Ontario Fruit Explorers

["bert dunn" <helbert@idirect.com>]

Hello Joe C

This was not addressed to anyone so I delayed answering, thought Joe B might answer

Please see answers below by ******                Cheers            Bert

Bert Dunn  Box 352 Schomberg    LOG1T0     1-905-880-4453     
www.littlefatwino.com/bertslist.html
Think Blending-Not Varietals

 

Sent: Thursday, September 06, 2007 9:35 PM

What I would be interested in is the following:

1. What named cultivars of pawpaw do you have? *****not named, seeds
2. Have any of them produced any fruit? *****not yet, have produced very interesting looking blossoms.
3. How do you keep the critters away from the fruit before it ripens (raccoons, squirrels, possums and mice, yes mice? *****no problems so far with these varmints or disease
4. Have you ever grown pawpaw from a seed?  I have, and it is one of the most uncommon experiences I have had in horticulture. ***I grew them from seed. Had great directions and felt I knew what to expect. No problems except removal from the grow tube due to long tap root.

 

 

Sent: September 6, 2007 4:29 PM
Sent: Thursday, September 06, 2007 10:26 AM

Bert, I didn’t think anyone in the group was growing Asimina Triloba other than myself.  I’ve had one for about 15 years.  It’s about 15’ feet high.  As you know, these plants are dioecious so for many years it was producing maroon flowers but no fruit.  I finally got a few other varieties and grafted them onto the one tree.  Voila, I’ve got quite a few fruits this year.

 

Now to your point.  Pawpaws are known to sucker readily.  Whilst they have one very strong , deep tap root, they also have shallow lateral roots.  So they will naturally sucker.  This is particularly true if you dig under the tree canopy to plant flowers or perennials, say, and disturb the shallower roots.  Proof in fact is that I planted a few hostas under my tree this year and, sure enough, I have multiple suckers everywhere.

 

As to the question of ‘detaching’ suckers and planting them elsewhere, my experience is limited but results have almost always been negative.  A more appropriate approach to multiplying them is to sow sees in the fall (have got lots of experience here so if you need more info write to me).  There is much information to quench your appetite on this subject at various pawpaw web sites:

1.       The premier web site for this plant is Kent State University where much research has been going on for years now: http://www.pawpaw.kysu.edu/

2.       California Rare Fruit Growers Association  http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/pawpaw.html

3.       Ohio Pawpaw Festival  http://www.pawpawfest.com/

4.       National Clonal Germplasma Repository   http://www.ars-grin.gov/ars/PacWest/Corvallis/ncgr/minor/asiinfo.html#vegetative

5.       Northern Nut grower Association  http://www.icserv.com/nnga/scion.htm

 

By the way, here are the pawpaw cultivars I have:

 

PAWPAW (asimina triloba)
Variety	Scion/Budwood donor status	Comments
Boula	yes	Select variety from a friend of Allen Cosnow
Pennsylvania Golden #1	yes	Officially recognized variety - Excellent select variety
Taylor	yes	Officially recognized variety - Select choice
Wells	yes	Officially recognized variety - Select choice
Joe's seedling	yes	Chance seedling.  Mid size.  Somewhat turpentine after-taste
Seclef	yes	Cosnow seedling.  Late season variety.
Lynn's Favorite	yes	Officially recognized variety - Scions from Wes Rice, Ponca City, Oklahoma
North Carolina - 1 (nc-1)	yes	Officially recognized variety - Scions from Wes Rice, Ponca City, Oklahoma
Rebecca's Gold	yes	Officially recognized variety - Scions from Wes Rice, Ponca City, Oklahoma
Sunflower	yes	Officially recognized variety - Scions from Wes Rice, Ponca City, Oklahoma
Taytwo	yes	Officially recognized variety - Scions from Wes Rice, Ponca City, Oklahoma

 

You want more?  Come back with questions.