Papayas are being damaged before they ripen

Patrol_4x4 · Wed Apr 25, 2012 1:50 am

Hi!! I recently moved to a new house that had a lot of banana plants and papaya trees in the backyard.
The problem with the last ones is that before they get their orange colour bugs decide to make a nest inside my fruit... I was wondering if I can pick the papayas when I see them big enough but still green, and let them ripen in the kitchen. This is what I do with my bananas but don't know if it works for the papayas.

It is very annoying since I only have two trees when I can pick fruit from. I have a huge one like 4 meters long full of fruit that is only eaten by bats and birds... What a shame... The others are just too small and their fruit is still not mature.

Any ideas?? I have recently made a insecticide with water, onion, garlic and a little bit of soap for my seedlings and tomato plant. maybe I could use the mixture on the papayas to avoid the bugs that want to make a home out of them...

lorax · Wed Apr 25, 2012 10:05 am

You can pick papayas green and ripen them on the counter, but (and it's a big but) they'll end up tasting sort of like old shoes smell. They really need the tree time to ripen properly and develop their flavour (ditto to bananas - but since you've got fruit bats I can see why you're harvesting green).

HOWEVER there is hope for your too-tall trees! Fruiting papaya are propagated by cuttings - you can basically top your trees at whatever you figure is an appropriate height, and plant the tops directly into the soil. They'll root and continue to fruit in the next season, and the stump (don't touch it!) will put out anywhere between one and five new crowns and fruit in two seasons.

What kind of bugs were they, in the papaya fruit you opened? Were they mature, or was it grubs? Have you tried banding your trees with something like tanglefoot, to prevent crawling insects from reaching the canopy?

Patrol_4x4 · Tue May 01, 2012 2:12 am

thanks for the tips for the papaya tree! We will definitely cut them an re-plant them. I actually couldn't see any bug, just a sort of thick web as if it was a nest. I threw it away immediately, I was a bit disgusted

By the way, I just found out that the supermarket here sells green papayas... Hmmmmmm.... I am giving it another try and see if I can get a ripen one before it gets invaded, if not, green it is.
my bananas taste very good, but I have to admit they are less sweet than usual. It may be because I take them too early??
Probably, but still it's fine to us

Kisal · Tue May 01, 2012 2:19 am

Could you tie a net bag over the papayas as soon as they begin to form? Something made from women's nylon stockings might work.

Patrol_4x4 · Tue May 01, 2012 2:35 am

Thanks

appreciate it!

Patrol_4x4 · Sat May 05, 2012 9:25 pm

hi again!
same thing is happening to this papaya, after more than an hour with problems with the pc, finally I'm able to upload the photos.
Anyone knows what kind of beetle this is? (if it's a beetle at all)
I haven't put any net yet, yesterday I went into town and forgot about the stockings....

https://s1172.photobucket.com/albums/r574/Patrol_4x4/Plants/?action=view&current=IMG_5111.jpg

https://s1172.photobucket.com/albums/r574/Patrol_4x4/Plants/?action=view&current=IMG_5109.jpg

lorax · Sat May 05, 2012 11:57 pm

Those are weevils (which are a kind of beetle), which would explain the damage you're seeing on the fruits - they bore into the flesh with their beaks, then lay eggs in the holes.

floridahillnursery · Mon May 07, 2012 2:50 pm

Hello we have several trees and here's what we do.

When the fruit starts to show signs of ripening or before, pick the fruit and make 1/2 deep knife blade cuts longways at each rib of the fruit down the entire length. That will be around 6 cuts. Place them in the sun (hotter the better) for around a day or two and they will ripen right before your eyes. I know it sounds wierd but thats how you do it. Another way to eat papaya (green Thai papaya salad) is to remove the skin and (PEEL) the fruit into long thin shredded cheese type strands. Mix in some thai salad mix and Vuala! you have an instant salad. Honestly we stopped eating them ripe when a friend from Thailand showed us this... Hope this helps, let us know.

Patrol_4x4 · Mon Jun 04, 2012 4:06 am

Amazing!!! I did it at first wrong, as I plunged half a knife in the "lines" but it ripened too. Now we prefer to do it inside the house because of all the insects that come around the papaya, and it still ripens although it takes a bit longer. I thought it had to do with the sunlight, but it is apparently the heat... Isnt it??
Thanks for the tip! It really works!!