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this post was submitted on 30 Jul 2026
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Native Plant Gardening
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Those are pretty good sized for a wild plant - nice find! You may know this, but for anyone who doesn't I'd like to impart some info:
Pick them when soft - I prefer to eat it the day it hits the ground.
Saving seeds: Like apples, there is a lot of genetic diversity in their seeds. I've never had a seedling produce bad flavors, but size and the seed-to-fruit ratio often leave something to be desired. Good news, pawpaw trees graft well, even in 10+ year old trees. You can have fun learning grafting if your seedling is a total bust.
Don't let the seeds dry at any point. Dry seed = dead seed. After you clean off the pulp, you should stratify the seed (moist and cold in the fridge) for at least 3 months.
Germinating: Sow directly in ground in early spring or in 14" deep (or deeper) pot (Multi sowing is fine if using a large pot). Pawpaw germinate very slowly. Don't give up and don't let them dry out -- watch for fungus gnats if you over-water. The seedling makes a very deep large taproot while looking completely wimpy on the surface. You need a deep pot if you want to ensure proper root development.
Source: I grow pawpaw (planted >500, ~15 in production)
Hell yeah, high quality comment 👀