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Found in my garden..IDd by Oron as Papaya seedlings

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pamela

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Found in my garden..IDd by Oron as Papaya seedlings
« on: October 28, 2011, 06:56:47 AM »
Can anyone help me with an ID for this plant please. Thanks
« Last Edit: October 28, 2011, 10:03:03 AM by Alisdair »
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Jávea, Costa Blanca, Spain
Min temp 5c max temp 38c  Rainfall 550 mm 

"Who passes by sees the leaves;
 Who asks, sees the roots."
     - Charcoal Seller, Madagascar
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oron peri

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Re: Found in my garden..ID needed
« Reply #1 on: October 28, 2011, 08:37:37 AM »
Pamela
These are seedlings of a Papaya.
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Garden Designer, Bulb man, Botanical tours guide.
Living and gardening in Tivon, Lower Galilee region, North Israel.
Min temp 5c Max 42c, around 450mm rain.

pamela

  • Sr. Member
Re: Found in my garden..IDd by Oron as Papaya seedlings
« Reply #2 on: October 28, 2011, 11:31:28 AM »
Thanks so much Oron.  Are you absolutely sure it is Papaya??  I am intrigued ....I don't know where they came from other than we eat papaya from the local supermarket and the seeds were probably put in our compost and maybe birds have picked them up...On reflection I did use some soil from the compost in the region they were found! 
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Jávea, Costa Blanca, Spain
Min temp 5c max temp 38c  Rainfall 550 mm 

"Who passes by sees the leaves;
 Who asks, sees the roots."
     - Charcoal Seller, Madagascar
*

oron peri

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Re: Found in my garden..IDd by Oron as Papaya seedlings
« Reply #3 on: October 28, 2011, 05:37:41 PM »
Quote from: pamela on October 28, 2011, 11:31:28 AM
Are you absolutely sure it is Papaya??   
Yes i am sure it is.
 You need to grow them for about a year befor you will know which are female plants and which are male.
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Garden Designer, Bulb man, Botanical tours guide.
Living and gardening in Tivon, Lower Galilee region, North Israel.
Min temp 5c Max 42c, around 450mm rain.

pamela

  • Sr. Member
Re: Found in my garden..IDd by Oron as Papaya seedlings
« Reply #4 on: October 29, 2011, 09:21:36 AM »
Thanks so very much Oron. Its an interesting find for me!  I have been reading up about them.  Do you think I should plant them out now (we are having heavy rain for 3 days here in the Costa Banca) or wait till Feb/March?
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Jávea, Costa Blanca, Spain
Min temp 5c max temp 38c  Rainfall 550 mm 

"Who passes by sees the leaves;
 Who asks, sees the roots."
     - Charcoal Seller, Madagascar
*

oron peri

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Re: Found in my garden..IDd by Oron as Papaya seedlings
« Reply #5 on: October 29, 2011, 10:16:29 AM »
Pamela,
These seedlings need to be protected in winter, there for i would split and replant them in much bigger pots with lots of organic matter.
They should be placed in a protected area, best off cours is a greenhous, bou also near a window or anything similar.
I would recomend to plant them out next spring when temperatures start to rize above 20c.
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Garden Designer, Bulb man, Botanical tours guide.
Living and gardening in Tivon, Lower Galilee region, North Israel.
Min temp 5c Max 42c, around 450mm rain.
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John

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Re: Found in my garden..IDd by Oron as Papaya seedlings
« Reply #6 on: October 29, 2011, 11:17:04 AM »
A few years ago I obtained some seeds of the Mountain Papaya thinking they would make rather nice foliage bedding plants. Also it was suggested that they were somewhat frost tolerant. In their second season I planted a few out and they were killed straight away though the first frosts were severe. I have read they will take a little which may make them more interesting for the Med. On potting a couple on I managed to produce flowers but both were males. The last small plant I potted on last year which turned out to be this female and I hand pollinated it with one of the males. The fruits are edible but apparently quite sharp. I have not tried them yet as they are still green but under cover now. It was known as Carica candamarcensis but it seems that now only Carica papaya is in the genus Carica and now this plant is known as Vasconcellea cundinamarcensis!
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John
Horticulturist, photographer, author, garden designer and plant breeder; MGS member and RHS committee member. I garden at home in SW London and also at work in South London.
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Alisdair

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Re: Found in my garden..IDd by Oron as Papaya seedlings
« Reply #7 on: October 29, 2011, 02:10:27 PM »
... which in its turn is now reckoned to be a synonym of Vasconcellea pubescens :-\
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Alisdair Aird
Gardens in SE England (Sussex); also coastal Southern Greece, and (in a very small way) South West France; MGS member (and former president); vice chairman RHS Lily Group, past chairman Cyclamen Society

pamela

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Re: Found in my garden..IDd by Oron as Papaya seedlings
« Reply #8 on: October 29, 2011, 07:42:00 PM »
Dear Oron
I am very grateful for your helpful advice.  I had indeed already re-potted them (the root system was of fine roots but quite strong) in good organic soil but will now leave them in my little greenhouse over winter. I read that they do not like root disturbance AFTER I had re-potted them.!!!  I hope they will be fine. We are still having temps 22-23 degrees even with the Gota Fria (Cold drop) which is an interesting phenomenon in this small south eastern coastal area of Spain where the African air saturated with water vapour rises and meets a much colder layer high up in the atmosphere.
Is it possible to tell which plants are male and female before the flowers??
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Jávea, Costa Blanca, Spain
Min temp 5c max temp 38c  Rainfall 550 mm 

"Who passes by sees the leaves;
 Who asks, sees the roots."
     - Charcoal Seller, Madagascar
*

GRJoe

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Re: Found in my garden..IDd by Oron as Papaya seedlings
« Reply #9 on: May 25, 2012, 01:41:30 PM »
Hi Pamela, how are the Carica seedlings doing? Presumably, peasants prune severy older male specimen in a way to induce them grow back female branches! It is a very peculiar plant, I remember reading that the fruits contain seeds for female plants on one side and male ones on the other!
The "tree" meminds me of a watermelon plant grown 6m tall; not particularly attractive... unless of course they reach the impressive size of the one in the photo (taken in Central Africa).
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Joe Breidi
Occasional gardening and garden design wherever possible! Currently living in Puglia, Italy. Special interest in dry climate gardening, and in preserving wildlife.

pamela

  • Sr. Member
Re: Found in my garden..IDd by Oron as Papaya seedlings
« Reply #10 on: May 25, 2012, 05:47:21 PM »
Hello Joe
Well they are still in the pots now outside my greenhouse and have put on quite a bit of substance (thicker stems) and I think I will plant them out on October. They are not particularly attractive as you suggest but I like eating papaya ! They mature quickly. I was wondering if there was anything to suggest whether male or female in an immature plant.
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Jávea, Costa Blanca, Spain
Min temp 5c max temp 38c  Rainfall 550 mm 

"Who passes by sees the leaves;
 Who asks, sees the roots."
     - Charcoal Seller, Madagascar
*

GRJoe

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Re: Found in my garden..IDd by Oron as Papaya seedlings
« Reply #11 on: May 25, 2012, 06:44:36 PM »
I suppose there is no obvious sign to differentiate until they flower. If my memory is good (I returned from Congo in 2010) some plants have both types of flower ie hermaphroditic. Yes, this fruit tastes great!!! half-way between melon and mango... probably my favourite tropical fruit :)
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Joe Breidi
Occasional gardening and garden design wherever possible! Currently living in Puglia, Italy. Special interest in dry climate gardening, and in preserving wildlife.
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