Carica papaya 'Red Caribbean' Fruit

Wow what a great crop big to.

They'll grow much larger, also. I hope some of these will ripen before November. I haven't eaten a good papaya in a long time.

Wow makes you wonder how the remain attached with the size I hope you enjoy it come November Andy.

The stems are thick and sometimes it difficult to get the fruit off the trunk. They have to be cut with a sharp, long knife.

I wondered how you got them off not being able to see the stem in this photo thank you for explaining.

When they get really tall as this one is, at almost 12' tall. It's a real challenge picking the fruit. I have to be very careful not to cut into the fruit nor the trunk.

I can imagine it hard to pick without damage being 12 ft what about a step ladder.

I have a ladder. It's very difficult to set up in this yard so full of plants. LOL!

lol you ll have to start practising for Tarzan then ?

Yes, Lol! If my Ficus grows any larger I will need some vines to swing from. lol!

Iol I was was wondering it being so big how you were going to manage to cut it down now I know . I 'll listen out for the Tarzan call??

LOL! :>))

?

Ahrr yes its huge is nt it very tall but a beauty makes the other look like a midget a lot of growing to catch up to this.

Yes, it has a couple of years to catch up. Papayas can grow to 12 ft tall in a couple of years. It just depends on the growing conditions and the variety. Some varieties of papaya can grow to 20 ft. in a couple of years.

That is quick growing then that has suprised me

Yes, papayas are very quick growing (most) and they have a short life. This one, I think is 3 years old.

I hope the papayas ripen (without scorching)...it's been so extremely hot and dry the last 4 days some leaves on most of my papaya trees are burning.

Shame they only have a short life doing well for 3 years old.

Have you thought of throwing an old white sheet over tgem to prevent them burning.

The Maradol papayas live around 10 years or so. The really fast growing ones usually 3 - 5 years.

I need shade cloth. The leaves on the Thai Dwarf burned, the others seem to be ok, for now. We're going to be heading into another really bad heat wave this weekend. It's still pretty ho now, still. I though it would have cooled down more by now. It was another really hot night, by San Diego standards this late in the year.

Shame We can not grow them here out side least I would try one a pretty good time really but not compared to our apple trees I suppose.

Yes you do looking on you tube it says you can use a sheet like what you put on a bed.

Strange how the sun burns one yet not your others is that because of its position or just the plant.

Goidness Andy how many times has the heat risen there now quute a few times a heat wave to me is like in the mid 70s here which lasted months. I hope it soon cools back down again soon for you.

Penny,

Papaya trees are extremely difficult to grow outside a tropical or subtropical climate. Papayas must have very warm to hot days and nights. Also, the fruit takes from 3 to 6 months to ripe. The cooler the temps the longer the ripening time, it also depends on the variety.

Yes you would need a hot house here to grow them over here some thing I have nt got nor room for.

Yes, a hot greenhouse would be needed.

Defiently they might have some growing in one of our RHS gardens where they have large hot houses.

I'm pretty sure Kew Gardens has them in their greenhouses. What does Kew not have! lol

Yes most likely Andy its even got its own police force take note force not service like us citizens get.

They have nt got my new Palm plant Ficus Allii. ?

LOL! Ficus 'Allii' is not a palm. lol! :>))
It's actually in the Moraceae family (or Mulberry Family).

lol I dont know where I got the idea it was a palm from as I did nt think it was a palm when I bought it.oh well I can always dance around the mulberry bush on a cold and frosty morning. ?

You definitely can dance around the Mulberry bush or tree! LOL!

I've never seen a Mulberry bush. It grows into a really large tree in California.

Its like a nursery rhyme here to song lol

Englands King James order loads of mulberry trees to improve the economy with silk back in the 1700s but with wrong advise from the French ordered the wring ones the black ones he should of ordered the white ones.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/how-to-grow/the-turbulent-history-of-the-mulberry/

That's pretty funny.

That's amazing! I didn't know Mulberry trees lived so long. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised! Ficus species live for thousands of years and are in the Mulberry family (Moraceae).

https://youtu.be/RQB-L2I0ke0

Yes I would nt of thought they lived so long either but like you said the Ficus is part of the same family Moraceae and lives for thousands of years.