Papaya 101 "My Experiences"

Jeanne - here's a nurse shark, its not a great shot, but will give you the idea. They are real sharks, they're just scavengers...they prefer to sit on the bottom and wait for food to fall to them, rather than go out and get it. Fairly timid....will leave the area if anything they are threatened by is near. That's why I called them "tame".

Randy - what great info! If I could just figure out what to do about the smell, I'd have a wealth of fertilizer! Maybe mix the fish with charcoal briquets? Hmmmm.....

Interesting that you say that...charcoal and sulpher are nulifying agents

ooooh, it doesn't look tame to me! That's scary!

Randy - please elaborate ... nulifying? the benefits of the fish? or the smell?

Nah, Jeanne - she's the least scary of the sharks.

LOL...
You know the theory behind lighting a match in the bathroom. It is because sulpher cancels other smells out...in theory...charcoal absorbs oders...

Aha...that's where I was going with the thought. Glad to know I was on the right track.

Hey, Chrissy, so the "Choot" works well on the 'nanas' and so does the Papaya? Hi JR, great thread, I've been lurking your thread from day one. Thought, I'll finally come out and say hi to everyone. :-)

I'm not the purish of organic gardener, but this year I skipped the fert. and this is how my flowering vine responded to just compost, and little water. :-)

Oh Pardon, it's not JR. RJ, forgive me, not to change the subject, but I've my very first Papaya this summer. I'm hanging out here hoping to get some tips to overwinter it. :-)

Gorgeous Lily_love! Some things just want water, dirt and an occasional "gee you're pretty" to flourish. Welcome....no need to lurk, all voices are welcome in the Tropical Gardening Forum...and as you can see - so are all topics!

I've been away since the day you've got the Forum initiated. It's really up and running, we owe this one to you. Thanks Shari. Also, I've enjoyed your articles.
RJ, you pics. reflect a subtropical oasis! Way to go. I've seen your various posts, all beautiful lust planting. Congrats.

Thankyou very much!

This forum is a labor of love, and we have a great time! I'm glad you are finally able to join us!

This tropical Hibiscus does so well here year after years. So, I thought, growing papaya would be just the equivalence? I'm trying to sow some seeds at present, so hopefully they will sprout. RJ, may have to call on you for support here. :-)

texasgal,
I love your yard. It is very tropical.

you bet,
get them started asap while it's still got a couple of average long warm days left.

lovetropics, thank you!!!!!! We love it too! It's very relaxing. You really can get lost in time out there. It's very theraputic (sp)! I put on the Hawaiian music, light the tiki torches......so nice!

I'll bring the wine

OK!

Ahhh, so romantic, lovely, lovely. :)

That's cool looking..is it a dogwood?

No RJ, it's a Fall blooming perennial. Quite charming as you can see here. They begun to bloom around end of July, early August this year due to our drought. One of our hardy Autumn's mainstay in our garden. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/77290/

Oh wow..I did not recognize them at all. I love those, but we can only grow them in Feb and Mar here. I don't know if they will grow from those fuzzy seeds, but I saved the seeds from blue ones I had a couple years ago.

Some literature indicated that devision is best in the Spring for those Japanese species. I found out that's true. I've a small clump of this way back 2000, now I've them all around the garden. Plus extra to share with friends. Just shared some with LaRU DGers, they are taking off nicely, but slowly. Blue? Ah, now that's one of my fav. color!
RJ, you've mentioned that Papaya seeds germinate pretty easily. I'm trying them out with the coffee-filter method. Not sure I'm doing it right. But how "easy" is it? Care to share?
Here is another pink; Tickled Pink plumie. All you need is a lei's necklace to offer the lovely Texas beauty when you knock on her tropical garden gate. :-)

Yes, they were a vivid royal blue. I wonder if the seed sill grow...

I've not germinated papaya seeds in coffee filters before. I'd start some l with the coffee filte, and try others in a seed try. That should increase your chances. it's going to need the hot humid conditions. What is the coffee fliter method anyway?

Let me know how that goes...I would throw some seeds in seed try..Ideally bottom heat and a cover over the seed tray.


These smell like peaches...mmm

Very pretty - both of you. I often use the coffee filters...out here a heated bottom is not really needed...our weather is always warm.

How about an adenium obesum?

I have used them too, and baggies with papper towels,....but not on Papaya seeds.

Yes most of the time don't have to use bottom heat either, but Papayas really respond to higher heat it seems. I'm not sure what the temps are for her location right now..but I'm guessing it's cooling quite a bit.


Wow...very impressive...adenium obesum....but I call, and I'll raise you a Strophanthus preussii - Poison Arrow Vine

Shari, Those are beautiful! Adenium or Desert Roses second to Plumies only in fragrance. But the colors and beauty I rate the two size by side. :-)
RJ, thanks I'll transfer some of the Papaya seeds into pottings, temp. remains on the 90'ish outdoor, so try them without the heated mat? Maybe?

A darker pink version of plumie?

Now the above vine is exotic looking! Very nicely done, RJ!
Back to fragrance; Phillipine Jasmine (?), the mild but allure fragrance is so very lovely. :-)

Lily_love yes get them into the pot noe they shuld sprout pretty quickly....needing only warmth and humidity (if it is very dry make sure they stay moist)
Fish is a great fertilizer! bury it about a foot under anything you are planting...throw a little manure on it so as to deter any likely diners ....and anything you plant above it will leap out of the ground
as soon as the roots hit what the worms have done to it!

Those are beautiful Lily_Love! Plumerias have always been one of my favorites. We had two HUGE trees out in our front yard in Kailua, Oahu, Hawaii for about a year and a half before we got base housing. We made leis for all the occasions at school. It was so much fun. I was the official lei maker for the family. I was 13 and my sisters were only 6 and 4. We had a ball. I know it was better for my folks to take base housing, but I sure hated losing access to those plumeria trees.

I have several small trees, but not enough at one time to make even one lei.

When I graduated from high school in North Carolina in 68 my folks ordered me a double orchid Moana Loa Lei from Hawaii! It was so gorgeous!

Plumerias will always be one of my favorite flowers, of course the orchids, hibiscus....even more so than a rose. Just because of the thoughts of Hawaii.

Oh for the memories........

Phillipino Jasmine ....beautiful....could you please tell us the botanical name? if you know it?....it looks wonderful.
Love Japanese windflowers too...yours are just lovely

All of these tropical beauties are making me just green with envy...
77.....we made leis too as children ....I grew up just a few mins from Botany Bay and there were many beautiful frangipannis.....we played with them all the time......they are Summer!

Texasgal; you've been so blessed to have lived in Hawaii, one of the tropical Paradises. Ever decide to go there for a visit. Can you pack me in one of your suitcase? I'd love to go there too. lol.

Unnamed Hoya, while we're talking about the beautiful tropic.

Aloha to Chrissy from Australia! Long time no "type", I'll look the Jasmine up in mins. Chrissy, hang on.

I have the lovely hoyas too ...not flowering yet though

Ok, Chrissy here I believe this is the Jasmine. One of my friend is from the Phillipine, and once told me that the Jasmine is their National Flower, and that's the reason I called it Phillipino's Jasmine. :-)
Some also refers to them as Arabian Jasmine, so I'm not certain if the identity is absolute. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/55234/

Thanks L_l.....I thought it may be what we we refer to as Sambac jasmine here I have three different ones in very warm sheltered positions....Love them
Have a good one mate :)
chrissy :)

Right back at ya. :-)

Just read this thread....WOW...what great information.

rj...the only thing better looking than your garden is YOU!

What a neat bunch of folks....!!!!

Carol

blush

For those of you starting papayas from seed remember to let them dry out first as was suggested in Randy's first postings. I have heard this is the key. I've never had much luck with the seeds until I bought some this year. My dogs "helped" by opening the packet and "planting" them in my bed!! Luckily I was able to find many of them and have a number of them growing in ppots, waiting for thier permanent homes on the hill I am terracing. I also gave some away. Papaya do well here. I bought seeds for two kinds from India and I have seeds for three Solo varieties (the small Hawaiin ones). We only get the larger Mexican varities in stores here but they grow well here so I'm hoping to get some of the smaller, tastier ones growing here.

I should also add that I'm lucky that none of the seeds that the dogs scattered in my bed have sprouted and grown. I'm not much of a housekeeper!!