He sells out early typically. Order now (you won't be charged yet) for shipment in a year from this spring. The several that I have eaten (forget which selections) are better than any other pawpaw I've had (though "Mango" comes close, and as others have mentioned there is not a huge range).

Peterson Pawpaws currently has "PLEASE SEND NO NEW ORDERS" posted on their order page, so unless there is an alternate souce, I don't think ordering now is an option. Also, I have heard that Peterson may not stay in business. That information may be incorrect, but it does seem possible given the message on the ordering page.

Nolin River Nut Tree Nursery has been mentioned on this forum as a possible future source for Peterson's varieties. Again, I have no idea if that information is accurate. They aren't currently listed on the Nolin River website.

What I referred to was the way it has been for a number of years. Apparently it has changed. He mentioned to me maybe a year ago that he was having trouble finding help at a critical season. I forget whether it was grafting or lifting/shipping.

If you contact John Britton at Nolin River nursery in Upton, KY he should be able to tell you when he will have Petersons varieties available. My guess is 2011 but thats only a guess. There is also a wholesale nursery that will be carrying his varieties but I do not remember the name. And you probably would have to order in large quantity.

Thanks everyone. I'll try to contact Nolin River when I order some trees from them and let you know. Not being able to get Peterson's trees just makes me want them even more. I'm starting to think this is a marketing gimmick!

I spoke with Nolin River concerning Peterson Pawpaws. I'm informed that they are getting scion wood from Peterson this year and will most likely have the grafted trees available next spring, 2009. I begged for some scion wood, but alas, no luck :) I'm happy that at least Peterson's pawpaws just didn't disappear from the face of the earth. Again, thanks everyone for the advice.

Oh yeah, does anyone have scion wood of some named varieties that they are willing to part with? Of course, I wouldn't want Peterson's varieties because I respect his patent and hard work. More than happy to send SASE WITH S+H. Thanks. Ken

I have quite a few selections but I am losing plants each year to an unknown malady and am afraid it may be that poorly understood pawpaw decline disease. I don't want to spread it.

Fly,
Are you interested in wild Pawpaws(I assume wild)? I have a couple large groves that produce quite well and they are very plentiful.

Hey Gonebananas, or anyone else that might know, how widespread is the the mystery pawpaw decline disease thought to be? Are the result seen at the NCGR, where certain varieties appear resistant, consistent at other sites? Anyone know how Peterson's varieties fair?

I've lost one Peterson selection (will need to look at the tag) and had another one not look at all happy last year (lost all its leaves but put out another batch late in the season). We will have to see this year. Mainly I'm seeing it in ones not from him. The blue staining I see in inner bark is consistent with the decline but not diagnostic (other stresses reportedly can cause it). All I can find on the web about the decline is in that one now-dated initial published article (link below). Good luck in getting any more info from the Kentucky researchers. I've gotten no response at all from several inquiries. http://www.pawpaw.kysu.edu/PDF/postman03.pdf

Unfortunately, any plant I get interested in soon runs into trouble (lethal yellowing and now a bug in palms; anthracnose in dogwoods, or at least I think that is what is killing the edible ones; rumors of a wild persimmon disease headed this way and a definite sudden-collape disease problem with asian persimmons here in the SEUS). I now fear for pears. It is perhaps a subset of the condition I see more generally: any traffic or grocery store lane I select soon slows down or gets impeded somehow.

That's depressing! Here I was trying to concentrate on trees to get my mind of of the Yellowstone-type super-volcanoes, giant meteors, up-and-coming pandemic diseases, the potential massive tsunamis on both coasts, and North Korea.

Gonebananas, Where in the southeast are you located? I am quite sorry to hear of you losing pawpaws. I have heard reports of at least one other grower in southeastern NC having trouble growing them and the NC State trial plantings were a disaster from what I have heard. I hope they soon get to the bottom of whatever the problem might be. I noticed you like growing palms, I do to. Are you a member of the southeastern palm society?

I'm right in the center of SC, right on the fall-line. Next year I will make some attempt to get into cold hardy palms, though I already have the routine ones (jelly, windmill, dwarf palmetto [S. minor], needle, European fan). I'd like the silver and bluish palmettos (Serenoa). Decades ago I lived in S FL and had 110 species of palms. I was a member of the regular palm society then. I will probably join the SEPS fairly soon.

BTW: what I have may not be the typical pawpaw decline, I simply don't know, but it is a progressive wasteing disease, from the outer leaves back down branches and I do see that blue under the bark. I'll try to pay better attention to details this year. Assessment of my situation is complicated by having many in pots, but in good soil.

I hope you will join SPS as I know you would like it. There are many members from your neck of the woods and the meetings/plant sales are fantastic.

At that PawPaw Seminar at KSU last fall, Neal said that he contracted with two nurseries that knew how to grow good roots. I asked him in an email later for clarification and he said (I'm sure he won't mind me quoting him)

"I am hoping that the nurseries will have my trees for sale/delivery in 2010. ThatÂs what weÂre working towards. The two nurseries are Forrest Keeling and Nolin River Nut Nursery. Your comments about lurking on plant forums make me realize I should do the same ... I guess I just canÂt keep up with the things IÂm doing already to take on new activities."

Here are the links to those nurseries although they don't yet list Peterson's varieties:

Forrest Keeling Nursery

Nolin River Nut Nursery

I hope this helps,
Ron

Hi,
I recently discovered this wonderfull plant and I would like to add two of them to my collection.
I live in Spain, and unfortunately the US nurseries don't ship internationally. What I've found here in Europe is some plants from seed (so I doubt about their properties). I know Neal Peterson have the best varieties, and I would like to get some scions or wooden parts to be grafted.

If there were someone interested in selling me some scions or wooden parts, I would pay generously.
Don't hesitate in putting in contact with me at manuel.conde.porteiro@gmail.com.
Thanks in advance .

Just to give you a head's up, Manuel, Neal asks that folks don't infringe upon his years of selections by selling scions...or at least paying him a fee if this is done. Most folks admire what Neal has accomplished, and is trying to do, to honor this request.

-Bruce

The impression I got from my correspondance with Neal regarding using scions is that he would prefer that if material is going to be provided for grafting that it come from him.

I'm afraid he's probably too busy to hassle with international orders though :(

Ah! such a great product; everyone wants and only a few are able to get... I really, really, want THIS!

Murky, Neal told me the opposite -- he didn't want to sell scion. This was a few years ago so maybe he changed his mind recently. I have his original three varieties and gave up on getting his newer ones.

Scott

Most pawpaws come fairly true from seed, so the best way to send this material overseas would be seeds, which are not under patent protection. All three of my Peterson pawpaws have set small fruits. These were hand-pollinated with each other, so I should have some good seeds come fall. It is important to make sure the seeds never dry out, or they will quickly begin to lose viability.

The sale or trade of Peterson seeds may obey the letter of the law, but not the spirit. I would hope that Neal would be compensated, whatever the material exchanged.

-Bruce

When I said "I would pay generously" I meant that I'm commited to pay to Peterson too. I love plants, so I love people who makes that other people like me can enjoy with them. I'm payed for my work and I think that Peterson's work deserves a reward too. I'm not trying to pirate other person's efforts. I'm just trying to get the best cultivars.
I've been recently talking to Neal. He is trying to bring his cultivars to Europe, but we have to wait 3, 4 or more years (I don't know why). If somebody is going to sell me some parts of the Peterson's cultivars, I'll put in contact with Neal first in order to he stablishes the correspondent fee.

Bruce, my view of the spirit of the law is that only varieties deserve protection, not seeds. It would put a big damper in the ability to develop new varieties if seeds were also under patent. Neal deserves his rightful years of patent protection on his varieties, no more no less.

Scott

Scott, I've sent you an email.

Scott, you are 100% correct. It was clearly determined when the plant patent law was put into effect that seeds should not be covered under the law. And, just like you said, if seeds were protected, new development would be inhibited. The main focus for the plant patent law was to encourage innovation. The seeds from a patented plant do not produce that plant and so are completely legal and ethical to grow and distribute.

Brandon, are you sure about this? I think there are some significant lawsuits and court cases involving genetically modified soybeans created by the giant seed corporations. The farmers distributing and even simply growing the seeds they produced were hit pretty hard, as I remember.

Seeds are not covered under plant patents, IF they are used for research purposes. However, seeds can not be saved and used for agricultural purposes, if the variety is patented.

Marc, you are confusing the Plant Variety Protection Act and/or law regarding patents on genes with Plant Patents. The PVPA and "gene patents" could not apply here.

Olpea, you are mistaken. It makes no difference under plant patent law whether or not the plant is being reproduced for research purposes and plant patents do not cover seeds at all. Maybe you are also getting aspects of the PVPA mixed up with plant patents?

I believe Brandon is correct -- when you file for the patent you must file for a PPA or a PVPA. I believe all the PP numbered ones offer PPA protection only. For PVPA you get what is called a PVPA certificate.

Scott

You're right, it appears general PP only protect against asexual reproduction. Glad to know that. Thanks.