paw paw tree
 

I have a paw paw tree in my backyard that is bearing fruit. We just bought the house in June and I was told by the previous owners that the tree no longer bears.

Does anyone have experience with this unique fruit? How will I know when the fruit are ready?

Ask Balloo. :happy:

Sorry I wasn't more help.

I'm sure there are more experienced folks out there, but I'm familiar with the fruit through some permaculture classes. Paw paw is ripe when it's soft - like a too-ripe avocado. Typically folks harvest the fruit when it just begins to lose some firmness and allow it to fully ripen over the next few days.

There's an interesting "ripening and usage chart" .pdf here:

link

couple pics i posted a few days ago Pawpaws fall off the tree when ripe.
http://homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=268996

I think flies pollinate the flowers, so if there were no flies around, the previous owners would not have gotten fruit.

It doesn't ripen until after it frosts. The fruit falls before getting ripe, fruit should be a green/yellow color and soft before eating.

Ditto-
It doesn't ripen until after it frosts. The fruit falls before getting ripe, fruit should be a green/yellow color and soft before eating.

And the fruit tastes like egg custard.
It IMHO its one of the best fruits in America.
Dishes/ways to prepare/preserve I don't know.
But if it were grown commercially it could be a hit in this country.
jim

I disagree with the notion of them not ripening until after frost. This is no persimmons!

The fruit is very soft when ripe. It ripens in a manner very similar to a standard store bought bananna.

Unique and aquired taste. I love it, but at first I was far from sure of that. Fair bit of mouth pucker when sucking the seeds or out by the skin.

If anyone has seeds to share please put me on the list.

I have one as well,I keep finding them on the ground.I'm assuming they ripen before falling off..?I suspect my 5 year old son is pulling them off.

we live on a mountain that is covered with paw paw trees and not one piece of fruit...........I mean there are probably a hundred trees scattered thru the woods....and nothing. don't understand that? Anyone have any ideas? Upsets me 'cause I love the fruit and here are all these tress and nothing.

Pawpaws ripen and fall on the ground when completely ripe. all mine have ripened and the temperature here is in the 80's and 90's. Frost has nothing to do with it. The pawpaw flower smells like dead meat, it attracts flies and beetles, not bees. The best way to assure pollination is to do it by hand. Some people put road kill under their pawpaw trees while flowering to draw flies. Its probably best to pollinate from separate trees. I posted about the pawpaw(referenced above) because theres a lot of interest (and misinformation) about it. Whoever wants seeds, I have 2 fruit laying on the ground still, there should be 20 seeds or so in them, pm me your address and I'll send them to you. This will be the variety (Select) described in this page http://www.ediblelandscaping.com/pla...bsearch=Search

The paw paws around here do not fall until after frost. That is usually before they ripen, even the year the frost was very late and also held true for the year the frost was early. I know that is not what the experts say but what I have seen in all the years I've gathered paw paws. Weather and rainfall could affect when they ripen. I have a patch I visit but I can't get to it every day.

I would love some seeds if anyone has any to spare. I will reimburse shipping costs. Although the stupid squirrels will probably get any fruit before I can.

We have pawpaw trees in our woods and have never seen a fruit on them.
Could be because we don't get down there too often (HUGE hill to climb when coming back up).
I think I read that pawpaw trees spread thru their roots, and that those trees will not pollinate each other. Has anyone else read that and know if it's true?
I had a dream a few weeks ago that we had pawpaw trees right next to our driveway and they had fruit on them. That would be cool.

Yes, paw paws need a different tree in order to pollinate. You should always plant at least two. One tree will spread into a paw paw patch, but I think since it is all the same tree, it can't pollinate itself. If you planted another paw paw near the patch, you might find some fruit when the second one started flowering (takes 5 to years)

My Papaw loved the fruit. I personally think they taste like over-ripe bananas.;)

Thanks, everyone. Extremely helpful replies. We have quite a few on our tree so I am expecting a nice harvest. I've never tasted paw paw but now I know when they are ready.

Thanks again!

i think the paw paw trees can pollinate themselves as they have both male and female flowers, but the timing of the flowers makes it difficult. having trees from different parents may help to offset the timing issue as the male flowers from one tree may jive with the female flowers of another tree...i guess, lol.

i have a paw-paw tree that my dad planted somewhere around 1980 and i have never seen a fruit. i have seen lots of blossoms the past few years, but still no fruit. i need to go wildcrafting for another tree and maybe a few years from now i will have some luck. i may also try hand pollination...if i can find a ladder big enough to get me up to the flowers.

If they're like bananas, could you mash them up and freeze them? Use later for bread, custard, ice cream, cake like bananas?? (leaving to go get something - you've made me hungry!)

Paw Paws
 

I have paw paw trees everywhere around here. They were ripe enough to eat 3-4 weeks ago and are now gone or dried up. It was extremely dry here all summer and they often do stick around until October. best to eat them when they start turning brown and becoming soft. They have so many seeds, many give up on using them in recipes, etc.. I have made paw paw hot sauce before. It is quite good.

I am sure you will find a good use for them. I may try to harvest some seeds if I have time. I set aside several to dry out for that reason.

Gresford,
Here's a site that I still use for all things Pawpaw.
http://www.pawpaw.kysu.edu/

My Pawpaws are about done for this year but I still want more.
Don't be afraid to hand pollinate the trees for a much heavier fruit set. It's easy and fun!

My pawpaws have been producing fruit for the last month. The fruit is ready when you can gently squeeze them and they are not hard, but feel soft. They are not all ready at the same time, but when they are ready, they only stay good for a short while. Maybe 3-5 days at most. I have never been able to take an unripe fruit and let it ripen off the tree. The fruit will naturally fall off the tree when ripe, and a gentle shake of the tree will dislodge ripe fruit and leave the unripe attached. (P.S. Wear a helmet or get your mother-in law to do this). To graph to a softwood seems to be the going thing( see below links), but I have not tried it. Seeds are a way to grow them, but need stratified and are sensitive to ultraviolet light. I have tried to transplant, but met total failure as the tap root is so deep.
I use a funneled colander with wood pedestal, peel the fruit, squash the fruit through the colander, and use the resulting sauce for recipes and gifts to people at X-mas. I have heard that nothing will eat a pawpaw, and may be true, as mine are in a goat lot, and they do not kill the trees or as far as I know, eat the fallen fruit.
Below are some very helpful links and pretty much tell how to raise the trees/seeds.
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/p...93/v2-644.html
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/p...93/v2-505.html
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/c...ts/pawpaw.html
http://www.pawpaw.kysu.edu/ppf/member.htm
http://www.pawpaw.kysu.edu/slides/PP_Slide1.htm
http://www.pawpaw.kysu.edu/
http://www.fred.net/kathy/pawpaws.html
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/pawpaw.asp Wine making
http://www.ohiopawpaw.org/association.html You can get to seeds link there…
http://homecooking.about.com/od/fruit/a/papayatips.htm Cooking and recipes

Thanks In advance,
Scott