Pollination isnt the problem. My sunflower pawpaw is now 3 years old, and a little over 6 feet tall. I produced its first flowers this year and lots of gnats and other things were hitting the flowers pretty good, and there were dozens of blossoms. Most of them formed a fruit very small just like the picture the other poster above posted. They all fell off except for one. It is now around the size of a quarter and appears that it will be staying for good now. I think its just an issue of trees being very young to hold the fruit maybe. I expect a better crop next year. Im satisfied that it is gonna bear anything at all this early and is putting on good growth in branches and height. I believe growing conditions etc. determine when and how the trees will produce their first crops. I had been fertilizing mine according to recommendations and watering during dry spells etc. Someone who might not take as good care of their tree or in poorer soils might not get their first fruit till a couple of years later. There also was no pollinator for this tree, it self pollinated. Im in the middle of town and know there is not another pawpaw for miles at least.

Mike, If the tree/bush has been in the ground for 4 years, the trimming that you did should not hurt the tree. If you want to prune the roots as you suggested, do not get too close to the tree, I would maybe only use your spade in arcs, but not the whole circle. Think about a pizza with every other piece removed. Just a caution, though: that process may create small trees to force from the roots that are severed but left in the ground. I think the others who were interested in your cuttings were talking about the trimming that you already made, and possibly threw on your compost pile. I don't think they wanted you to cut into your already trimmed tree. To many of us, that is the least expensive way to increase our varieties (and fun, it doesn't take much to excite a plant lover!) Barb

Tissue cultured plants can be made virus, blight, and bacteria free in the process of propagation. However, if a nursery gets virus free tissue cultured trees and puts them next to ones that have the virus, then, they get it, too. I also see people on here complaining that it takes forever for TC figs to produce, or that they never do, or that you can take a cutting from one and the cutting will produce before the original tree. Another thing people complain about with TC plants is that they are tiny. They start out as a few cells. I have bought TC muscadines and the vines were about the size of a matchstick and the roots were in a bag with much less potting medium than a sandwich bag would hold. But they caught up with the same variety purchased at the same time in half gallon pots within 3 months. I have no reason to believe my fig trees are virus free, so I'm not worried about it. But if I was starting out, I would have nothing but TC plants guaranteed to be virus free.

I need some dogs like yours to keep the raccoons, deer, and squirrels away Martin. Then maybe I could have a fine looking ripe fig like that one.