Pawpaws have a reputation for dying soon after they’re planted or moved, and the reason is almost always underground. The young tree puts most of its effort into one deep root rather than a spreading net of small roots. Success depends less on fertilizer or luck than on keeping that root intact and timing the move well.
What a Young Pawpaw Root Looks Like
A taproot is a single main root that grows straight down, and pawpaw seedlings build a strong one early. About 45 days after a seed is sown, when the first shoot pushes above the soil, the taproot already averages about 6 inches long.1Kentucky State University / ASHS. Propagation of Pawpaw—A Review At that stage the root makes up about three-quarters of the seedling’s weight.2Kentucky State University / ASHS. Propagation of Pawpaw—A Review In its first season it often reaches 12 to 18 inches deep before the tree has much growth above ground.3PawpawSeeds.com. Pawpaw Root System: Planting, Transplanting, and Care
That means what you see and what’s below the soil are very different. A first-year tree may be only a few inches tall while its root runs over a foot deep. Digging a hole the width of a shovel blade around a small tree almost always cuts the taproot, and the small top can fool people into thinking a quick move is harmless.
The taproot is fleshy and stores the tree’s energy as well as anchoring it.4PawpawSeeds.com. Pawpaw Root System: Planting, Transplanting, and Care Early on it has very few side branches, so if it breaks, the tree has almost nothing left to feed itself.5PawpawSeeds.com. Pawpaw Root System: Planting, Transplanting, and Care The root is also brittle rather than wiry, so it snaps cleanly instead of bending when it is bumped, bent sharply, or caught by a shovel.
Many common nursery trees have spreading, fibrous roots that regrow after cutting. A damaged pawpaw may sit still or die back for a season while an ordinary tree shrugs off the same injury.
Potted, Bare-Root, or Dug Up, Which to Choose
Because digging damages the roots so easily, most nurseries grow pawpaws in containers.6HortTechnology. Container Production of Pawpaw Seedlings Tall containers are used to make room for the taproot.7HortTechnology. Container Production of Pawpaw Seedlings
An air-pruning container has open sides or bottom, so a root tip that reaches the air stops growing. When the taproot is stopped this way, the root branches above that point,8Growing Fruit. Developing a fibrous root system on pawpaws and most of that branching happens in the 4 inches just above where the tip stopped.9Growing Fruit. Developing a fibrous root system on pawpaws The new side roots are stopped by air too and branch again, building a fuller root ball.10Growing Fruit. Developing a fibrous root system on pawpaws
A bare-root tree is sold dormant with the soil removed from its roots. These are riskier. One experienced grower reports only about 50 to 60 percent success moving bare-root suckers dug from his own trees.11Houzz. Ordered bare-root paw paw. Are they doomed? The more root he kept and the less it was damaged, the better the survival.12Houzz. Ordered bare-root paw paw. Are they doomed?
When buying, choose deep pots over short, wide ones, and expect a taller pot even for a small tree. It’s also worth asking whether the nursery used air-pruning pots.
To tell a good potted tree from a poor one, slide the pot off if the seller allows it, or look through the drainage holes. A healthy root ball holds together as one mass with roots reaching the sides and bottom. A tree that has sat too long in a pot too small can have its taproot coiled at the bottom, and a coiled taproot can keep growing in a curve after planting, so pass on trees with thick roots circling the base. A tree that wobbles or lifts out of its soil in one loose piece may have been recently potted from a dug plant, so its roots may not have recovered.
If a bare-root order arrives, keep the roots damp and shaded until planting, and plant soon rather than letting them dry out. Don’t trim the taproot to fit a small hole; dig deeper instead.
When to Plant or Move a Pawpaw
Transplanting is most successful in spring, when new growth starts or soon after.13Kentucky State University. Pawpaw Planting Guide Aim to plant around the time buds begin to swell and open. Spring timing depends on your climate, so watch the buds on a nearby pawpaw or your own tree rather than going by a fixed calendar date.
Summer is the worst bet. In one planting trial, trees set out in November or March all survived their first months, but about a quarter of June-planted trees died over the same period.14Acta Horticulturae. Pawpaw Root System: Planting, Transplanting, and Care Two years later most trees at every planting date had died back, though fall and spring plantings regrew from the base far more often than June ones.15Acta Horticulturae. Pawpaw Root System: Planting, Transplanting, and Care Fall trees did as well as spring trees early on, but the best-tested advice still favors spring, as growth begins. If you must plant later than ideal, water deeply on a regular schedule and shade the tree.
If a tree dies back, leave the root in place for a season. Keep watering and mulching, and new shoots may appear from the base.
How to Plant Without Hurting the Taproot
Dig a hole deeper than the pot so the taproot hangs straight down. Slide the tree out whole rather than pulling it by the stem, because the taproot is the tree’s food store, and breaking it is the main cause of failure.16PawpawSeeds.com. Pawpaw Root System: Planting, Transplanting, and Care
In practice, dig a hole about twice the pot’s depth and loosen the bottom. Set the tree at the same depth it grew in the pot, then backfill with native soil, firming gently. Water slowly to settle soil around the roots, and add mulch, keeping it off the stem.
Some habits from other potted plants cause harm here. Teasing apart the roots snaps the brittle ones, planting too shallow bends the taproot, and heavy fertilizer at planting can burn tender roots.
To move an established young tree, dig wide and especially deep, keeping as much root as possible.17Houzz. Ordered bare-root paw paw. Are they doomed? Water the day before so soil clings to the roots. For a sucker, cut down beside it with a spade well back from the stem and lift a deep plug of soil, not just the stem. Expect losses even when you’re careful.
A newly planted pawpaw may sulk with little visible growth while the root settles in, and that is not by itself a sign of failure. A stake is rarely needed for a small tree, but if the site is windy, a loose tie that lets the stem flex avoids tugging on the root.
Soil, Water, and Mulch for Healthy Roots
Good drainage is essential to pawpaw success, and pawpaws will not thrive in heavy or waterlogged soil.18Kentucky State University. Pawpaw Planting Guide They do best in deep, loamy soil high in organic matter,19Peterson Paw Paws. Growing Conditions and a soil pH of 5.5 to 7.0, slightly acid to neutral, suits them.20Peterson Paw Paws. Growing Conditions
You can check a site before planting. Fill a hole with water; if it is still standing after a day, drainage is poor. A home soil test or extension kit gives pH, and raised mounds can help on heavy clay. Look at what grows well nearby, too: a spot where water pools after rain, or where the soil cracks hard in dry weather, is a warning sign for a tree that needs both drainage and depth. If a shovel hits rock, hardpan, or compacted subsoil a foot down, loosen it or choose another site, since the taproot needs room. Compost mixed into the whole planting area works better than rich soil in the planting hole alone, which can make roots stay inside the hole.
A layer of mulch over the root zone keeps soil moist and evens out its temperature,21Grower’s Solution. Pawpaw Tree Care Guide and pawpaws appreciate organic mulch.22Peterson Paw Paws. Growing Conditions Water a new tree deeply rather than in frequent sprinkles, and check the soil a few inches down before watering again. Soggy soil invites rot.
Pawpaws under drought shift growth heavily toward roots, raising root weight relative to the top almost fivefold in one study.23Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science. Drought and Flood Stress Effects on Plant Development and Leaf Water Relations of Five Taxa of Trees Native to Bottomland Habitats A drought-stressed young tree may therefore look stunted above ground while it invests below.
Shade Helps Young Roots Get Established
Pawpaw seedlings grown outdoors under shade made more leaves and more total growth than unshaded ones.24Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science. Incident Irradiance and Cupric Hydroxide Container Treatment Effects on Early Growth and Development of Container-grown Pawpaw Seedlings Young pawpaws are understory trees in the wild, so their seedlings are adapted to growing under taller trees. Under about 30 to 55 percent shade, root weight was double that of seedlings in full sun.25HortScience. 342 Shading Influences the Growth and Development of Pawpaw Seedlings Grown Outside Very heavy shade, around 80 percent, cut the share of growth going to roots in half.26Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science. Incident Irradiance and Cupric Hydroxide Container Treatment Effects on Early Growth and Development of Container-grown Pawpaw Seedlings Aim for partial shade, not deep shade.
In a yard, you can hang shade cloth of 30 to 50 percent over a frame, plant on the east side of a building, or plant under high tree canopy. Leaf scorch on bright days can be a sign of too much sun, though yellowing or slow growth can have other causes, such as poor drainage.
Remove shade gradually after the first year or two. Move to a lighter cloth or take it off for part of the day, because leaves grown in shade can scorch if exposed suddenly to full sun. A larger tree with a strong root system can handle more sun each year.
Root Rot and Other Root Problems
A water-loving soil organism can cause root rot in pawpaws, and the damage can show up on the trunk.27Extension Ask Extension. Damage to Pawpaw Tree It usually follows poor drainage or overwatering.28Extension Ask Extension. Damage to Pawpaw Tree
Warning signs include wilting even when the soil is wet, dark, soft roots or a discolored lower trunk, and leaves yellowing and dropping in summer. If you see them, stop watering and let the soil dry somewhat. Improve drainage or replant on a mound next spring, and pull back any mulch piled against the trunk.
Not everything in the soil is a threat. Beneficial soil fungi link with roots and let plants reach nutrients they couldn’t on their own.29The Survival Gardener. Homemade pawpaw fungi inoculant | The Survival Gardener Keeping organic matter and mulch around the tree supports that living soil.
Suckers, Patches, and Grafting
Wild pawpaws usually grow in patches under taller trees, likely spreading by shoots from their roots.30Journal of the Kentucky Academy of Science. Clonality of Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) Patches in Kentucky Of six wild patches tested, three were one clone and three held at least two different trees.31Journal of the Kentucky Academy of Science. Clonality of Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) Patches in Kentucky A patch may be one tree or several, which matters for fruit because pawpaws often need a second unrelated tree to set fruit.
A sucker shares roots with the parent, so cutting it free means cutting roots. Suckers from a single clone won’t pollinate each other, so for fruit, plant seedlings or two named varieties rather than relying on suckers from one tree. Removing unwanted suckers keeps a tree from becoming a thicket.
Whip-and-tongue grafting succeeded about 96 percent of the time, while chip budding worked about half the time and T-budding a quarter.32HortTechnology. Comparison of Grafting and Budding Propagation Techniques for Cultivars of the North American Pawpaw Home grafters should start with whip-and-tongue onto a well-rooted seedling.
Seedling trees vary in fruit quality, while a grafted named variety gives fruit true to the parent and bears known fruit sooner. The rootstock still has the same fragile taproot, so planting care is the same. Keep the graft joint, the swollen or angled spot low on the trunk, above the soil line so it stays visible and shoots from the rootstock below it are easy to spot. Any shoot that comes from below the graft is from the rootstock, so remove it rather than letting it take over the tree.