In nature there are a lot of different types of tasty and healthy fruit plants. But very little is known about many. For example, in the Annonaceae family there are many species that bring delicious fruits. They all love warmth and grow mainly in tropical forests. The exception is the three-lobed pawpaw. This plant has the appearance of a tree and can tolerate air temperatures down to -30 degrees. Therefore, this crop is widespread in gardens with climatic conditions far from subtropics; the main thing is to observe certain growing conditions in order to achieve high yields. But it is grown not only as fruit tree, it is widely used in medicine.
Botanical characteristics
The fruit plant pawpaw three-lobed is distributed along the banks of subtropical rivers North America. Trees can be seen even in Canada. In the wild, it grows in the form of shrubs, up to 10-15 m in height, since this plant produces many shoots. They do not bear fruit, but using the cutting method, it is convenient to grow such trees under cultural conditions. Pawpaw among gardeners was called a banana tree due to the similarity of the fruits in shape and appearance for bananas.
The bark is smooth, olive-brown, which over the years acquires a gray tint and becomes covered with pimples, reminiscent of warts. The leaves of the plant are dark green, large, regular oval in shape, from 10 to 30 cm in length, and reach 12 cm in width. In autumn they turn light yellow and fall out.
From the end of April, beginning of May, shaggy red-brown flowers appear, three-lobed, large in size, and shaped like bells. They reach 5-6 cm in diameter and contain up to 9 pistils. This makes it possible to obtain several fruits from one flower, which has a light but bad smell. It is cross-pollinated by bees, flies and other insects.
Pawpaw fruits ripen no earlier than the end of September. The light yellow skin peels off easily. The creamy pulp is very sweet, pasty, and its taste characteristics are reminiscent of a banana mixture with the smell of strawberries.
Fruits cannot be stored for a long time and therefore, after harvesting, they are made into jams, preserves or eaten immediately. They contain a large number of vitamins A and C, which help strengthen the immune system. They contain high level sucrose, so these will be an excellent snack for people watching their figure, calorie content 100g. pulp is 150kcal. For those who like to cleanse the body " banana tree"will be an excellent helper; for this it is enough to eat one fruit a day.
Types of pawpaws
In the gardens of North and South America, France, Italy and other countries, from 10 to 60 species of pawpaw are common, which differ in their botanical characteristics. The most common types are:
- Pawpaw dwarf
- Azimina inkana
- Sochinskaya 11
- Pawpaw triloba
The main work on growing new varieties is carried out in the USA.
The dwarf pawpaw is a shrub, just over a meter high, with standard, ovate leaves. This shrub blooms with delicate purple flowers about two cm in diameter. It will become a decoration in the garden, as well as in tubs indoors. This shrub is used as an ornamental plant or for medicinal purposes.
Pawpaw inkana is also a shrub. Distinctive feature This species has oblong leaves, pointed at the end. This early variety, which blooms in March and bears fruit in August. It grows well in room conditions. He doesn't like straight lines sun rays.
The Sochi 11 species, which was bred by Russian breeders, is very common. This variety is early ripening, bears large fruits with bright yellow, tasty pulp, up to 350 g. every.
In the territory Russian Federation most common frost-resistant varieties: pawpaw triloba or triloba. It is presented in the form big trees with a pyramidal crown approximately 10 - 12 m in height. Large bright ovoid leaves and large dark burgundy flowers compete ornamental plants. Flower petals in the amount of 6 pieces look like blades, which is why pawpaw triloba is called three-lobed.
Useful properties of pawpaw
Pawpaw three-lobed received the name “banana tree” not only because of the banana taste of the fruits, but in their composition both of these fruits are very similar. They are rich in pectin, vitamins and microelements (potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium). Beneficial features pawpaws are numerous. An emetic is made from the seeds to cleanse the body of toxins; decoctions of the leaves are used as a diuretic.
The pulp from the fruit is applied to the skin for rejuvenation, and when eaten it acts as an antitumor agent. Scientists have discovered that some substances in this tree fight even cancer cells that are not destroyed by chemotherapy. Eating these fruits strengthens general state immunity.
Planting and care
Growing pawpaw does not require much effort, as this plant thrives in both tropical forests and temperate climates. Planting banana trees is becoming increasingly popular. middle lane Russia. Due to the fact that the buds are covered with a thin protective film, they can withstand very low temperatures, and sufficient daylight in the Moscow region makes it possible for the fruits to ripen.
Perhaps the main condition for growing is a sufficient amount of light, although one biennial plants should be protected from bright sunlight. There is an unusual method of planting trees. It is placed in a tube about 20–30 cm high to protect it from light. If a plant emerges from it, then it will continue to grow. The three-lobed pawpaw is afraid of strong winds and does not like stagnant moisture. Therefore, you should water it little by little and often.
Before boarding open ground the ground needs to be prepared. Light soil enriched with fertilizers is preferred. It is advisable to mix the soil with drainage. This will reduce the load on the weak root system and prevent water from stagnating.
In the first years of the tree's life, fertilizing is not needed. The plant should be watered 2 times a week, but the soil should always be moist.
Despite the rather cold winters of the Moscow region, the Nebraska banana should not be covered. In winter, fertilizing can be done approximately once a month, and during the growing and fruiting season, once a week. At the beginning of spring, pruning is done to form the crown. The branches are tied up, as they often break due to the weight of the fruit.
Pawpaw propagation by seeds
It was previously mentioned that the banana tree sends out many shoots, so it is easy to propagate by cuttings. But growing at home is possible with seeds.
Brown seeds measuring 2 cm or more are located in two rows in the fruit and look slightly flattened. For good germination of banana seeds, a temperature of 0 to 4 degrees is created. They can be mixed with peat or sand, placed in a regular plastic bag. They are stored like this for up to 4 months. After this, they are planted in pots to a depth of 30–50 cm. The seeds germinate in 2–2.5 months. The replanting process must be done carefully, because the root system is very weak and the sprouts can be easily damaged.
Planting pawpaws
To grow a banana tree in your garden, you should consider some factors:
- the plant should be planted behind the house to shelter it from the wind; exclude the north side when planting;
- planting time - spring;
- must be planted immediately in a permanent place;
- sprinkle on the bottom of the dug hole wood ash or expanded clay, then add sand;
- mix the soil with organic fertilizer;
Planting and growing pawpaws in open ground, for example in the Krasnodar Territory, Crimea, and the Caucasus, will not bring much trouble; it will bring good harvest, since there are more than 150 - 160 frost-free days. This will allow the Paw Paw tree to go through its entire life cycle.
Pawpaw grafting
A common method of propagating shrubs and trees is grafting. This is a vegetative method of propagation by combining different parts plants.
Pawpaw grafting occurs in the spring, in April:
- It is necessary to cut off part of the cutting with a bud;
- Wedge the rootstock 9lower part of the plant lengthwise into 2 parts;
- Scion 9 (upper part of the plant with a bud) make pointed;
- Connect both parts and wrap well.
- Wrap the graft with cling film to protect it from moisture.
- After 2 weeks, new buds should appear. This means that the vaccine has taken root.
- After 3 - 4 weeks, you can remove the wrapping and enjoy the new tree.
Pawpaw care
When growing a Nebraska tree, you should follow the rules for caring for it.
- In the spring-summer period, frequent watering is required, and a gradual reduction in watering from August.
- In the autumn-winter period it is necessary to water once every 30 days.
- Azimina is not afraid of pests, but due to excessive watering, the root system may begin to rot.
- Watering should be moderate.
- After 3-4 days, light loosening of the soil is carried out.
- Feeding is carried out starting from two to three years of age of the plant.
- Organic fertilizers should consist of manure mixed with ash.
- Mineral fertilizers with a high content of phosphorus and nitrogen are applied.
- In spring and summer, fertilizing is carried out every week. And in winter only once a month.
The pawpaw tree begins to bear fruit only in the 6th – 7th year of cultivation. Therefore, gardeners must be patient and follow a few tips in order to grow juicy and tasty banana-like fruits.
Not so long ago, residents of the middle zone were lucky enough to get the hang of growing the well-known pawpaw banana tree. Planting and care process tropical tree quite painstaking and requires a lot of patience and effort, but judging by the positive reviews of successful gardeners, the result of such an experiment will exceed all your expectations.
general information
Pawpaw is a tall (6 to 9 meters) dicotyledonous decorative tree with a pyramidal crown, glossy, oblong-ovate leaves and bell-shaped purple flowers. The perennial comes from North America, but despite its ability to produce excellent, fragrant fruits, it can easily withstand fairly severe frosts (down to -30 degrees). 
Did you know? Residents of America consider pawpaw fruits to be unique in their properties and even treat stomach poisoning with them. The inhabitants of the tropics believe that grown “bananas” are capable of removing all toxins from the human body in literally 1 month of daily consumption. And such beliefs are not at all groundless, because it is true that it has antibacterial and even antitumor effect, and the healing pulp in the USA is even sometimes used for the prevention of cancer.
The banana tree genus numbers at most 9 varieties, but for growing pawpaws in the middle zone of the Moscow region or in Ukraine, only one adaptable species is suitable - three-lobed.
Selecting a location
The place for growing pawpaw three-lobed should contain light loamy, fertile soil and be in an elevated, windless and well-lit area. When planting in a sloping area, a prerequisite for further good development will be the installation of drains that will protect the plant from flows of storm and melt water. 
Planting and propagation
Banana exotic is propagated in three ways - using root shoots and grafting. The division processes presented are very complex, but quite feasible if all recommendations and rules are followed.
Growing from seeds
So that the process of growing a full-fledged pawpaw from seeds is not difficult and immediately assumes good seedlings (already in 7 weeks), planting material initially it is necessary to stratify at temperatures from 0 to 4 degrees for three to four months. The seeds of the plant are quite large in size (about 2.5 cm) and have a rich dark brown hue - they can easily be confused with seeds. The prepared material should be planted to a depth of at least 3 cm. The first shoots will appear in a month. It is important to remember that early and young exotic sprouts have a very fragile root system, so they should not undergo the replanting process. Trees obtained from seeds, despite their low survival rate, begin to bloom and bear fruit starting from 4 to 8 years. The time for carrying out these processes completely depends on the quality of planting material, care and variety of future plants. 
Reproduction by root shoots
When propagating by root shoots, before planting a banana tree in a prepared place, sand must be added to the planting hole and the root collar of the seedlings is straightened as much as possible and then buried:
- into loamy soil 5-8 cm;
- in light soil 10-12 cm.
Important! Compact the soil mechanically or trampling down after planting is strictly not recommended. This will ruin all your plantings.
Graft
A banana tree is usually grafted into a cleft with a lignified cutting in mid-spring. The manipulation is divided into several simple steps:
- the rootstock is cut;
- splits lengthwise;
- the scion is sharpened and then carefully inserted into the split of the rootstock;
- it is traced whether the cambial layers coincide correctly;
- then the grafting is tightly fixed with a polymer film;
- To protect the grafted area from moisture, a cap is put on it.
The North American tree is unusual, and, despite fairly standard care procedures, it requires special treatment. Let's look at some tips to make this process as smooth as possible.
Watering, loosening, mulching the soil
The soil under the banana exotic must be constantly moist, so the tree will have to be watered frequently.
IN autumn period plant dormancy Watering must be reduced. Loosening and mulching the soil are also an integral part proper care behind the plant. The loosening process must be carried out periodically, a few days after watering, the depth must be no higher than 1 cm. With mulching, everything is also quite simple; to prepare mulch, perennial grasses are most often used, which, after mowing, are used to treat the row spacings and trunk circles.
Top dressing
There is no need to feed pawpaw in the first year after planting, but for the next year, it is applied in early April. Organic fertilizers may also include: mineral compounds choose ones with a high content of nitrogen and phosphorus. During the season, it is advisable to carry out “feeding” every week, and in winter, during the dormant period, once a month. 
Trimming
Since pawpaw berries appear on last year's shoots, it is better to prune adult plants for replacement. And in the spring, you need to take care of cutting off all diseased and frozen branches.
How does pollination work?
The flowers of a banana tree are protogenic (the stigma matures before the anthers open), so the process of pollination within one flower is impossible. For more correct cross-pollination, you should have at least 2 varieties growing in your garden.
Did you know? During the flowering period, pawpaw attracts to its brown flowers flies, which are natural pollinators of the plant. They flock to the faint, but, to put it mildly, unpleasant smell of rotten meat that future fruits exude.
To significantly increase the pawpaw harvest, Many farmers use this method: they collect ripe pollen with a brush and transfer it from one already pollinated flower to another.
How to cope with winter and cold
Azimina has high frost-resistant qualities and can survive a strong drop in air temperature, even being at open area, but when it comes to growing
basic information
Name: pawpaw
Family: annonova
Origin: North America
Humidity: moderate
Location: bright areas of the garden
The soil: garden loose soil
Pests and diseases: root damage due to high humidity
Height: 12 m
Bloom: April
Description of the plant
Three-lobed pawpaw is a tree with a wide pyramidal crown, growing up to 4-5, with favorable conditions– up to 12-15 m. In nature, it grows along river banks, in forests with moist, loose soil, and often forms dense thickets. The trunk and branches have gray smooth bark, young shoots are densely pubescent. Large, from 12 to 33 cm in length and 4.5-12 cm in width, petiolate leathery leaves of an oblong-ovate shape, pointed at the ends and tapering to the petioles, appear in late spring after the flowers bloom. The lower surface of young leaves is pubescent, reddish-brown, the upper surface is smooth, glossy, bright green, becoming light or gray-green over time.
- Flowering begins in April and lasts about 3 weeks. Flower buds, thanks to their insulating shell, withstand spring frosts well.
- Single, bell-shaped brown-purple or wine-red flowers hanging on a pubescent peduncle appear in the axils of last year's leaves, giving the plant decorative look. Their diameter reaches 6 cm, each has several pistils, thanks to which the pawpaw plant can set up to 9 fruits from one flower.
- Bisexual flowers are protogenic, that is, the stigma of the pistil matures before the anthers open; pollination within one flower is excluded. The plant requires cross-pollination, for which it is recommended to have at least 2 varieties in the garden. The flowers have a faint unpleasant odor, reminiscent of spoiled meat, and are pollinated by flies, bees, and ants.
- Pawpaw fruits ripen in September-October and are juicy berries of an oblong-cylindrical shape, usually somewhat angular, varying in size and weight. Their length can be from 5 to 15-16 cm, width - 3-7 cm, weight - from 60 g to 200 g.
- Individual fruits are collected in fruit clusters of 2-3, sometimes up to 9 pieces, have a thin, translucent, easily removable skin and orange or whitish-yellow flesh, soft when ripe, similar in consistency to butter, very sweet, reminiscent in taste banana and mango, with a sharp strawberry-pineapple scent. The color of the peel is initially dark green, then it gradually lightens and becomes lemon yellow, and after the first frost it turns black.
Beneficial features
Currently, the properties of the plant are still being studied, but some facts already exist. For example, it is well known that Azimina fruits contain many vitamins (they are especially rich in vitamins C and A) and microelements: potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron. It is worth noting that the fruits are quite high in calories (about 360 kcal). Indian peoples have used the plant's seeds as an emetic since ancient times.
Landing Azimina
On the territory of our country, growing pawpaw is possible in areas with a warm climate that provide at least 160 frost-free days (Krasnodar Territory, Kuban, Caucasus). Mature trees are light-loving and produce maximum yield in full sunlight; young plantings suffer from direct sunlight in the first two years and need shading. Trees are watered regularly, trunk circles and row spacing are mulched, which helps retain moisture in the soil and prevents it from overheating in the summer months. As the seedlings grow, they switch to artificial turf perennial herbs, periodically mowing them and using them as mulch. During active growth Pawpaw is fed once every 2 weeks with organic or complete mineral fertilizer. In the spring, sanitary pruning and replacement pruning are performed. The plant is little affected by diseases and pests.
Reproduction in shifts
Pawpaw is propagated by seeds, root layering and grafting. Root shoots are usually few in number, weakly grow the root system and do not tolerate transplantation well. For propagation, it is recommended to separate it from mother plant one year before the planned transplant. Pawpaw seeds require stratification, otherwise their germination may take up to 3 years. Stratified seeds when sowing late autumn emerge in July. Young plants develop poorly in the first year and do not tolerate transplantation well. Specimens grown from seeds bloom in 4-8 years, grafted ones - after 2-3 years, but grafting trees is quite difficult.
The most the right way The acclimatization of plants is still considered to be growing them from seeds. If you grow pawpaw where it has not grown before, you need to focus on varieties and forms early date ripening, bred or growing in the north of its range, with a short growing season and with good ripening of annual growth wood. Pawpaw seeds dry quickly after being removed from the fruit - after only 5 days of storage. outdoors the water content in them decreases sharply, which leads to loss of germination. To maintain viability, seeds removed from fruits are best stored in a moist substrate. To obtain good seedlings, cold stratification (0–5 °C) of seeds is required for 3–4 months. In stratified seeds warm conditions further development of the root and cotyledons occurs, which ensures a more or less uniform emergence of seedlings. Seeds should be sown to a depth of 2–3 cm. Mass shoots appear after a month, and individual shoots after 2 months. The germination rate of properly stored seeds is 80%. Stratified seeds sown in the ground germinate at an air temperature of at least 18–22 °C; in our conditions, seedlings appear in late May - early June, regardless of the timing of spring sowing.
In the first year, seedlings reach a height of 10–15 cm, have 6–10 leaves, and the root collar is 1.5–3 mm in diameter. Seedling tap root, root system annual plants is 150–170 cm, located in the soil at a depth of up to 20 cm. When transplanting seedlings from a greenhouse to a nursery, the roots very often break, so you need to replant them with a lump of earth or sow them directly into containers, from which it is then easy to transfer the plants to the prepared planting bed pit. To grow varietal planting material, pawpaw is propagated by budding during mass flowering of plants (usually in Kyiv conditions - May 5–15), the grafting survival rate is 75–90%. Budding (and grafting) of pawpaws must be carried out quickly and carefully, using a knife made of of stainless steel, since the cuts are due to high content Tannins in air quickly oxidize. Pawpaw plants also form root shoots, which can be dug up and used as planting material. Plants of seed origin bloom only in the 5th–6th year after planting, the yield increases gradually, grafted ones already in the 2nd–3rd year and quickly begin to bear fruit. The harvest is formed on last year's shoots and depends on the vigor of the plant, growing conditions, as well as the presence of pollinating insects and cross-pollination. Full mass fruiting is typical for 10–15 year old plants.
Propagation by root parts
Root suckers:
- The root shoots are broken off;
- plant deep in the soil, water;
- sprouts appear in about a month.
For planting, pawpaw seedlings or saplings are used. Two-year-old seedlings 40–50 cm high with a root collar diameter of 6–9 mm have 14–20 leaves and a total length of the root system of 2.5–3 m. The height of seedlings (grafted varietal plants) at one year of age reaches 60–70 cm, the diameter of the trunk – 10–12 mm, they should have good fusion of the scion with the rootstock. An elevated, sheltered from the wind and well-lit place is best suited for planting pawpaws. When planting on a slope, drains must be installed to prevent the flow of storm or melt water. The optimal planting scheme, ensuring good plant development, is 3 m between plants and 5 m between rows. On a personal plot, the feeding area may be smaller - 2.5 x 4 m, but given that pawpaw grows well and develops quickly, it is advisable not to plant other plants close. The depth of the planting holes is 50–60 cm, the width is 60–70 cm. The soil from the top layer of the hole is mixed with 5–10 kg of compost or humus, the plant is planted on a mound, straightening the root system, the hole is filled with soil from the rows, and a hole is made for watering. After planting, the plants are watered and mulched with peat, bark, and humus. During the growing season, water as needed.
Rules of care
- Slightly acidic soil, rich in organic matter, fertilize with humus with the addition of ash;
- fertilizing with urea in spring, in summer - complex fertilizer 3-4 times;
- mulch the tree trunk circle or sow it with lawn grass;
- good lighting;
- no drafts.
It is recommended to fertilize pawpaw with humus infused for 24 hours with the addition of fish broth. This composition promotes the growth of the banana tree. Infusions of lupine or quinoa have a positive effect on the development of the tree. Fertilizers are added only to moist soil so as not to damage the branched root system of the pawpaw. For the same purpose, you cannot loosen deeper than 1 cm.
Diseases and pests
Pawpaw is resistant to diseases and pests. But improper watering can cause root rot. In this case, the leaves turn brown and the pawpaw grows poorly. Balance in moisture and watering regime are important. In indoor conditions, replanting the plant will help. Pawpaw roots should be rinsed well with water, removing diseased areas. To prevent pests from time to time, pawpaw can be watered with a weak solution of manganese.
In the USA, the three-lobed pawpaw is called “paw-paw”, “Nebraska banana”, “banana tree”. These popular names of the plant are associated with the shape of the pawpaw fruit - they are elongated, like those of the pawpaw, but much smaller in size.
The main advantage of the three-lobed pawpaw is its wonderful fruits, for which it is grown. The taste of its fruits is extraordinary - it really resembles bananas, but softer, and the pulp of the pawpaw fruit has a strong and very pleasant aroma.
I must say that the pawpaw fruits seemed to me the most delicious of all that I had ever tasted. And so one day, when an acquaintance treated me to them, I really wanted to have such a crop on my site.
Having accumulated many years of experience propagation and cultivation of this plant, I want to complement the information posted on the site.
Pawpaw in nature and in the garden
The pawpaw genus includes 8 species distributed throughout the United States. Of these, six species grow in Florida, one is found in Texas. And one of the most common types of pawpaw grows throughout almost the entire territory of the country right up to the Canadian border - it is this one that is of the greatest interest for cultivation in our country. The botanical name of this common species is pawpaw three-lobed (Asimina triloba).
Pawpaw three-lobed (hereinafter - pawpaw) is a small deciduous, slow-growing tree that lives on loose soils in floodplains. According to literature data, this plant tolerates frosts down to –25 C.
In the region where my garden is located (Tuapse), such severe frosts do not occur. But my friend, who lives near Krasnodar, harsh winter In 2005/2006, when the temperature dropped to -28 C, the flower buds on the pawpaw trees froze (although the wood and growth buds were not damaged).
Pawpaw propagation by seeds
Pawpaw's seeds are very large, like those of.
I decided that pawpaw seeds needed, since this plant comes from subtropical and temperate zones.
Immediately after removal from the fruit, I placed the pawpaw seeds in loose, fertile soil, planting them in separate seedling cups. Then I buried the cups with seeds in the elevated areas of the garden, at a shallow depth.
During the winter, I made sure that water did not stagnate in the glasses with semans.
In April, some pawpaw seeds began to germinate, and I began to plant the seedlings in a permanent location.
During the spring, I carefully monitored the soil moisture, preventing it from drying out.
Since the soil on my site is heavy and clayey, before planting the seeds I completely replaced it with wood humus (I took it from the rotted trunks of edible chestnut, which is abundant in our forest).
Planting pits I did it for pawpaws different sizes, placing them both in partial shade and in sunny areas. I made the largest hole about 1 meter deep and about half a meter in diameter - about 20 buckets of humus went into it.
Development of pawpaw seedlings and care for them
Pawpaw seedlings appeared from May to August, and out of the 14 seeds planted, 11 sprouted. In the first year, I did not feed the plants, I only watered the seedlings as needed. The growth of pawpaw seedlings during the first season ranged from 10 to 30 cm. In October, their leaves turned yellow and fell off; young trees went into a dormant state.
The following spring, in April, sap flow began among pawpaw seedlings, and buds began to bloom on their tops. At this time, I fertilized the young plants with nitrodiammophos (about 20 g per bucket of water), but did not detect any particular reaction to the fertilizer in the plants.
At the end of summer, I fed the young pawpaw trees, and did not fertilize them with anything else that season.
Simultaneously with the buds opening, 2 more pawpaw seeds sprouted on the overwintered plants, which had not sprouted last year.
In the second year, the growth of pawpaw seedlings also ranged from 10 to 30 cm.
In the third year, the last pawpaw seed sprouted, and the plants that sprouted in the first year grew from 20 to 40 cm.
It became obvious that young pawpaw trees growing in the shade developed worse than in the sun. Therefore, they had to be replanted, to which they reacted very painfully - growth stopped for 1-2 years.
In the fourth year, the pawpaw seedlings began to form lateral branches.
An interesting feature of the pawpaw tree is that its skeletal branches are formed strictly in one plane, i.e. represent a classic palmette.
In the photo: a small pawpaw tree in summer; Pawpaw in the fall.
Due to lack of free space in the garden, I kept only three pawpaw trees for myself, and gave away the rest of the seedlings.
As pawpaw grew, over the years I began to increase the amount of fertilizing and the dose of fertilizer, and I only used.
It turned out that pawpaw is responsive to fertilizing, especially nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizers.
Flowering and fruiting of pawpaws
In the sixth year of cultivation, fruit buds began to form on one pawpaw tree. They were the size of a match head, and became clearly visible after the leaves fell.
The following spring, pawpaw fruit buds began to bloom in March, long before the leaf buds opened.
In April, flowers bloomed from them unusual shape and colors are light brown, with 6 petals and a large number of stamens. Pawpaw flowers have a faint and very unpleasant odor, reminiscent of rotten meat. This smell attracts carrion flies, which are the main pollinators of pawpaw flowers in our conditions. And bees are not at all interested in pawpaw flowers.
Pawpaw can be pollinated by its own pollen, but pollination within the same flower is excluded. The fact is that in a pawpaw flower, the stigma of the pistil ripens first. After 1-2 days, pollen begins to fall out from the anthers of the stamens, and by this time the pistil withers. This is why the first pawpaw flowers do not produce ovaries.
In the first year, only 3 flowers bloomed on one pawpaw tree, and pollination did not take place.
The following year, one pawpaw tree had about 100 flowers, and the other about 70. Moreover, their flowering continued for 3 weeks, which made it possible to carry out both cross-pollination and pollination of flowers with their own pollen.
Pawpaw flowers are drooping, they are easy to pollinate - just tie a stiff wire to a piece of cotton wool and transfer the pollen from one flower to another.
Despite the pollination of pawpaw flowers by carrion flies, artificial pollination increases the percentage of fruit set. Even with artificial pollination, the ovaries produce about 60 percent of pollinated flowers, and about 80 percent of the formed ovaries fall off - this is a normal phenomenon.
Pawpaw flowers are often visited, but their participation in pollination is unlikely - these beetles are attracted only by the pollen of the plant, which they happily eat along with the stamens, but do not touch the ovaries.
Immediately after pollination of the ovary flowers, the pawpaws began to grow very actively. Within a month and a half, the ovaries reached half their final size.
In pawpaw fruits, from 2 to 8 fruits were formed (usually 2-3 fruits). There were also single fruits, but they were few.
Some pawpaw fruits reached considerable weight, so supports had to be placed under the heavy branches.
At the end of August and beginning of September, shortly before the pawpaw fruits ripened, they grew a little more and began to change color to lemon yellow.
When fully ripe, the pawpaw fruits fell off. And if they were damaged during a fall, they deteriorated very quickly - after only 3-4 hours. room temperature.
Intact, ripe pawpaw fruits tasted best immediately after falling from the tree, but the next day they tasted like burnt coffee...
I tried picking pawpaw fruits from the tree shortly before they ripened. When they ripened in storage, their juiciness was very low.
It is interesting that in pawpaw fruit the fruits do not ripen at the same time. But the infructescence falls off only after the last fruit in it has ripened, which is why the first ripened fruits become overripe on the tree. Therefore, it is necessary to regularly check the degree of ripening of each fruit in pawpaw fruit after the fruit begins to change color.
Ripe pawpaw fruits easily come off when you touch them, while unripe ones hold on firmly.
In the photo: ripening pawpaw fruit; pawpaw fruits removed
Pawpaw fruits should be used immediately after they ripen. Their skin is very thin, translucent; it peels off easily, like a banana.
There is evidence in the literature that jam and compotes are made from pawpaw fruits. But I only used them fresh due to small yields.
It must be said that the yield of pawpaw in comparison with many other fruits is very low. Even in mature trees, the yield ranges from 25 to 40 kg of fruit per tree. But this drawback is compensated by the excellent taste of the fruit and the absolute resistance of this plant to.
In 26 years of growing pawpaw, I have not noticed any damage to my plants. And I have not heard from any of my friends who grow pawpaw that it was damaged in any way.
Pawpaw selection
Pawpaw was introduced into cultivation a little over 100 years ago, and therefore there are few varieties of it.
In total, about 60 varieties of three-lobed pawpaw are known. U different varieties fruits differ in terms of ripening, size, and the size of seeds in the fruits. Obviously, in the near future, breeders will eliminate such a disadvantage as the low yield of pawpaw.
Now I grow five varieties (more precisely, varieties) of pawpaw in my garden. Of these, two varieties were obtained by me from the Institute of Mountain Horticulture in Sochi, where pawpaw breeding is carried out in Russia. One variety of pawpaw was purchased at the market, and its origin could not be determined. Another variety of pawpaw was obtained from near Sukhumi, where pawpaw selection was carried out during Soviet times. And another one grew from the rootstock that was left after the death of the varietal pawpaw graft.
It must be said that the taste of the fruits of different varieties of pawpaw is very different from each other. The sweetest fruits turned out to be pawpaws from my rootstock, the graft on which died. And the pawpaw varieties from Sochi have the most unsweetened fruits; but they ripen later than others, which allows you to extend the period of consumption of fresh fruits.
At the end of August, the first pawpaw fruits ripen - on the tree that I received from near Sukhumi. They are sweet, but rather dry, and their weight rarely exceeds 100 g.
At the beginning of September, the fruits on the pawpaw tree that I bought at the market, as well as on the tree that grew from the rootstock, begin to ripen. In these two larger-fruited pawpaw varieties, the fruit weight reaches 200 g.
And finally, in October the fruits on the trees of Sochi selection ripen; their weight is also about 200 g. Below I will give the characteristics of these two varieties of pawpaw.
Three-bladed pawpaw “Sochinskaya-17”- fruits up to 200 g, harmonious taste (but, in my opinion, they have little sweetness), average yield.
Pawpaw three-lobed “Dessert”- the taste and size of the fruit is practically no different from the previous variety. But it has very small seeds, which increases the volume of pulp in the fruit. Productivity is average.
Pawpaw grafting
I would like to say a little about pawpaw grafting. In one of the articles I read that it is difficult to plant pawpaw - I cannot agree with this. From my own experience, I can say that grafting a pawpaw is no more difficult than a pear tree.
I graft pawpaw at the beginning of sap flow (in March) with a lignified cutting of a splitting tree. I cut the rootstock and split it lengthwise by 1-1.5 cm, and sharpen the scion into a wedge shape and insert it into the split of the rootstock. The cambial layers must coincide on at least one side.
I wrap the graft tightly with a polymer film, and cover it with a polymer cap on top to protect it from moisture.
The pawpaw graft usually takes root within 2 weeks, which can be judged by the time the buds awaken in the scion. After this, I remove the cap, but at first I do not completely open the place where the scion grows together with the rootstock (I just loosen the binding). Only after a month and a half, when the graft has taken root well, do I completely remove the bandage.
Out of six pawpaw vaccinations, five took root.
As a result of the grafting, I now have five varieties of pawpaw on three pawpaw trees: one tree has three varieties, and the other trees have one variety each.
Placing pawpaw trees in the garden
For the best fruiting of pawpaws, it is important to choose the most appropriate place for planting a tree.
Regarding the optimal placement of pawpaws on garden plot: It seems to me that, at least in the southern regions, pawpaw should be placed in partial shade.
In my garden, one pawpaw tree grows near the forest on the border of the plot, where the sun is about 4 hours a day.
Another pawpaw grows next to a tree that shades the pawpaw in the first half of the day.
The third pawpaw tree grows between trellises with vines that protect it from the early morning and evening sun. As a result, this tree is in the sun for no more than 3 hours in the middle of the day, and it is on it that the best fruiting is observed.
In the gardening season of 2015, when September turned out to be dry and hot (daytime temperatures were no lower than +30 C), on a pawpaw tree that was in the sun for half a day, all the fruits on the sunny side were baked. And on the remaining pawpaw trees the fruits were not damaged.
So far, the yield of my pawpaw trees is low: it does not exceed 10 kg per tree. But I believe that over time my trees will be able to produce more.
I believe that pawpaw deserves wide distribution in personal plots, - at least in the south of our country.
Vladimir Vasilievich Chernyak (Tuapse, Russia)
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Syn: pow-pow, raufau, banana tree, Mexican banana, pawpaw triloba.
Pawpaw three-lobed is a species of deciduous tree with a broad pyramidal crown, leathery leaves, large purple bell-shaped flowers that emit a faint putrid odor and cylindrical fruits. The fruits of Azmina triloba are aromatic and sweet, have laxative properties, the leaves are diuretic and vesicant, and the seeds of the plant have an emetic effect.
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In medicine
Pawpaw three-lobed is not a pharmacopoeial plant and is not listed in the Register medicines RF and is not used in official medicine, but is approved for sale as a dietary supplement (BAA). Fresh fruits of the plant, better known as the tropical pow-pow fruit, are also sold in the Russian Federation. Pawpaw three-lobed has an emetic, laxative, diuretic and vesicant effect.
Contraindications and side effects
Pawpaw three-lobed has no contraindications, except for individual intolerance, but you should not take drugs with the plant extract without first consulting your doctor. It is also not recommended to use this plant during pregnancy, breastfeeding and childhood to avoid unpleasant consequences.
In gardening
Pawpaw three-lobed is a popular fruit crop. It has long-lasting light green, drooping, large leathery leaves and attractive bell-shaped flowers, which, although they emit a slight putrid odor, are very beautiful. And large leaves and bright flowers, changing their color as they bloom from soft green through copper-red and purple to almost black, make pawpaw three-lobed a very decorative tree.
In cooking
The long, wide and heavy fruits of pawpaw contain juicy pulp with a pleasant strawberry-vanilla aroma. The sweet, creamy flesh of pow pow tastes like a mixture of banana, pineapple, melon and mango. It is eaten raw, fruit puree from pawpaw fruits is used in desserts, as a filling for pies, and jams, jams and marmalade are also made from pau pau.
At home
The fibrous inner bark of pawpaw is suitable for making ropes, ropes, and woven into nets and rugs.
The leaves, bark and seeds of the pawpaw can be used to make a natural insecticide. The dried and crushed seeds of the plant are used in lice remedies.
Classification
Three-lobed pawpaw (lat. Asimina triloba) is a species of deciduous trees from the genus of flowering plants (lat. Asimina). This genus is the only extratropical representative of the Annonaceae family, the largest in the Magnoliales order.
Botanical description
The deciduous tree pawpaw three-lobed reaches a height of 12-15 meters, its trunk diameter is about 20-30 centimeters. The crown of the pawpaw is three-lobed pyramidal, over time it becomes broadly pyramidal, evenly leafy. Large, drooping, leathery, dark green oval-oblong leaves of the plant reach 15 cm in width and 30 cm in length. Pointed at the apex, they taper to a thick, short petiole. The leaves are arranged in two rows at the ends of the branches. In autumn, the leaves of the plant turn yellow and fall off. In spring, woolly, brown-red buds appear on the tree; new leaves emerge from them only after the pawpaw has faded. The six-petalled flowers of the three-lobed pawpaw reach 5 cm in diameter; as they bloom, the petals change color from rich red to dark burgundy, almost black. The flowers are monoecious, placed on thick pubescent peduncles up to 3 cm long and have a slight fetid odor that attracts insects - carrion flies and carrion beetles.
The three-lobed pawpaw begins to bear fruit at 4–8 years. The fruit of the plant is a juicy multi-seeded cylindrical berry up to 16 cm long and up to 7 cm wide, changing color from light green to lemon yellow as it ripens. Ripe fruits soften and emit a pleasant aroma. The skin of the fruit is thin, covered with a thin pruin coating, the flesh is tender, orange-yellow, and creamy in consistency. The seeds of the plant are located in the pulp in two rows, 10-12 pieces in each berry. The seeds of the three-lobed pawpaw are black, large, up to 2.5 cm in length and up to 25 mm in diameter.
Spreading
Pawpaw three-lobed is a relict North American species, a representative of the pre-glacial flora, preserved since the Miocene. The plant's natural range is from southern Canada to Florida and from southeastern Nebraska to Texas. As an invasive species, the three-lobed pawpaw grows in France, Italy, Spain, and Japan. In Russia, the plant is cultivated on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. The center of commercial cultivation of pawpaw is in the southeastern US state of Ohio.
Regions of distribution on the map of Russia.
Procurement of raw materials
Medicinal properties Possess fruits, leaves and seeds of pawpaw three-lobed. The fruits are harvested in September-October. They can remain in refrigerators for no longer than 3 weeks, and their taste gradually deteriorates. To avoid this, the three-lobed pawpaw is harvested a week before full ripening. In this form it can be stored at sub-zero temperature up to six months. The fruits of pawpaw ripen at room temperature for one and a half to two weeks.
The seeds of the plant are removed from the fruit, the adhering pulp is removed and lightly dried in the sun or in a special dryer at a temperature not exceeding 30-35°C.
The leaves of the plant are collected before flowering of the three-lobed pawpaw, carefully breaking off the petioles. They are dried, spread out in a thin layer, in the shade of a canopy or in a well-ventilated area.
The extract of fruits and/or leaves of pawpaw is prepared only using industrial technologies.
Chemical composition
The fruits of the three-lobed pawpaw contain vitamins A and C, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron and magnesium, up to 25% sugars, of which at least 11% is sucrose and about 2% fructose. The nutritional value fruits - 359 kcal per 100 g. The fruits, leaves and seeds of the plant contain acetogenins, in particular asimin, asiminacin and asimithrin.
Pharmacological properties
Therapeutic effect Three-lobed pawpaw has not been studied enough. Most of the research has been carried out to study the activity of acetonins contained in the plant. They have shown anti-cancer activity in animal tests as well as clinical studies. It is assumed that they are able to suppress the activation of HIF-1 by blocking the hypoxic induction of HIF-1α protein synthesis. However, the use of acetonins is not approved official medicine due to the fact that clinical trials showing antitumor activity were conducted without strictly following proper protocols.
Use in folk medicine
The beneficial properties of pawpaw three-lobed have been used in folk medicine. The fruits of the plant are recommended as a mild laxative that stimulates intestinal function. The plant's fruit extract is considered an immunostimulating agent. An infusion of leaves is recommended as a diuretic. Fresh leaves of the plant can have a vesicant effect on ulcers and purulent wounds. An infusion of the plant's seeds is used for poisoning as an emetic.
Although pawpaw extract is not approved by official medicine as an antitumor agent, traditional healers still recommend its use to suppress the growth of cancer cells. It is worth remembering that plant extract can be used in the treatment of cancer only after prior consultation with your doctor and only as an additional therapy.
Historical reference
Since ancient times, pawpaw has been used by the indigenous people of America for various purposes. The Indians not only ate high-calorie and tasty fruits, wove ropes, nets and rugs from the bark, but also used the leaves of pawpaw to treat ulcers, ulcers, and boils. A tincture with an emetic effect was made from the seeds, used for poisoning. The fruits of pau-pau are credited with not only a mild laxative effect, but also the ability to cleanse the intestines of feces, toxins and helminthic infestations.
The first documented mention of paw paw dates back to 1541, when a Spanish expedition led by Hernando de Soto discovered a paw paw plantation cultivated by Indians near the Mississippi River. The chilled pawpaw fruits are called the favorite dessert of American President George Washington. Another American president, Thomas Jefferson, grew pawpaw near his home in Monticello.
Literature
1. Ivanenko F.K. “What kind of fruit is pawpaw?”, magazine “Homestead Farming” No. 10, 1997, 30-31p.
