Who Else Grows Pawpaw Trees?

superdave336 said:
I do know the wild ones I bought online were picked early for shipping. Probably why they had this awful after taste. The ones at the festival were all cultivars off of their trees and I’m sure were picked at the optimal time. Also, the wild were absolutely loaded with seeds!
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after taste is definately cultivar dependent. Ive had dead ripe ones of wild and of cultivars and some just have this metalic/bitter aftertaste. Its one of the main focuses of breeding projects to remove. in addition to size + commercial viability (so things like a color break, which some have, skin thickness)
 
I have three in pots. All unknown. One I grew from seed another grower gave me about three years ago. I picked up two additional seedlings at Fig-a-rama in Georgia a few summers ago. I need to plant them in ground, but I'm not sure where to put them. Afraid to dedicate the space if I don't like them. I've never tasted one.
 
Tridrama said:
I have three in pots. All unknown. One I grew from seed another grower gave me about three years ago. I picked up two additional seedlings at Fig-a-rama in Georgia a few summers ago. I need to plant them in ground, but I'm not sure where to put them. Afraid to dedicate the space if I don't like them. I've never tasted one.
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You can plant them 6' apart and prune them to 8'. If you don't like them, rip them out and plant something else.

BUT, seedlings are hit and miss, so I'd try this with known cultivars.
 
superdave336 said:
From what I've tasted the cultivars are much better tasting. My family didn't really enjoy the wild ones.
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I think the wild ones are so variable...you can get some that are awful and then you can find some that are really good. And of course, everyone has different tastes. I found one that tastes just like bubble gum...I think it is awesome, but others would probably think it is too sweet (maybe sickly sweet?). I think one of the problems with wild ones (besides the variability) is that they are usually smaller than the named varieties and they usually have lots and lots of seeds. But I think the wild ones are fun too, because it is a little like a treasure hunt...you never know what you're going to find. Many of the best named varieties are the rare and exceptional trees discovered in the wild.
 
GIV said:
I tasted paw paws for 1st and 2nd time the past two weeks. 1st batch has a butterscotch flavor - possibly over ripe. 2nd batch was much better - banana cream. Now debating whether or not growing paw paws are worth the challenge, when cherimoyas and atemoyas grow so well here (space limitations).
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You might need to check the number of chill hours needed to grow paw paws...not sure if they will grow in 10B...but, hey, you can grow a LOT of great stuff that I can only dream of here in 7A!
 
RandyK said:
I think the wild ones are so variable...you can get some that are awful and then you can find some that are really good. And of course, everyone has different tastes. I found one that tastes just like bubble gum...I think it is awesome, but others would probably think it is too sweet (maybe sickly sweet?). I think one of the problems with wild ones (besides the variability) is that they are usually smaller than the named varieties and they usually have lots and lots of seeds. But I think the wild ones are fun too, because it is a little like a treasure hunt...you never know what you're going to find. Many of the best named varieties are the rare and exceptional trees discovered in the wild.
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I’ve planted a couple other trees in our pawpaw patch and then the pawpaws we received to eat two never ripened good and I threw them out there to hopefully germinate and grow this year. We shall see if and what we get in our patch then. Until then I will be grafting on some good cultivars. Figured I’ll cover all the bases….lol
 
I have two grafted pawpaw trees (NC-1 and Sunshine) that I planted them first in containers to put them in a shady place with half sun a day. Only one produces fruits because the NC-1 produces flower early before the Sunshine, so I hand pollinate Sunshine flowers to get fruits. My wife does pawpaw bread.
 
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I got to taste a couple at one of the Fig Frolics that someone had brought several years ago. I could not believe the flavors and textures. How could I have never heard of these before. But once I knew about them, I found there was a lot of information out there. I bought my first three cultivars and they finally got big enough to flower this part year, but I didn't get any fruit to set. That's okay, they are a lot bigger now, going into next year. I've gotten to try additional varieties and have fallen in love with this fruit. The trees have been very insect and disease resistant. They are easy to grow and low maintenance. I've added quite a few new varieties, but it is probably going to be a couple of years before these new trees get big enough to bear fruit...I must be patient...I must be patient...:p
 
superdave336 said:
You can also graft on them. Thats what I’m going to do in our pawpaw patch.
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I think that is a great idea. What a great way to upgrade a wild patch! And it gives you are great jump on getting fruit, since you're usually grafting onto an established and more mature root stock!
 
Opiem10 said:
I had to pull my three plum trees earlier this summer after they were so badly infected with black knot fungus.

When I read that deer do not like to chew on paw paw leaves, I ordered Jerry’s Big Girl and KSU-Chappel from a local grower. I’ll pick them up and plant them in the spring.
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John, They are very pretty trees to grow in a yard. Big dark green leaves that keep their color while others are changing
 
If you were ever on the fence about Pawpaw. Ive got a recipe for you. and its very simple.

Super moist Yellow cake mix
amend it this way
Add extra egg
Double the oil
only add half the water
3 cups of Pawpaw pulp pureed or mashed well
cook as box directs

Drizzle with a touch of honey while warm.

This will hook you for sure!!!
 
Uncle Jessup said:
How strange some are such a lesser quality. My Rappahannock is only named cultivar and it is leaps n bounds better than other much bigger no-name random types i grow. Rappahannock has bigger fruit with less seeds and better flavor than trees twice its size! What a difference KSU & Neal Peterson have made in pawpaws!!
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Yes! In addition to flavor, the pawpaw growers keep record on seed to flesh ratio the way we figgers watch ripening dates. I was told to get the Overleese because its pollen will help the other trees produce larger fruits. I got the Mango because it is in an especially wet area, and this variety loves water.
 
DCallahan said:
If you were ever on the fence about Pawpaw. Ive got a recipe for you. and its very simple.

Super moist Yellow cake mix
amend it this way
Add extra egg
Double the oil
only add half the water
3 cups of Pawpaw pulp pureed or mashed well
cook as box directs

Drizzle with a touch of honey while warm.

This will hook you for sure!!!
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reddit is obsessed with cooked paw paw making people sick. No one ive ever met IRL or on any other forum gets this but if you post any cooked paw paw to r/pawpaws you will get downvoted and get like dozens of replies saying its basically poison to cook it. Very bizarre. I sort of think it might be the reddit demographic doesnt normally have any fiber in their diet. Sort of like how people say they get sick from taco bell probably never eat anything like beans.

Someone who is big into fruit growing and eating probably gets plenty though
 
DCallahan said:
If you were ever on the fence about Pawpaw. Ive got a recipe for you. and its very simple.

Super moist Yellow cake mix
amend it this way
Add extra egg
Double the oil
only add half the water
3 cups of Pawpaw pulp pureed or mashed well
cook as box directs

Drizzle with a touch of honey while warm.

This will hook you for sure!!!
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Sounds good. Please send samples….🤣😂
 
snarfing said:
reddit is obsessed with cooked paw paw making people sick. No one ive ever met IRL or on any other forum gets this but if you post any cooked paw paw to r/pawpaws you will get downvoted and get like dozens of replies saying its basically poison to cook it. Very bizarre. I sort of think it might be the reddit demographic doesnt normally have any fiber in their diet. Sort of like how people say they get sick from taco bell probably never eat anything like beans.

Someone who is big into fruit growing and eating probably gets plenty though
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I've heard there is a form of neurotoxin in the skin. I'm ok with it, I don't eat the skin. And I never had any fun with neurotoxins when I was young so I'll take it now, if it's there in some delicious baked goods every so often.
 
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