In other words you want to know of any success stories buying chance seedlings. I bought 2 healthy paw paw seedlings from a nursery at a farmers market. It was a decision I would never regret. It was said that they were selected from commercial parents and would probably be okay. When they grew and fruited I became impressed with the one that didn't have so many seeds and ripened so early. So in Sept last year I lined some up and took pictures and e-mailed them back to the nursery. Early Okay Paw Paw I know you can't see the seeds. At the time I never thought to open one because I never knew until October the other one had so many. It was when I was home (SW Washington state) from Alaska.

I hear they like full sun farther north, as mentioned above, but in my zone 8 location they like a little shade at no matter what age. They are just not happy in full sun in July here. While I never see dark green leaves on pawpaws anywhere, they are most definitely a yellowish green in summer in my yard, seemingly no matter how well I fertilize them (N, Mg, Fe, S, all suspects). They are less yellowish in shaded locations. Of course if specific plants are yellow just between the leaf veins they will respond to fertilization (I sprayed Peters, plus chelated iron, plus some Epsom salt and really don't yet know which is helping). I find it easy to grow pawpaws and get some fruit but hard to keep them looking fully happy. The partial shade helps. As does abundant mulch year after year. And I hand pollinate. This year for some reason was a good fruit-set year even before I got around to pollinating.

will take TIME for new leaf buds to form keep the faith & keep watering.....

mmmmm yeh well 50% hit rate sounds better than the current rate of about 10% or so of seeds planted turning into female trees. tried the rusty nail routine driven into male trees but that was a furphy lol. anytime i transplanted seedling all the roots looked the same to me but maybe just maybe hey. tried a bi-sexual one once was most dissapointed when it turned out to be a male it did fruit but nowhere near as prolific as female trees can. rang nursery who rang the growers and they said they could only guarantee a hit rate of 20% trees sold being truely bi-sexual or female. of course the red ones are i am told all bi-sexual sorts. have heard of people simply buying a yellow paw paw liking the taste and planting some seeds and getting predominately female trees. anyhow don't know if i have the patience for the pendulum thingy so will plant a wack of seeds and see waht happens. len