Growing pawpaw trees, relocating grapevines

The pawpaw tree has banana-flavored fruit, maroon flowers and large, drooping dark green leaves. Credit: Missouri Botanical Garden Photos
I have been introduced to the pawpaw plant (and have eaten the delicious fruit it produces) and was told it can grow successfully on Long Island.
I plan to purchase two small trees to plant this spring. I would appreciate any information you could give me that would help in growing the pawpaw successfully on Long Island. I have only read general directions, so I need help from start to finish. If they produce any fruit, I promise to send you some. - Sharon Eckhaus, Holbrook
Yes! You can grow a pawpaw here on Long Island. The deciduous, pyramid-shaped tree, Asimina triloba,also is called Hoosier banana, poor man's banana or false banana, and has large, drooping dark green leaves that measure up to 12 inches long and 5 inches wide.
Interesting but off-smelling 2-inch-wide maroon flowers grow directly from branches in spring, giving way to heavy 3- to 5-inch elongated, banana-flavored fruits, which grow in clusters and become dark and crinkled as they ripen. The highly nutritious creamy fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals and amino acids, and can be eaten out of hand or cooked in recipes calling for bananas.
Natural compounds present in the tree are used to produce organic insecticides, so it is naturally pest-resistant. A compound in the leaves also is being studied for its anti-carcinogenic capabilities. Fall foliage is yellow, and the trees usually top out at around 15 to 20 feet tall with an equal spread, though they can grow larger. Just to be clear, papaya trees sometimes are called pawpaw, too, but they cannot be grown on Long Island.
I'm glad you're planning to get two, because one alone won't bear fruit. Be sure to get two different cultivars to ensure the cross-pollination necessary for fruiting. Look for container-grown trees, as opposed to those that have been field grown, dug up and balled-and-burlapped, because pawpaws have a long taproot that can be damaged when removed from the ground.
Space trees 8 feet apart in fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic (5.5-7 pH) soil in an area that offers some protection from wind. Water after planting and regularly for the first year or two until established, adding a 20-20-20 fertilizer monthly throughout spring and early summer.
Mature trees thrive best in full sun to partial shade, with the best fruit production in full sun. However, young transplants need some sun protection for the first year or two. If you plant them in full sun, set a light-filtering screen over them until they're established. As far as care goes, there are no special requirements, but you'll have to prune out suckers regularly to retain a tree form and prevent a pawpaw patch if you don't want one.
If you find fruit production to be lacking, hand pollination might be called for. It's a simple process that involves using an artist's paint brush to transfer the yellow dusty pollen from one flower to the shiny green stigma of another. Pawpaws are very easy to grow. The only problem will be keeping birds, raccoons and squirrels from getting to the sweet, custard-textured fruit before you can send me one.
I have two grapevines I planted two years ago that I believe are Concord vines. They were tiny little canes from my grandmother's yard, and each has grown to about 5 feet tall, 6 to 8 feet wide. I am relocating in February to another town on Long Island and would very much like to transplant the vines when I move. Since they are much larger now, what are my options given the time of year? - Scott Cooper, Middle Island
Transplanting grapevines can be an iffy affair, as it's difficult not to disturb their large taproots when digging them up. Cutting the vines back (and accepting you'll have to sacrifice grapes for a couple of years) will increase the odds of long-term success.
The best time to transplant grapevines is in late winter while they're still dormant. You'll be a little early, but you don't really have a choice. Wait until moving day, and prune the vine all the way back to one strong cane, leaving just two buds. This will let the plant concentrate its energy on re-establishing its roots when replanted.
Dig up a larger area than you think necessary, so as to minimize the inevitable root damage. Hopefully, the ground won't be frozen solid. Set roots in a large pail of water and drive directly to the new site. They can soak for up to eight hours.
Dig a hole as deep as the roots and twice as wide, and plant, spreading the roots out into the soil. Don't be tempted to trim the roots. Backfilling the hole with compost mixed with soil will give the plant a nutritional boost. Water well and keep moist throughout the growing season. Prune again the following winter. Good luck!
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