Phoenix Tropicals Gardening

[MKIVRYAN]

Bringing this thread back from the dead. Any update on Bob's papayas? Wondering if they came back or if he replanted. These are one of the hardest to grow tropicals for me so seeing these keeps me trying.

[myamberdog]

I'm glad you brought this back Mkivryan! I have a TR Hovey and someone, I think Saul said it was supposed to be a dwarf....It was planted as a seedling in November 2011......take a look! And sorry for the sideways view on the first picture....oh and that hand sized fruit you see set on June 2013 ( I etched the date on the trunk next to it). With our cooler winters it looks like it takes like 10-11 months from fruit set to ripe fruit. That's a long time!

MDoggie

(It's still mind-boggling to see Bob's Papaya TREES - wonder if they're still going vertical and producing....by the way, does anyone know how he picks them - was it by ladder?)

[MKIVRYAN]

Yours are not plants anymore they are trees! They look great. These have been tough for me but I keep trying.

[phoenixtropicals]

I think all of Bob's trees got hammered in one of those extreme freezes we had a couple of years ago. I also am not good with papayas, while others seem to do just fine. I'll keep trying though .

[Kyle_Davis]

Wow, I learned a lot reading this thread. I've killed a few papaya's already myself. Mostly due to over watering. I had a few in pots that made it through the winter just fine. Then I left them out when it rained about a month ago and they both got root rot and died. I've got a number of seeds to try again.

Also I bought a hovey from a guy in San Diego last year, but watered it directly on the roots, and that took it out. Now I know. Thanks for the info guys.

Also, those pictures of the HUGE papaya's is crazy! If I saw them from a distance I'd have thought palm trees.

[myamberdog]

KD - I try to plant my papayas on a mound now, with a watering moat (at least 10-12 inches away from the base) around it, if you can picture that. At least that way where the stem of the plant touches the dirt it has a chance to dry out if it gets wet, more quickly....yeah, winter watering is tricky but I think i have it down - still OK to water well, but keeps that stuff away from the trunk - just feed the roots on the outer edge of the plant and not near it.....if you can....then root rot is a much more distant possibility.....

You know I tried the winter before this last one NOT watering my large papayas much(for fear of root rot cuz I had lost some too) and all the fruit that wintered over on the tree and ripened the next spring were rubbery and dried out...so if you have fruit setting and growing on the trunk of the papaya, you have to give it enough water to keep it moist. My papayas I've had this spring, because I gave them more water over this last winter, have been sweet, juicy and deeeeeeee-LISH.....!

Just some words to the wise.....

m.a.doggy

[Kyle_Davis]

Thanks for the advise, I will keep that in mind! I'm going to start some seedlings here soon and see what happens. I might also try buying another Hovey.