pawpaw - seed (#2)

Pawpaw seed is sold in quantities of 20, 50, and 100.

Breeders Mix is a mix of seed sourced from different orchards or programs where breeding operations are taking place. The 2023 batch being sold at present contains seed sourced from the KSU breeding program, as well as the orchards of Jerry Lehman and Ron Powell. The mix is roughly composed of equal numbers of seed from each source. Available later in the year.

Broad River select seed is selected from healthy trees in a large patch within the Broad River floodplain habitat in NC. Trees at this location produce larger-than-typical wild fruit in abundance on an annual basis. The image above is a representative sample of fruits. I visit this patch every year to forage.

Lost 40: This seed comes from one of the largest pawpaw orchards in the states, located at Lost Forty Tree Farm in Indiana. Here Bob Wendt & Co have been planting and selecting pawpaws for nearly 40 years.

After pulping the fruits to eat here at home, the seed is thoroughly cleaned of any remnant fruit through a series of soaking in water and spraying with a high pressure hose. Each seed is inspected for viability before packing in moist coir for stratification.

Germination can be slow and irregular. The first 6 to 8 weeks are spent growing a taproot before the break the soil surface. Spring-sown seed should begin to move above ground by June or July, and may continue to do so into September. Some seed may not germinate until the following Spring.

Plant details:
Genus & species: Asimina triloba
Hardiness: Zone 5 to zone 9
Moisture: Moist but well-drained
Soil: Deep, loamy, fertile
Sun: Shade to sun