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Grow Your Own Pawpaws From Seed

Growing a Paw Paw is easy: start with a seed, grow your own tree.

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Plant a Pawpaw Today

Grow Your Own Delicious Pawpaw Fruits.

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Plant More Trees

We are 8 billion people. Imagine if each of us planted a tree every year!

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Introduction

Pawpaw Basics

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Conditions

Climate & Soil

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Germinate

Plant Your Seed

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Grow

Grow Your Tree

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Germinate Your Seeds

Materials:
  • Fresh pawpaw seeds (do not let them dry out)
  • Ziploc bags
  • Sphagnum moss
  • Seed starter soil, well-draining
  • Tree pots (ht. 14″-18″/35-45 cm) or root trainers (ht. 10″/25 cm)

**Do not allow seeds to freeze or dry out, this can destroy the immature, dormant embryo. If seeds are dried for 3 days at room temperature, the germination percentage can drop to less than 20%.

1. Obtain seeds.
  1. Save seeds from fruit you’ve eaten
  2. Acquire seeds from fruit or pawpaw hobbyist groups (i.e., Facebook, etc.)
  3. Purchase seeds online, a few sites are recommended below:

2. Stratify seeds in a refrigerator (32°-40° F) over the winter for 70-100 days.
  1. Place seeds in a ziplock bag with some damp sphagnum moss
    1. Check occasionally to make sure moss is still damp **do not allow seeds to dry out
    2. Sphagnum moss is recommended because it naturally suppresses bacterial and fungal growth

3. Sow seeds indoors in the spring after the stratification period.
  1. Sow seeds 1" (2.5 cm) deep in a light, well-draining soil mix, pH 5.5 – 7.0
  2. Use tall containers, such as tree pots (ht. 14"-18"/35-45 cm) or root trainers (ht. 10"/25 cm), to accommodate the long taproot
    1. Plant pawpaw seeds in large containers where they can grow for some time because they do not transplant well

4. Position your pots in a bright, warm location and keep the soil moist. For example, near a warm windowsill with 4-6 hours of direct sunlight. Pawpaws are sensitive to full sunlight for the first 2 years.
  1. Germination will occur readily at a temperature between 75°-85° F
  2. Water regularly to keep soil moist, but do not overwater
    1. Top of soil should be lightly damp to the touch
    2. Frequency of watering will depend on growing conditions

5. Germination should occur in 2 to 3 weeks, followed by taproot formation. After about 2 months, a shoot should emerge above the soil.
  1. Keep in a warm, bright location with up to 4-6 hours of direct sunlight; avoid locations with full sun
  2. Water regularly to keep the soil moist, but do not overwater
    1. Top of soil should be lightly damp to the touch
    2. Frequency of watering will depend on growing conditions
  3. Be patient
    1. Pawpaws are hypogeal, meaning they develop a root before the leaves; this means you won’t see much above-ground activity for quite some time after germination begins. It may be well into summer before you see the leaves unfold

6. Tend to seedlings through the summer and fall.
  1. Decide to keep seedlings inside or move them outside
  2. Provide location with part shade and protection from high wind and animals if seedlings are moved outside
  3. Water regularly to keep the soil moist, but do not overwater
    1. Top of soil should be lightly damp to the touch
    2. Frequency of watering will depend on growing conditions
  4. Be patient – growth is slow for the first two years as the root system establishes itself and accelerates thereafter

7. Prepare to plant your seedlings once they shed their leaves and go dormant in the fall.
  1. See Planting Your Seedling section for detailed instructions

References