I have a paw paw tree growing in the woods near my house, it is too big to move and does not get enough light to ripen fruit. I would like to take a cutting and start a new tree, How is this done and will it work on a paw paw?
the pawpaw tree is difficult to raise from seed since the first two years it needs to be in mostly shade as the leaves are very prone to sunburn.
Cuttings need to be airlayered to have the best possible chance for survival and once freed from the parent tree it wouldn't be a bad idea to grow it out for a year or two in mostly shade.
In nature these are river bottom trees that grow up under tree canopies, they grow fairly fast once established and reach for the sunlight by growing tall with few branches below the canopy.
The seeds are designed to overwinter (stratify) and then they tend to take lots of moisture to begin the sprouting process.
Redhawk
List of Bryant RedHawk's Epic Soil Series Threads We love visitors, that's why we live in a secluded cabin deep in the woods. "Buzzard's Roost (Asnikiye Heca) Farm." Promoting permaculture to save our planet.
Is the tree also not flowering? Or not setting fruit? The bigger issue may be that paw paws are not self fertile, and many need a second variety. They are notoriously bad pollinaters even in ideal conditions. They are also pollinated by flies attracted to the terrible smelling flowers
chad Christopher wrote:The bigger issue may be that paw paws are not self fertile, and many need a second variety. They are notoriously bad pollinaters even in ideal conditions. They are also pollinated by flies attracted to the terrible smelling flowers
In Colonial days, the Quakers in my area used to hang a dead animal (think road kill) in their pawpaw trees to attract flies as pollinators.
Thanks,the tree does flower and has good growth on half the tree, the other half is dead,so it may not be healthy enough to try propagating. And the coastal mass climate may not be to its liking. But I intend to try anyway.
snakes are really good at eating slugs. And you wouldn't think it, but so are tiny ads:
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