How to Grow Asimina Triloba

Asimina triloba, commonly called pawpaw, is a fruit tree native to North America. Pawpaw fruit is light green with yellow flesh, and an oblong shape. Large brown seeds stud the inside of the fruit. It has a sweet taste that is similar to banana, and is sometimes called a "poor man's banana." The pawpaw tree grows to about 20 feet tall, and its leaves turn yellow before falling from the tree in autumn. Pawpaws are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture gardening zones 5 to 9, and require warm summers and a minimum of 400 hours of winter temperatures close to freezing for fruit production. It usually takes a pawpaw tree two or three years to start producing fruit after planting.

Shade cover
Organic compost
Organic mulch
Fertilizer

Instructions

- 1
  Select a container-grown pawpaw tree at your local nursery. The best choice is a named variety that has been grafted onto a strong rootstock. Nursery plants are labeled with the variety name and grafting information. Buy at least two trees since pawpaw is not self-pollinating.
- 2
  Choose a spot away from your house for your pawpaw orchard. The burgundy flowers have a bad smell and rely on houseflies for pollination. Your trees should start flowering and producing fruit within two or three years of being planted.
- 3
  Verify the planting site has room to space the pawpaw trees at least eight feet apart. They require protection from the sun for their first two years of growth, and need to be planted in a protected area, or with shade cover to keep them from burning. Shade cover can be removed when the tree is established.
- 4
  Plant in soil that drains well and is fertile and somewhat acidic. If needed, amend the soil by adding plenty of organic compost and peat moss. A layer of organic mulch prevents weeds, and helps retain moisture.
- 5
  Water frequently enough to keep the soil moist but not saturated. Fertilize once or twice in the spring with a fertilizer having a high percentage of nitrogen. Nitrogen content is indicated by the first of the three numbers on every package of fertilizer. Choose a fertilizer having nitrogen content of 20 or higher.
- 6
  Harvest in the fall when the fruit is slightly soft and turns slightly more yellowish-green. Pawpaws are very perishable and must be eaten within three or four days of picking, if kept at room temperature. Stored in the refrigerator, they keep for about a week.

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