Hi Michael!
I have two pawpaws in my very urban plot in southeastern Wisconsin. I planted them about ten years ago and for the last couple of years, they've had a ton of baby fruit in the spring that disappears before it grows into actual pawpaws. At first I thought it was the squirrels, so this year I netted the trees, but still had problems because I think the birds were getting the small fruit. I'd like to have more netting coverage, but that means I'm going to have to prune the tree so I can fit the netting around it. Will pawpaws fruit on new growth and how much pruning can they take? I live in the city, so I like little fruit trees (i have a triple-grafted apple, a cherry and two hazelnuts). I have a neighbor about three blocks away who does not have any problem with birds and squirrels in her pawpaws, so I'm wondering what I can do to get more fruit for myself and less for the critters.
