North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Dan Sorensen <dan@phantomlake.net>]

James,

Place your paw paw seeds in a ziplock bag with some damp, not soggy 
sphagnum peat.  Put it in the refrigerator and after three months start 
checking it every few days for germination.  You can then plant all of 
them, or just plant them one by one as the seedling root begins to 
emerge.  If you don't plant them directly in the ground, use a tall tree 
pot to accommodate the long tap root.  It takes a while for the top to 
emerge from the soil as the root does a lot of growing first.

Asian pear is grafted to the same rootstocks as European pear, so follow 
recommendations for that based on your soil conditions.

Dan Sorensen
Russell, PA


James G Steen wrote:
> Hi,
> Could someone(s) please let me know how best to treat paw paw seeds 
> for  planting out. I've heard they need 3 months cold, is the 
> refridgerator, freezer, or a winter out-of-doors preferable? Also, 
> when is the best time to plant them? I'm in the mountains of north 
> carolina where some odd winter days can range from 30 to 70 degrees 
> outside.
> Also, does anyone have suggestions on what kind of asian pear 
> rootstock to use for a sandy upland soil. My farm is also dry, it's 
> one of the driest climates (a mountain microclimate) east of the 
> mississippi. I appreciate Nafex and you'all. The conference was great
> Geoffrey Steen
> Warren Wilson College
> Swannanoa, NC
>
> */
> /*
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------