North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[sherwin <sherwindu@att.net>]

  betsy,

  I have obtained several Paw Paw plants from a friend using this technique
  of cutting off root suckers.  I did this at various times of the 
growing season,
  so I don't know if it helps to wait for dormancy to take effect.  I 
will say that
  of the several plants I took from the mother trees, less than half 
survived.
  I was able to repeat this operation in following years, and now I 
have about
  six Paw Paws growing from this method that are about 3 feet high now.

  I think the success rate depends on whether the root sucker has 
achieved some
  type of independence from the mother tree.  As far as I know, there 
is no easy
  way to predict this.  Repeated attempts finally gave me the result I 
needed.

                          Sherwin Dubren
                          Morton Grove, IL

On 6/29/2013 2:22 PM, Elizabeth Hilborn wrote:
> I have a very vigorous 1 foot high root sucker in my pawpaw bed. My plan
> is to wait until leaf drop, cut all lateral roots with a sharp shovel
> about 1 foot from the stem. Then after leaf drop in fall 2014, lift the
> root ball out, capturing as much tap root as I can manage and transplant
> it to its new location.
>
> What do folks think of my plan? Does anyone have experience
> transplanting root suckers? I would love input as I do have to eliminate
> this plant in its current location, and I would like to use it.
>
> Thanks,
> Betsy Hilborn
> 7a NC Where all the fruit tastes watery because of our abundant rains