Planting & Care Guide for Your Pawpaw Trees

1. Ohio Pawpaw Growers Association 6549 Amelia Dr. Cincinnati, OH 45241 513-777-8367 Botrytis@fuse.net www.Ohiopawpaw.com Planting & Care Guide for Your Pawpaw Trees We want to give you the best and most complete information possible to ensure your success in growing and enjoying pawpaws. Please read carefully the following instructions. The instructions will help your plants experience minimal transplant shock and help you prepare them for years of happy growing. Bare root plants. Open the bag around the roots of bare root plants and check to see that the roots feel moist. If they appear dry, sprinkle some water in the bag to moisten them. Do not let the roots dry out. If you are not going to plant right away soak the roots in a bucket of water for up to 24 yours – no longer! If the roots are moist when the trees arrive, you can delay planting bare root plants for a week or two if you keep them in a dark, cool, place where the temperature is above freezing. If you need to delay planting for a longer period of time, it is a good idea to “heel in” your plants. Remove the bag around the roots and cover the roots with moist soil in a trench in your garden, or cover the roots in a pile of moist sawdust, bark, or shredded leaf litter, in a shady location. Immediate planting is best! Planting. Pawpaws will grow in either shade or full sun. If you desire fruit, it is best to plant where the plant will receive at least half day of sun. Planting in full sun will require the seedling to be shaded for several years. Dig a hole large enough to fit the roots without bending or crowding them. Keep the sides of the hole rough so the roots can penetrate easily. For bare root plants, locate the spot on the main stem where the soil level was at the nursery. You can identify this spot, which will usually be an inch or so above the topmost root, by a change of color, often from light brown to dark brown. This point should be at the soil level in your planting location. Soil amendments are not necessary. After Planting. Be patient with your new plants. They need the first growing season to rebuild their root systems and become adapted to their new home. Thus, do not expect much growth the first year. It is best to remove any flowers and/or fruit the first year. Remove any broken branches that may have been a result of rough handling during shipping. Your bare rooted pawpaw will not need or be able to use fertilizer until their roots have been established. The only type of fertilizer worth applying would be a slow acting organic type of fertilizer. Mulching. Mulch is highly recommended. A layer of straw, compost, aged sawdust, rotted manure, or other organic material will reduce weed growth around your plants allowing them to get a better start without competition. Pawpaws do not like competition from grass or other plants. Mulch will also help conserve water, reducing stress on your plants during hot spells. The mulch will provide nutrition for your plants as it slowly decays. Keep mulch several inches away from the trunk to avoid injury from rodents who might like to eat the bark. Watering. An additional note on watering is warranted. The symptoms for over watering are the same for lack of water; that is, wilting, scorch, and even the ultimate death of your plant. Remember that once bare root plants have been planted and watered well, they will not usually need much water until they begin to grow vigorously. Periodic deep watering is far superior to frequent light watering. Deep watering encourages deep root growth, which makes your plant less susceptible to drought stress. Thank you for your support of the Ohio Pawpaw Growers Association. If you have any questions give us a call. 513.777.8367 or visit us at our new web site: Ohiopawpaw.com.