This article is by Garry Grant 18 Vaughan Rd, Darts Creek, Qld 4695 (07) 4975 1317 Fax: (07) 4975 1397 Email: ggrant10(at)bigpond.com Darts Creek is between Gladstone and Rockhampton, Qld. Garry sold his pawpaw seed business and details of where you can purchase seed is at the end of the article. Garry now sells organic certified Pawpaw Leaf: http://organicpawpawleaf.com.au/
Papaya Seed Australia sell organic seed to produce both red and yellow fleshed papaya. The farm is certified organic, Australian Certified Organic No 4508A. Both bisexual (hermaphrodite) and dioecious seed is offered. Bisexual seed produces both bisexual (67%) and female (33%) trees. Dioecious seed produces female (50%) and male (50%) trees. Hybrid numbers are prefixed by B (bisexual) and D (dioecious) as well as Y (yellow fleshed) and R (red fleshed). For example hybrid YD1B indicates yellow fleshed dioecious hybrid 1B. New crosses are being trialled continuously and will be added to this site when found to be commercially viable.
The Reds
RB1 is a bisexual pink fleshed hybrid. The fruit is elongate shaped and sweet flavoured. RD1 is a dioecious red fleshed hybrid. The fruit is roundish, slightly ribbed with deep red flesh colour. It is very pleasant eating. RD2 is a dioecious red fleshed hybrid. This is a very fast growing plant and will start picking 9 months after planting out as seedlings. The fruit is roundish and slightly ribbed, with deep red flesh colour. It is extremely good eating. RD3 is a dioecious red fleshed hybrid. The fruit is roundish and slightly ribbed, with deep red flesh colour. The fruit is similar to RD2 although a little larger. It is extremely good eating. RD4 is a dioecious red fleshed hybrid. This is also a very fast growing hybrid and will start picking 8 months after planting out as seedlings. The fruit is oblong with a small teat, and firm pink- red flesh with a mild musk flavour. RD5 is a dioecious red fleshed hybrid. The fruit is oblong, slightly ribbed with pink/red flesh colour and a small teat. It is similar in size and shape to hybrid RD1. It is very sweet and superb eating.
Sunrise Solo is a pink fleshed bisexual inbreed. It is the most commonly grown papaya worldwide. The fruit is small, pear shaped with a very sweet musk flavour.
The Yellows
Hybrid YD1B The most widely grown of all the hybrids in Australia, fruit is oblong, is very clean, flesh is firm, and is a medium yielding tree. Hybrid YD6 This hybrid produces oblong fruit, is clean skinned, and very high yielding. Hybrid YD11B produces oblong shaped fruit. It is very clean skinned, especially over the colder winter months, and consistently sweet tasting, although it is the lowest yielding of the yellow fleshed hybrids. Best planting time is autumn to produce low fruiting trees. Hybrid YD13 This hybrid produces globular fruit. It is clean skinned and the largest yielding of all the yellow fleshed hybrids. Hybrid YD14 produces oblong fruit. It is very clean skinned and a medium yielding tree with a mild frangipani flavour. Hybrid YD29 This hybrid produces round fruit. It suffers to varying degrees from winter spot in the colder months, is consistently sweet tasting, and is a high yielding tree. It is a low bearing tree irrespective of planting time.
Hybrid YD59 This hybrid produces round fruit. It suffers to varying degrees from winter spot in the colder months, is the sweetest tasting of all the yellow fleshed hybrids, and is a high yielding tree. Initial fruit are large. This hybrid bears fruit from a very low level.
About Hybrids
Hybrids are the result of crossing 2 “fixed” (stable) parent lines. Hybrids are more vigorous than their parents, produce more fruit and are less susceptible to disease. All papaya are affected by climatic changes but when grown under stable conditions hybrids are very consistent in fruit shape and size. Hybrid seed for sale here is only the first cross of the parent lines, producing F1 hybrids. Hybrids cannot be successfully grown from seed collected from F1 fruit and will be inconsistent in shape, size and yield. Bisexual papaya are affected by a condition known as carpellody or “cat-facing” and is caused by the fusing of the ovary and stamens during adverse weather conditions. This fruit is deformed and unmarketable. Carpellody is one of the reasons bisexual varieties are not normally grown in sub-tropical areas.
How much seed will I need?
With dioecious varieties growers generally plant 4 seedlings to the site, thinning sites to 1 male site to 10 female sites. Planting density varies between growers but on average is 750 sites to the acre, or 1850 to the hectare. The amount of seed required is 50 grams per acre or 125 grams per hectare. With bisexual varieties growers generally plant 2 or 3 seedlings to the site, thinning to 1 bisexual tree per site. Some growers market the female fruit of the bisexual, although the flesh is not as thick. Seed required is 40 grams per acre or 100 grams per hectare.
Guarantee
Germination is tested before dispatch and we guarantee a minimum germination rate of 50%. If lower rates occur seed will be replaced to meet the minimum germination rate, or we will refund all or part of the purchase price. The seed is guaranteed for 50 days after purchase date, after which no refund will be made or additional seed sent.
Ordering Seed can be delivered anywhere in the world.
Phil Slocombe, PO Box 791, Malanda Qld 4885
Ph: 0456 368 245 Email: pwgs@ozemail.com.au
http://www.papaya-seeds.com.au