Pawpaw seeds keep really well in the fridge in a cup of water, for months. I plant up in 10" pots, maybe 8 seeds per pot, and put em in the warmest spot outside. Last year they did well in the vestibule of my hoop house. After last frost, I move them to a NORTH facing wall for two years for minimal contact with direct sun. Also 50% shade on top of that.

I have succeeded with over a dozen species of yucca. They all have their germination quirks. Very low germination rates with Y. torreii and none to sprout with recurvifolia as of yet. Beautiful rate with my locally collected Y. gloriosa and good germ rate with Y. schottii (and fast!).

YEah, I read that they produce massive taproots even before putting out leaves. 2 or 3 weeks for the roots, and up to 9 weeks before any leaves emerge. Im going to use 6 cup yogurt containers, unless I can find some super tall pots that are cheap. If only 7 11 was still here id raid their slurpie cups! The place i got them from keeps all their seeds in 4C, sealed in bags, so I know for a fact they have been stratified. Not to mention the week or so itll take to get here..... They are also shipped moist (same with my magnolia seeds!) They should be ready to go when I get them...

Thats good to know about yucca germination. Again, I have had zero luck with them (rostrata, filamentosa and glauca), the "easy" ones failed me!

Did you know paw paw is part of the magnilia family? (unranked - magnoliids, family - Magnoliales?

Here are some pics of some of the seeds that just poped!

Fargesia Yunnanensis

Agave Montana

Cyprus Alternifolia "nana"

Agave utahensis

Ginkgo Biloba

Congrats Jesse, good work.

Amazing that the young Ginkgo already has mature looking leaves!

Barb

Great work, Canadianplant!!

Congrats Jesse, good work.

Amazing that the young Ginkgo already has mature looking leaves!

Barb

The second leaf it put out was mature. They are weird trees. They are a type of pioneer species, yet grow really slow compared to other pioneer trees. As far as I know, it isjust adapted to a time before flowering plants were so dominant, which grow generally faster then non flowering plants.

More germination!

One of my zamia seeds is putting out its raticle (**ty Barb !)! The other 4 arent doing anything right now. First time with cycad seeds, one outta five isnt TOO bad 😀

My eastern redbuds seeds sprouted as well. Also, 12 outta 15 black locust seeds sprouted. I had no idea the germination was going to be so even, fast, and a high percentage! I cant count the number of paulownia seedling I have either. Also, some random asiatic lily seeds sprouted as well, and I planted some asperagus seeds.

Just finished sowing more Trachycarpus nainital, Phormium tenax purpureum, Magnolia virginiana, Yucca recurvifolia, Yucca torreii, Yucca aloifolia green, and Arbutus unedo.
Tomorrow I have to separate and up-pot my Yucca elata utahensises, Yucca pallidas, Yucca rupicolas, and my Pachypodium lameriis. Also have to pot up the remaining cold stratified Asimina triloba seeds tomorrow (I use tall juice or milk cartons to accomodate the long taproot).
Adam

A bit of work ahead, Adam.

Some nice species you list.

How about some photos when you're done?
Barb

Just finished sowing more Trachycarpus nainital, Phormium tenax purpureum, Magnolia virginiana, Yucca recurvifolia, Yucca torreii, Yucca aloifolia green, and Arbutus unedo.
Tomorrow I have to separate and up-pot my Yucca elata utahensises, Yucca pallidas, Yucca rupicolas, and my Pachypodium lameriis. Also have to pot up the remaining cold stratified Asimina triloba seeds tomorrow (I use tall juice or milk cartons to accomodate the long taproot).
Adam

Where do you order the pawpaw seeds from adam? Mine cane from twining vine gardens in BC, and they have been pre stratified. I put them all in 750ml (abnout 6 cups) yogurt container, stratified half, and kept half out. In your experience is it true they take 2 weeks to put out the root and up to 9 weeks to put up a stem/leaves?

I grow my own pawpaw trees, also have older trees planted (oldest maybe 10 yrs old now), as well I have a local natural stand on a main thoroughfare and I buy fruit in sept/oct at a farm in Niagara-on-the lake.

I have succeeded growing pawpaw in tall pots/ 2L juice cartons or 10" pots. Success directly sowing after harvest from fruit, as well as success after submerged for over a month in a cold cup of water. Failure if allowed to dry out, both within the soil once left outside overwinter, but sown; as well as failure if sown after seeds being dry for a week. Been doing this for three years now. Got 35 seeds left, 2 different sources, I have to pot up today.
Adam

Pawpaw : 2 weeks to root? No way I could tell, I always leave them outdoors to naturally overwinter. But not cold and dry, and I bring em in to the garage if it is to go below -12c. Shoots emerge between april and june depending on conditions.

I wish I couldve planted them, but in january, even with the extreme highs we have, the ground is too cold. I have no choice but to fridge them!

I heard the 2 week/9 week thing from quite a few sources on line. IF you want ill dig em up.

That is really good your using local seed. Your keeping the genes flowing in the species!. If pawpaw makes it up here (ill say, a 80 - 90% chance!), Ill have to order seeds from a few places in order to get some diversity for the species up here. If it lasts long term, and naturalized (theres always a chance), Id rather not mess up the species by making all the plants related!

I honestly dont think they have been tried up here at all. That is partially the reason I ordered seeds. Do you collect seed every yeat?

Jesse- For what it's worth, the only paw-paw that has made it for me was a larger sized sapling, perhaps 3' high at planting. I had ~100 seedlings that I've been planting out over the years. None of these has survived their first winter. Moral of the story, grow them in pots for a few years before you plant them out, if you want to have any chance!

Jesse- For what it's worth, the only paw-paw that has made it for me was a larger sized sapling, perhaps 3' high at planting. I had ~100 seedlings that I've been planting out over the years. None of these has survived their first winter. Moral of the story, grow them in pots for a few years before you plant them out, if you want to have any chance!

Any advice is worth its weight in gold dude!

I have read that as well. I may try a few seedlings in the ground. Ill be sure to protect them if I do. The majority will be in pots, and brought into the porch for the winter. Im going to possibly donate a few to the city as well. I definitely dont need 10! Im probably going to use adams advice and use milk/juice cartons. Cant think of anything deeper that is readily available.

Thanks again dude!

Pawpaws must get ZERO direct sun for the first year of planting. As well no direct sun until 30" tall or 4 years old, whichever comes first. Otherwise the sun kills them. Use shadecloth or landscape fabric to block the sun or put them at a north faced wall.
Adam