Anyone want a papaya tree?

[Jerry]

I've got a bundh of them that have sprouted from my compost.
The seeds are from my own tree that I planted last spring...it survived Gustave, the winter snow, etc.
I'm still eating papyas that had set last fall!
If you live north of Vets or better, north of W. Esplanade, it could survive our mild winter.
If you want one let me know and I'll bring it to our store

email me at jasherlock@aol.com

[justagirl]

I have no green thumb but have recently started trying to plant herbs and veggies...the ones on the window sill survive but the ones in the window box outside fry while I'm gone during the day....how would I go about this papaya tree? Would I need to have it in a planter for a while then plant it in the yard? How big does a papaya tree get? I'm curious and might be willing to give it a shot.

[Jerry]

Would I need to have it in a planter for a while then plant it in the yard? How big does a papaya tree get? I'm curious and might be willing to give it a shot.I put some in small pots today. They could stay in them for a few weeks but they grow quickly.
They get up to 10-12 ft. tall and need about a 5' diameter space in the ground.
Let me know if you want some and I'll bring them to the store.

[Isabella Maja]

Jag, we both have the kind of yard that is perfect for papaya trees.

They're beautiful. If we have a hard freeze, they are not so pretty, but they usually come back. My neighbor in Lakeview was a horticulturist, and Cuban and his yard which I viewed from my LR & was back to back with my yard was like a tropical paradise.

[justagirl]

I think I would Jerry...but I have to figure out when I can get over there....I'll let you know when I can. Thanks :)

[Isabella Maja]

Jag, if Jerry would allow . . . maybe we could just meet up for lunch one day.

[Jerry]

I finally got around to posting a photo..if it works.
The ladder is 6'.
Sorry about the tiny photo....I need to figure this out again

Jag...how are your papayas?...some of my transplants fizzled.
I have more....

[justagirl]

Wow that's tall!

My three are doing well. I want to get some great big pots and replant them this week. I have a bunch of gardening to do this week. Was going to get it done today but one of my friends got me all drunk and staying up late last night....lol

Thanks again Jerry. Love my new shoes too! :)

[Jerry]

Now I get it...the thumbnail is to be clicked on for the photo enlarge
Notice my plastic owl (on the first photo)to keep birds and squirrels away...it works!
Here's a shot of the papayas:

[Admin]

And, if you click on the enlarged photo, you'll get the full-sized version in a frame by itself. Nice tree.

[Jeeves]

JAG will have to get her pool boy to climb the tree and throw the papayas down to her. Oh, and she'll have to get a pool, too.

[justagirl]

I love you Jeeves!

[Jeeves]

I love you Jeeves!

http://images29.fotki.com/v6/photos/7/77640/753362/9-vi.gif

[Isabella Maja]

Thanks for the seeds, Jerry.

Just wanted to give you the heads up I planted them.
Also planted other plants as well.

Some running onion, patchouli, spotted mint, Thai ginger, Hass avocado, merliton, tumeric, basil, hibiscus and night blooming jasmine.
Tomorrow, will plant a fragrant white ginger. It feels so good to be gardening again! I have some palms to plant, but might wait til late August.

Anyone have any patio furniture they want to get rid of??? :)

[Isabella Maja]

Hey Jerry,
Thanks again for the papaya seeds. I planted them in ground because I knew I was leaving town & that would be the best survival method.

Well, I'm back & all the rain we got while I was gone certainly helped.
I planted 3 sets. Two of the sets made it & I have 2 papaya trees that look like this!

Thanks so much! If you have any more seeds, I'd love to come get some before the weather cools off too much. At 78 degrees around 1am this morning I was actually chilly.
I need to plant some seeds in a pot to give to my mama!

[Isabella Maja]

Here's the one that I got from a friend who was moving a month ago.
It was about the size of the ones I have from seeds that I got from you.
It's over 6 ft now & they are budding! I am so excited!

Jerry, you have no idea how much your gardening encouragement has meant for me!

[Schuarta]

Isabella. Nice looking plant - symetrical and growing well, nice looking fence - good wood and nice finish, nice looking grass - good green color and no sign of weeds. :bow:

[Isabella Maja]

Isabella. Nice looking plant - symetrical and growing well, nice looking fence - good wood and nice finish, nice looking grass - good green color and no sign of weeds. :bow:

Why thanks dawlin!
I did select most of those boards for the fence myself.
There were lots of rejects!

[Jerry]

Hey Jerry,
Thanks again for the papaya seeds. I planted them in ground because I knew I was leaving town & that would be the best survival method.

Well, I'm back & all the rain we got while I was gone certainly helped.
I planted 3 sets. Two of the sets made it & I have 2 papaya trees that look like this!

Thanks so much! If you have any more seeds, I'd love to come get some before the weather cools off too much. At 78 degrees around 1am this morning I was actually chilly.
I need to plant some seeds in a pot to give to my mama!

Isabella,
It looks like you have 3 or 4 trees in one spot!
they look good but really need about 6 feet of space each.

You could move some to another spot or a pot (they won't do very well unless it's a really big pot)....be careful to keep the dirt on the roots when transplanting.

I'm about to start harvesting some nice papayas...I'd be glad to give you one if you can make it to the store here....you would get hundreds of seeds from it.
Let me know.
You can call me at 304-0171

[Isabella Maja]

Isabella,
It looks like you have 3 or 4 trees in one spot!
they look good but really need about 6 feet of space each.

You could move some to another spot or a pot (they won't do very well unless it's a really big pot)....be careful to keep the dirt on the roots when transplanting.

I'm about to start harvesting some nice papayas...I'd be glad to give you one if you can make it to the store here....you would get hundreds of seeds from it.
Let me know.
You can call me at 304-0171

So what to do Jerry? Do I have to separate them? What will happen if I don't?

Yes, I have the space to move them. But now is not the best time for me to focus on that. Darn. So please do tell me if you know, what will happen.

Coincidentally, I stopped by your store this morning, hoping to catch you open. I'm rarely out that way. It was not quite 8:30am. Was thinking of getting a gift for my niece whose birthday is coming up. My sister is in town tho as of 8pm tonight just til Sunday . . . so maybe I could come by next week. Let me see what my schedule is like.

I would absolutely love to have a papaya. Will share with my mama &
plant some more seeds! This time I will plant in pots so it is easier to separate any multiples.

Thanks again!

[Jerry]

Isabella - sory we missed you but 10 AM is early enough for us!

Here are some photos of my papayas as of this morning:
The ladder is 8 feet tall....the dollar is not growing on the tree but for size reference....that tree is from last summer but did not flower until this spring
The tall one made it through last winter...even with snow on it.

It helps living a block south of the lake.

[Isabella Maja]

Thanks Jerry!

My papaya trees are growing rapidly!

A friend came over yesterday & wanted one so I was able to pull up 2 small ones that weren't yet firmly rooted (plus all the rain has helped & I had just watered) and gave them to her. She is so excited!

You were right, there are now 4 trees growing in one spot in each of those 2 spots. I tried moving one to see how firmly rooted it was & it is really in there. Now I don't know if I am creating a monster tree in 2 spots or what!

Any advice? I can't see digging them up now! And won't have time to do that either til next week.

Surely this happens when they are growing wild, right?

[Jerry]

You were right, there are now 4 trees growing in one spot in each of those 2 spots. I tried moving one to see how firmly rooted it was & it is really in there. Now I don't know if I am creating a monster tree in 2 spots or what!

Any advice?

Surely this happens when they are growing wild, right?

I haven't tried this yet....they may all be okay but it might look weird.
You could always cut one out if it gets damaged.
You may have solved the cross pollination problem.

[Isabella Maja]

I haven't tried this yet....they may all be okay but it might look weird.
You could always cut one out if it gets damaged.
You may have solved the cross pollination problem.

Thanks Jerry, for your reply.

I appreciate your comments, I never thought about cutting one out later!
Great idea!

Personally, I think they will look more lush, but we'll see.
I did think about pollination.

I spoke to a woman from the LSU Ag Center Research & Extention at the Farmer's Market yesterday & told her about this situation.
Unfortunately she is not familiar with papaya trees and didn't have an answer for me.

I had a dream that I placed some bricks at the base of the trunks (on the inside ) to help spread them apart a little. Comments anyone?

I'll post the Ag Center info on a new thread.

[Isabella Maja]

Jerry, or anyone, did your papaya trees survive the freeze?
All of mine froze. Does anyone have any seeds to share?
I'd be ever so grateful! Thanks!

[justagirl]

Mine didn't even make it to the ground. I have no green thumb :(

[jodyrah]

My son grew papaya trees from seeds he brought back from Brazil. The trees grew about 16' high ( in 1 season) with numerous arms. They produced hundreds of fruits, many too high to harvest with a ladder. The fruit was huge, easily 11'. We didn't save any seeds but lo and behold, volunteer trees shot up about 2 months ago, 10' from where the original was, and growing through a shrub. My son says they don't like to be transplanted. We moved it anyway. So far, so good. Should they survive and produce, I'll be sure to save some seeds.

[Jerry]

My Papayas are doing well and just putting out flowers...
I haven't followed this thread for a while but will post if I get extra papaya to share.
The freeze killed them all but I got about 100 sprouts from the compost.

I've got 3 growing by our store on Severn 14th. St. - in the little plot on the corner by the dumpster pen. These are actually bigger and more bushy than my 8 at home!

The fence is 6 ft.

[Isabella Maja]

JAG, I told you you ought to let me give those you got to my mama!:whip:

Jodyrah, I'd love some of those seeds when the time comes!

Jerry, I passed by your shop on Friday & to my surprise saw the papayas!
It was too early tho & you weren't there yet. One of these days!
Did you plant all 100 sprouts? That is quite a bit, maybe you could start your own tropical island by the lake!

Any sprouts, plants or seeds up for the offering will be given a loving green thumbed home!
I told my lawn guy not to dig up the old papayas that froze . . . . but noOOOoooOOOooo!!!

Thanks y'all!

[Jerry]

Isabella,

I have a few small back-ups in pots I could give you.
It's getting a bit late in the season but you could try and hope for no freeze.
I can bring them to the store - let me know when...

Your frozen ones were not likely to come back like bananas did.
I had no room for 100 papaya trees...

[buzd]

I'm curious how big of a pot one would need to grow these such that they would actually produce.

Unfortunately, I only have patio space, and have to grow all my plants in pots.

[Jerry]

I'm curious how big of a pot one would need to grow these such that they would actually produce.

Unfortunately, I only have patio space, and have to grow all my plants in pots.
I would guess at least 10 gallons or as big as you coud find. 2 or more is better for pollination.

[Isabella Maja]

Jerry, I noticed after the freeze that the trees by the store lost their leaves.
Did they make & are they sprouting new leaves? Mine were doing very well
before the freeze, but despite my protecting them, they didn't make it.

If you or Jodyrah have seeds, sprouts or plants to share, I'd
be very grateful.

Thanks in advance!

[Jerry]

Jerry, I noticed after the freeze that the trees by the store lost their leaves.
Did they make & are they sprouting new leaves? Mine were doing very well
before the freeze, but despite my protecting them, they didn't make it.

If you or Jodyrah have seeds, sprouts or plants to share, I'd
be very grateful.

Thanks in advance!

The papaya trees by our store have all sprouted from last years roots and are about 2 ft. tall...
I do have seeds.