Pawpaws, Ohio’s state fruit tree, are interesting and have many uses. I notice that this tree stands out in all three seasons, though many people might not realize it.
I enjoy living in Ohio, which is fascinating and offers many opportunities to enjoy. I see a three-season quality to this tree that most people will ignore. I like the color of the purple flowers in spring, the green leaves in summer, and the fruit and purple leaves in fall.
After a talk I gave about pawpaws, a friend asked me, “How do you properly stratify a pawpaw seed?”
OK, Eric, what is stratification? It means artificially creating winter-like conditions for the seeds.
Put the pawpaw seeds in moist sand or peat, then store them for 1 to 2 months at 33 to 40°F. There’s more to stratification than merely recreating winter.
Place the pawpaw seeds in moist sand or peat. Store the container with the seed and medium for 1 to 2 months at a temperature between 33 and 40°F.
There is a greater complexity to propagating this plant than just stratifying the seeds. There are simple and more involved ways to answer my friend’s question.
In late fall, when pawpaw fruit drops, you can just leave it on the ground. The plant often starts growing on its own in the next season.
To understand this better the temperature changes in the soil around the seed must occur for the seeds to germinate. Or, you can bury the whole fruit—skin, pulp, and seed—in rich composted soil.
This helps keep the seed from drying out, which is important. Usually, though, people separate the seeds from the fruit.
If pawpaw seeds dry out, they may not sprout. To store them, put the seeds in a plastic bag with damp (not wet) sphagnum moss, then seal the bag.
More commonly, seeds are harvested separately from the fruit. If you allow the seeds of the pawpaw to dry out, their viability will decline, or they won’t produce any little trees. Place these seeds in a plastic sandwich bag with damp, not soggy, sphagnum moss, then seal the bag for storage.
If you collect seeds from freshly fallen pawpaw fruit, the seeds are dormant. They need to be kept cold, or stratified, for 60 to 100 days at 35 to 45°F, similar to how some bulbs need winter conditions.
After this, you can plant the seeds in soil. For better results, soak the seeds in warm water for 24 hours before planting, then keep them in soil at 75 to 80°F, like on a seed-starting mat.
Plant pawpaw seeds in starter soil about ¾ to 1 inch deep. If you plant seeds in the fall without chilling them first, they might not sprout until July and could keep appearing throughout the summer.
Remember, young pawpaw seedlings are sensitive to strong sunlight, so use a light shade cloth to protect them during their first year.
Grafting is another way to grow pawpaws, and I’ve tried it with other plants before. I’ve even seen up to five different trees grafted onto one rootstock.
This lets you grow several types of trees in a small area. From what I’ve learned, you need to wait two or three years after planting a pawpaw seedling or rootstock before grafting new cuttings onto it.
Grafting different pawpaw varieties onto one rootstock gives you a mix of flavors. For softwood or first-year cuttings, using intermittent mist works well.
The best results come from cuttings 6 to 8 inches long with at least three leaves, taken in August.
Cut the leaves from these twigs in half. Dip the twig in Rootone #10 (a rooting hormone), then plant it several inches deep in a mix of equal parts coarse sand and peat moss.
From my experience and what I’ve read, bottom heat is important for most plants. For pawpaw cuttings, 80°F is ideal. Give them 14 hours of extra light to help them root, but keep in mind that success rates are low.
People grow pawpaws for their fruit. I enjoy their natural flavors, which remind me of mango, banana, pineapple, and pear. What’s fun is that, like bananas, you can use pawpaws in bread, smoothies, pies, or sauces. Their taste is truly one of a kind.
Since pawpaw trees are so hardy, they’re a great choice for anyone to grow. You don’t need special fertilizers, pesticides, or extra watering.
I hope you’ve enjoyed walking through your gardens this week, even with all the rain. If you run into any gardening problems, feel free to email me at ericlarson546@yahoo.com.