RED PAPAYA

 

RED PAPAYA

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Finally my bed is ready to plant out my Papaya, It is a bit of a hit and miss as I planted these from seed and not sure if male or female. You do need one of each for it to fruit or just one bi-sexual which you can buy, but I thought I would give it a go and see what happens. These are the red variety which are sweet and has a gorgeous colour , still a bit firm so great for salads or for a healthy breaky with a squeeze of lime. For my chutneys I find the Green Papaya works best as it doesn't break down too much and keeps its shape.(recipe below)

Papaya

Papaya can easily be grown in the backyard as they don't take up too much space, as long as the soil is well drained (they hate wet feet) and have plenty of air circulation. They are native to central America so they love the tropics and the sub-tropics and can produce fruit for up to 6 years.

composted soil

I tend to prepare my soil with horse manure (cos its free) and Yates organic blood and bone  
as it seems to bring the pH levels to near perfect for most plants, around 6.0-6.5. Leave it for a couple of weeks and then plant, you will thank yourself for waiting.

 

 

planted out

When they start to flower I usually give them a quick fertilize with a mixure of horse manure, chook manure and blood and bone. I leave the chook manure for about a month before use otherwise it can burn your plants or you can buy it pre done from any nursery.

Paw Paw flowers

If these guys do well I am going to try and grow a Green Papaya which is commonly used in Thai and Vietnamese cooking all though it is not native to these countries, Its also known as a Mexican Papaya because of its origins. 

Green Papaya

     Recipe Ideas:  
 Vietnamese green papaya salad
Green papaya relish