papaya (forum)

Angela starts with ...
Can anyone tell me if there is a variety of papaya/pawpaw I can grow in a colder climate, also wet. We are in southern victoria on the coast

Time: 7th April 2011 5:13pm

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About the Author Angela2
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Phil@Tyalgum says...
The babaco is probaby your best bet, seems to do well in coastal areas if you can find a spot sheltered from the wind and enrich the soil a little. Mountain pawpaws do ok in Melbourne but are really only decorative.
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Time: 7th April 2011 5:48pm

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About the Author PhilTyalgum4
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John I. says...
Diggers were selling a red pawpaw a while back (but currently out of stock) that did fruit in southern Vic. If you can setup a micro climate then maybe one of Daleys red pawpaws will fruit.
www.diggers.com.au

Time: 7th April 2011 6:31pm

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About the Author JohnI
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trikus says...
True red papaya are very tropical and would not grow well even in sub-tropics .
And impossible in Vic .. must be some other sort of fruit .

Time: 8th April 2011 2:08pm

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About the Author Trikus
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John I. says...
Trikus from diggers website...

RED PAW PAW
Carica papaya 'Thai Red'
The sweet melting flesh of the Papaya is the epitome of exotic backyard Fruit, but you don't have to live in the tropics to enjoy home grown Papaya . We've grown this self-fertile Red Paw Paw south of Melbourne, so if you don't get frost and you choose a sheltered spot, it is worth a try.

Time: 8th April 2011 2:36pm

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trikus says...
hahah yeh right dodgy brothers retailers for sure ...worth a try at how much ??
seed seller even mentions that red flesh ones do better in the tropics.

Time: 8th April 2011 4:04pm

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About the Author Trikus
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Jason says...
When the bloke at diggers first got into growing rare fruit he was a bit (a lot) over optimistic about what he could grow. I'm 100% sure a lot of stuff he planted either hasn't grown or is long dead, I used to shake my head reading his articles about it in the newsletter knowing what was going to happen to them since I'd already killed all the same tender stuff years before. But we all get a bit overly excited in the beginning.

You can grow red papaya in a greenhouse and maybe even in the warmest inner suburb if you have it surrounded by brick pavers a pond and brick walls :).

Babaco and all? or at least most of the other related species can also grow outside in Victoria. But only about 5 or 6 species are sort of easily obtainable

Time: 8th April 2011 4:12pm

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John I. says...
Trikus/Jason you've destroyed my dreams of growing Red Paw Paw :(

Guess I'll have to stick with Babaco... maybe the taste will grow on me.

Time: 8th April 2011 4:21pm

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Jason says...
There are varieties of Red papaya that can get close that people grow in Southern Europe, South Africa etc, you could import the seed for those and should do ok in say Sydney-Adelaide-Perth but there doesn't seem to be one that will survive the damp ground over the long Winter in Melbourne

Time: 8th April 2011 5:35pm

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trikus says...
I was dissapointed that I could not grow red ones when I lived north of Brisbane .
Some fruits you just have to buy .
Support the tropical fruit growers from up here John . You are going very well with your bananas mate . Tried any fruits yet ?


Time: 8th April 2011 8:24pm

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About the Author Trikus
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John I. says...
Tried one last night. So I don't hijack this thread I'll post a description with picture in the lady finger banana thread. ( www.daleysfruit.com.au/forum/lady-finger-banana )

Time: 9th April 2011 8:37am

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About the Author JohnI
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denise says...
You can buy fancy hybrid papaya seed from alohaseed.com online. Their Red Queen variety grows extremely fast and tolerates some cool and shade.Sow in September, plant in February and put some temporary overhead shelter in winter.It is not a dwarf but the Improved Red Maradol is--- so suitable for in greenhouse or under eaves.but the Red Queen is much faster and bigger canopy. I can comment further after winter.The Gold Maradol can be fastish and may tolerate winter better..With soil that is highly enriched with organic material some better results will be forthcoming.

Time: 10th April 2011 3:51pm

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About the Author denise4
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kert says...
Why plant in February? Would it not be better to plant in Spring.?

Time: 10th April 2011 3:58pm

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trikus says...
Autumn planting gets plant establishing and growing slowly so fruit will form low down on plant . This is especially important in the tropics . Early spring planting can mean fruits forming 3m up !

Time: 10th April 2011 10:02pm

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denise says...
I am outside of the tropics and the garden has only become papaya friendly this year. Getting trees established fast is more an issue than early fruit at this stage. I will try growing plants big indoors over winter and plant out in spring as suggested. I have got some seeds started of a super dwarf variety that grows to 3 to 5 feet tall.They will be suitable for all year round polyhouse growing. Eventually I could match named variety with technique and position and plant outdoors in autumn as you do in the tropics.Thanks for the tip.

Time: 11th April 2011 9:39am

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snottiegobble says...
denise, how would you describe your climate in Auckland, on a par with Sydney maybe? Do you get frosts?

Time: 11th April 2011 9:55am

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kert says...
In temperate latitudes papaya does not grow from seed and fruit all in the same year. My impression from reading is that, like Denise, you grow one year either outside or protected, and then in the following year you get an early start outside with plants nursed through the winter under protection or from plants in green houses . You then repeat the cycle as fruited trees succumb during the ensuing winter.
I have papaya, grown from seed, that are 1.4 metres tall. There are maybe 30 and I will try and leave some outside with only plastic sheet thrown over them .

Time: 11th April 2011 2:14pm

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denise says...
Hi Snottiegobble, Auckland is similar to sydney but not extra hot or dry air. We are moderated by sea on both sides. Frost is closer to non existent due to infill housing and the sheltering trees and bush where I live. We now have no frost in the garden.and last winter my mamey sapote outdoors required no covering and sustained its flush of growth all winter. Also carambola next to house is covered in flowers right now. There are now papaya sprouting in the garden all by themselves so I can now grow them and make rich compost for them.

Time: 15th April 2011 9:48am

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snottiegobble says...
denise,sounds ideal for quite a number of subtropicals. its the blistering summer sun that is my problem & sometimes winter SW winds originally from the southern ocean! I havent experienced frost yet in my garden! I will erect a protective plastic cover over the papaya & hope for the best. This summer its flowers never really opened before going brown.

Time: 15th April 2011 1:13pm

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denise says...
I would think that in a hot and dry place the plants would respond to consant trickle irrigation and would be great for pistachio and date palms.

Time: 16th April 2011 7:11am

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Olga says...
Red Papaya grows well in Brisbane so I don't think it needs tropical climate.

Time: 17th April 2011 9:47pm

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snottiegobble says...
Olga, going by the the latitude lines on the map, we are approx, opposite Orange, NSW so if red papayas flourish there we may have a fighting chance!

Time: 18th April 2011 10:13pm

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Jason says...
If I were in Perth the first things I'd plant would be Mango and Papaya, just saying :) because I'd be quite confidant on both of those with that much heat. You have to remember during the growing season, Southern latitude places have hours and hours longer days than the tropics plus more extreme heat. It means you can get away with growing lots of things. In the Valley of California you can get away with growing almost anything and that place is pretty much 40 degrees North but has the heat and day length to get away with it

Time: 19th April 2011 3:58am

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snottiegobble says...
Jason, thats something I didnt think of, daylight hours! The local nursery & bunnings sell a Kensington mango over here that is supposed to grow & produce fruit in cool areas, but I havent seen any grown trees or fruit yet.

Time: 19th April 2011 11:42am

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Jason says...
I've met people online in and around Perth with fruiting mangos a few times and also in Adelaide. Mildura is the only place along that latitude I don't know of any but I can't see why it wouldn't be possible. Kensington pride grow true from seed anyway so it's easy to get one of them. Valencia is it? that's a little more cool torrent I think, one or two are anyway. There's some small towns a couple hundred ks South of Mildura, when you pass through those and see orange trees all over the place as the most common backyard tree. That's when you know you are in a place with some serious heat to attempt some of the more difficult sub tropicals. You can see Oranges here too... but only in backyards of the extremists and believers :p.

I heard a fairly reliable story of a fruiting mango right up beside the side of a house in Geelong (fruiting about 10 fruit a year), that's the only one I've ever heard of in Southern Victoria. But I wouldn't be surprised if there are a few trees with small amounts of fruit on them in suburban Melbourne, it's a big place so you can never discount miracles in there

Time: 19th April 2011 1:43pm

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About the Author Jason
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J says...
One of our friends is dating a Bee keeper who lives and works in mildura. I've had a chat with him about some of the crops they grow there and he has confirmed farmers do grow mangoes and yes, they do fruit on a regular basis and yes, the fruit does taste good & is sold commercially. He stated when they get nasty frosts and this can damage both the mango & avocado trees they have growing there. Other crops that grow really well in Mildura: Jujube. Stuff that's been tried and failed: Black Sapote.

Time: 19th April 2011 2:58pm

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Garden says...
I have several papaya trees in the garden but only one has a fruit and the rest has only flowers. I attempted pollinating the trees some months back when I noticed that there were only flowers on the trees. Is there something I should/can do to achieve more fruits? Thanks.

Time: 12th May 2015 9:56am

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denise1 says...
The tree is most probably a male. You can tell that if the flowers are narrow and hanging down in bunches. So it will not fruit unless perhaps it has a gender change. Dont chop it out as it may be pollenating some or all of the fruiting trees. Female flowers are single or in tight bunches close to the trunk and they are plump with a small fruit inside the flower. They need to be pollenated. There are trees that are bisexual so can pollenate themselves or other fruit bearer flowers. It is good to plant more papaya plants than you need so you can cull unwanted plants such as excess males.

Time: 12th May 2015 10:26am

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Waterfall says...
Can anyone tell me if this is a female or a bisexual flower please?
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 12th May 2015 12:11pm

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MIke T1 says...
Shaping up as a bisex.A wider photo would make it easier.

Time: 12th May 2015 5:53pm

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Waterfall says...
Many thanks Mike, I'll get a better photo tomorrow.

Time: 12th May 2015 8:28pm

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Waterfall says...
A slightly wider angle of the flowers.
Pictures - Click to enlarge

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Time: 17th May 2015 1:33pm

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About the Author Waterfall
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Markmelb says...
Heres a Pic I took this afternoon of my Dwarf Red fruit coming along - still oustide and handling 7c ok but will bring in when temps begin to go below 5c
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 17th May 2015 4:13pm

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davewastech says...
Doesn't look wide enough for a female flower, but papaya flowers seem to vary a bit (maybe depends on variety?)

I'd like to point out that (in Sydney or Perth) while papaya trees do well from about October to May, they suffer badly during the colder months. The problem then is that the fruit may never ripen because the growing season is too short. ie the tree's soft leaves get battered badly over winter and takes a few months to recover then flower and fruit. But by the time the fruit approach full size it's winter and the fruit won't ripen; they just get sadder looking with lots of black spots. By spring these fruit are just about hopeless. Solution to the problem is eat your papayas green - eg Thai Green Papaya Salad - quite nice.

I've grown Southern Red papayas in Chatswood (Sydney) and a similar variety in Perth near north facing brick walls. The Perth ones did better because the micro-climate in my backyard was very suitable - ie well sheltered from Perth's strong winds on all sides. We got to eat those ones ripe. But my Sydney papayas I mainly eat green, except a small percentage that look like they may ripen.

So I think even Sydney is difficult. Melbourne? - that's a challenge!

Time: 17th May 2015 6:23pm

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Markmelb says...
Yes - it is a challenge - luckily i like Thai green papaya salads - not so much in winter but would go well as entree before a Tom Yum soup as have to use up my galangal and ginger soon and cut leaf coriander

Time: 17th May 2015 6:36pm

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Waterfall says...
Great info, thanks. I might put one of mine in my greenhouse to give it a head start for spring.

Time: 17th May 2015 10:16pm

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davewastech says...
So how do you get a papaya to survive the winter in places that are quite cold in winter? eg Melbourne? (One of my Southern Reds died last winter - roots went rotten - and the minimums here didn't go under about 4 degrees C)

Time: 25th May 2015 11:31am

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denise1 says...
You can grow them against a sunny wall with eaves and in a container of a mix that drains well. Also deflect extra rainfall away from getting into the mix or ground. The most salubrious approach is to graft the tropical pawpaw onto a babaco or mountain pawpaw stock. Because the hollowness of the scion can get infected and rot, the scion can be a 15cm seedling or a similar sized sidesprout from a tree as they are not hollow. The parts all need washing for some 5 minutes to clean away all sap that would otherwise cause rot. Then bind it well with plumbers threadseal tape. thats what I use and different brands vary in quality. I then put in some small bamboo stakes around it and place a plastic sleeve around it to hold in the moisture. The best hood height seems to be about 40cms. The results have been around 80%. After all that you wont get any root rotting. Now you just have to avoid the top going rotten. Being under eaves there should be less wetness on the leaves. Also avoid cluttering of plants in the vicinity to allow for air ventilation.

Time: 25th May 2015 1:17pm

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Markmelb says...
The main thing to get them thu winter in melbourne is water very little - same as for Frangipani - remember it is the Dry Season up North - how would you like your feet soaking in cold wet socks conditions - your feet would rot too :)

Time: 25th May 2015 7:00pm

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davewastech says...
Thanks Denise and Mark. We did get about 200mm rain last August, and shortly afterwards one Southern Red died of root rot. My papayas are against a north-facing brick wall, but still can get wet and windy.
Interesting re grafting onto babaco.

Time: 25th May 2015 7:57pm

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Shabaz says...
my papaya a hybrid red lady is not fruiting and the other one curles leafs

Pictures - Click to enlarge

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Picture: 2

Time: 28th December 2018 8:15pm

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Danny333 says...
Hi Shabaz,

The trick to growing good papayas is heaps of manure & compost, they are very hungry plants. Don’t over water them in winter as this will lead to root problems. Also keep an eye out for nematodes as they love papaya.

I’m currently growing Red Lady and an unknown orange variety. The orange one is superior in flavour and productivity to the Red Lady. It has no musky aftertaste and it’s flavour has a hint of passion fruit in it, very nice! I propagate this one through cuttings to keep its unique traits.
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Time: 29th December 2018 11:43pm

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