed into a pot with very fast draining soil as soon as you can.

In my experience they (like all woody plant seed) sit idle in pots till they are persuaded spring is truly here, then and only then do they germinate. The daily cold and warming of winters passing is part of what tree seeds need to be persuaded spring is coming.

Mike Dirr has written some metropolitan (as in NYC phone book) sized books on trees and has a long elaborate description of what "Inhibitors" are that slow germination of tree seed.

If I can do this you probably can too. I'm sorry to say you've gotta hurry up an' wait, but there nothing to be done except that.

FWIW I have eaten paw paw, spit out the seeds into pots in the fall and had nearly 100% germination in Late May in NH. With seed over-wintering out of doors inna pot covered with a plank, buried up to the rim just in garden...

 

Re: seeds

Let your potted seed sit out of doors please. Its whats gotta happen to remove growth inhibitors. Spring is coming.

 

fruit

I'm gonna look around and find something else to buy and try. Hopefully something not as hard to grow. Tossed those old seeds, and look forward to planting a new tree of something for my zone. Thanks for all the info.