Hawaiian Papaya


I grow my papaya plants from seeds. They are mostly the small Solo papaya you get from grocery stores. After I opened the fruit and scooped the seeds out. I plants the plentiful seeds in the garden. Lot of seeds sprouted during the warmer months and grow rapidly reaching 1-2 feet by year end. Most of them succumb to the cold winter chills and died. But a few survived and bloomed. That’s when I found out papaya can have only male flowers, female flowers or both on the same plant. Unfortunately, the biggest papaya plant I have was female. So, although it started to flower in the second year, there was no fruit. Next year the male plant also flowered, but only when the weather really warmed up in July. Then I artificially pollinate the female flowers. The fruit started to grow until it turns cold. The fruit did not grow at all until nest May. Now the papaya plant is really tall (~10 feet tall) and it is a chore to pollinate and pick the fruit. I am considering top the female plant since it has several side shoots already.

The female papaya is quite fruitful. There are about 10 papayas on the plant right now. The fruit is quite delicious, although not as sweet as the truly mature papaya you get in Hawaii, but it is much better than the green papaya you get in the supermarket. I think it is because the coastal San Diego is not warm enough for the fruit to develop the full flavor and sweetness.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Hi, what fruit trees have you been successful with? I live in Coastal Del Mar, west of the 5 and have just planted a slew of exotic fruit trees in my yard, and am thinking of adding more. What mangos do you grow? You are quite close to me, anything that has worked for you will probably work for me.

Thanks very much
12:33 PM
Unknown said…
I love your blog. I, too, live in Carmel Valley (Torrey Hills to be specific). I also grow many subtropical and tropical fruits whic include acerola cherry, glenn mango,babaco and hawaiian solo papaya, pineapple, citrus, tropical guava, sea grape (not that edible). Good luck with the growing.
8:46 AM
Unknown said…
I love your blog. I, too, live in Carmel Valley (Torrey Hills to be specific). I also grow many subtropical and tropical fruits whic include acerola cherry, glenn mango,babaco and hawaiian solo papaya, pineapple, citrus, tropical guava, sea grape (not that edible). Good luck with the growing.
8:46 AM
Joe said…
Wow! That's amazing that you've had an luck at all growing them...I've heard they're very hard to grow in the state, even SoCal. Congratulations (and nice blog).

My blog:

http://coconutpalm.blogspot.com/
9:04 AM
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