Pawpaw fruit at farmers' market in Frankfort, Kentucky.
certification...but must comply with the applicable organic production and handling requirements." Products from such operations cannot be used as ingredients in processed organic products produced by another handling operation. So growers who have small pawpaw operations whose gross agricultural income from organic sales totals $5,000 or less annually can sell organically grown pawpaws at farmers' markets, to restaurants, and via the Internet without going through the certification process, but must still comply with the organic production and handling requirements. Wild pawpaws labeled and sold as organic must be harvested from an area that has had no prohibited substance in the standards applied for a period of 3 years preceding harvest. The wild pawpaw fruit must be harvested in a manner that will not be destructive to the environment and will sustain continued growth and production.
Organic pawpaw culture. The main problems faced in organic production of pawpaw are: weed control, nutrient management, and to a lesser extent, disease and pest control. Pawpaw is a unique native tree fruit that is resistant to many diseases and insect pests, making this crop attractive to organic growers. Here are some items to keep mind before you start planting your trees:
Establishing an orchard. An orchard site that would be suitable for growing pawpaw or other tree fruits includes good air drainage for frost protection, a deep, fertile, well-drained soil, with a pH 5.5-7.0, and a water source for irrigation. Low areas should be avoided, since cold air will pool in these areas and increase the risk of spring frost damage to flowers and vegetation. Site preparation is extremely important for any organic operation. The presence of certain weed species is of particular concern to the organic grower. Bermuda grass, Johnson grass, quack grass, Canadian thistle, and several other species can be serious problems to growers and are difficult to control with organic methods once an orchard is established. It is important that organic orchard sites are chosen that do not have these weed species at the start. If these weed species are at your orchard site and you do not want to resort to conventional approaches prior to beginning a three year transition period, there are several options. One organic option is soil solarization. Soil solarization is using transparent plastic on moist soil and sun light to capture solar heat energy. Solarization takes 4 to 8 weeks to heat the soil to a temperature
includes good air drainage for frost protection, a deep, fertile, well-drained soil, with a pH 5.5-7.0, and a water source for irrigation. Low areas should be avoided, since cold air will pool in these areas and increase the risk of spring frost damage to flowers and vegetation. Site preparation is extremely important for any organic operation. The presence of certain weed species is of particular concern to the organic grower. Bermuda grass, Johnson grass, quack grass, Canadian thistle, and several other species can be serious problems to growers and are difficult to control with organic methods once an orchard is established. It is important that organic orchard sites are chosen that do not have these weed species at the start. If these weed species are at your orchard site and you do not want to resort to conventional approaches prior to beginning a three year transition period, there are several options. One organic option is soil solarization. Soil solarization is using transparent plastic on moist soil and sun light to capture solar heat energy. Solarization takes 4 to 8 weeks to heat the soil to a temperature
Use of tree shelters with pawpaw trees.