Typo corrected, thanks.
I planted susquehanna and shenandoah from Logees this year. Smallest trees Iâve ever received, like 1 foot tall but theyâre doing ok. Susquehanna was budded out, I wasnât paying attention and the leaves got shredded by the wind and the cage I put around the tree + then we had a bad frost that killed the top half of the tree. Leafed out again above the graft so it looks like itâs coming back. Iâd like to add Hornâs white pawpaw.
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Letâs hope it is from above graft.
KSU says getting as many genetically different cultivars as close as possible increases yields.
So top working Al Hornâs White is probably a good idea after the trees have recovered
In warmer climates sometimes pawpaw wake up too early, especially (Susquehanna & Mango), resulting in late frost damage.
Grow tubes protect from animals, equipment, dry air, direct sunlight, etc.
However, grow tubes act like little greenhouses & wake plants up too early too!
Itâs growing above the graft. It leafed out early because I had it inside for 3 weeks before I could plant. I can post some pictures later.
Freeze damage happens from sap coming up the trunk too early even on adult trees.
KSU has a video about painting trunks & larger limbs white to reflect sunlight to delay wake up to prevent freezing from late frosts.
Glad they are still cultivars.
Awesome choices!
Do scions that are grafted higher take longer to bud out? I have two that I grafted at ~12 and ~14 inches; they are a less vigorous cultivar, so I was advised to graft them high so that the root stock would still be re-usable if they didnât take. It looks like the buds have swollen at least a little bit, but not enough to push through the tape, and itâs been 4.5 weeks at this point. The rootstock has been putting out new branches from the bottom up, so right now itâs to within an inch where the scion wood starts, so I figure I should know what the deal is within the next couple weeks. Also, not sure if Iâm supposed to be getting rid of the branches below the scion or leaving them⌠I know ultimately they need to be removed, but not sure when since the scion hasnât definitively taken yet.
They take the exact same amount of time to grow in my experience.
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Susquehanna after taking freeze damage. The freeze took the top half, now itâs about 6 inches tall. All the new growth is above the graft it looks like itâs coming back. Zone 5b.
Shenandoah took longer to leaf out and didnât suffer as much freeze damage.
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Looking good
The seedlings are starting to emerge out of the root pruning pots. Hopefully they can put some good growth on before fall.
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Hey so I just made a video documenting the pawpaws I planted next to my driveway last April and June. It seemed like a good time to post a video because the KSU Chappell I bought from @Blake last June (size small) is now over 7 feet tall, so for all intents and purposes this is the last time Iâm going to be able to measure it short of bringing out a ladder.
Interestingly though, the caliper isnât super thick and it doesnât seem to be very inclined to put out branches on the first year growth of the central leader. So even though it very much deserves the reputation of being the âfastest growingâ cultivar in terms of height, my guess is if I dug up all of the trees and weighed them, the Susquehanna and Shenandoah would have more total mass.
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I got a Chappell from him last June and it is my most vigorous pawpaw. Difference is mine put out a lot of branching this year after arriving as basically a whip.
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@Blake I read you have a lot of new seedlings starting to produce this year. Have any of them really stood out to you? I think commercial cultivars still have a ways to go, but I am excited by the fruits we have and the prospects of their progeny. The biggest thing I look for is no bitterness, firm texture, flavor, sweetness, seediness. Iâve enjoyed your books by the way!
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should I mulch over these guys over the winter? it gets very cold here. one is a foot tall, the other a seedling
theyâre in full shade, the wettest spot in the garden. Iâm really really hoping they make it through
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I have one in a one gallon pot that looks about as little as yoursâŚ
itâs been in that pot for about 20 yearsâŚand has been through -19âŚand
has not been watered except by the rain. (It is not growing into the ground under the pot).
So, I doubt you need to be overly concerned.
The first season, they often die from direct sunlight, and sometimes the second season also.
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What are everyoneâs thoughts on ksu Atwood?
I had planted an Atwood in 2018, and just ate my first three fruit from it over the last few days. I was surprised by how not-great I found them! All three fruit had ripened until they fell off the tree, but none of them were good.
- The first fruit was mushy soft with some brown on the skin, but still mostly green. The flavor was deep burnt caramel, with so much bitterness that I couldnât finish the fruit.
- The other two fruits were all green on the outside, but felt like a very ripe peach when I squeezed them. When I cut them open they were surprisingly unevenly ripe on the inside. Most of the flesh was ripe, but both fruits had weird little sections that were still rock hard. The taste of the ripe flesh was very starchy, and not as sweet or flavorful as I expected. The unripe portions were inedible.
For reference, my other paw paw tree that is bearing is an SAA-overleese, planted in 2016, that will be fruiting for the third time this year. The fruit are still about a week or two away from being ripe, but my memory of last yearâs fruit were that they were much much better than the Atwoodâs fruit. The SAA-overleese were sweeter, more consistent texture, didnât have any weird starchy or bitter flavors.
Is SAA-Overleese just a better paw paw? Or will Atwood get better as it ages?
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Wow - my Atwood, fruiting for 2 years now, also has the issue with uneven ripening both years. Hard, often bright white, sections.
KSU told me this was weather related (too hot, not enough sun, etc) but hearing your experience is concerning.
Surely they would not have released it if this was common, but itâs the only tree I have with this problem
@vid
But I have had some good ones.
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