Immature papaya fruits on a tree in a home garden.
Papaya are grown around houses or sometimes in bush gardens. The fruit is eaten either ripe or, if a little yellow, softened over a fire. Orange and red-fleshed cultivars are found around Limol (M. Giwa, p.c.).
Papaya are planted during the wet season. Seeds are broadcast when the ground is wet and then seedlings are transplanted when about 20cm tall (M. Giwa, p.c.). Trees are sometimes fertilized with food waste like yam or cassava skins. Bush gardens are not a preferred growing location for papaya as birds, like the bird of paradise or parrots, will eat the fruit.
Some papaya trees bear fruit only one year and others bear 3-4 years (M. Giwa, p.c.). Fruit are pulled from the tree when the outer skin is yellow in color. Fruit are eaten with three days of harvest (M. Giwa, p.c.).
Papaya are planted during the wet season. Seeds are broadcast when the ground is wet and then seedlings are transplanted when about 20cm tall (M. Giwa, p.c.). Trees are sometimes fertilized with food waste like yam or cassava skins. Bush gardens are not a preferred growing location for papaya as birds, like the bird of paradise or parrots, will eat the fruit.
Some papaya trees bear fruit only one year and others bear 3-4 years (M. Giwa, p.c.). Fruit are pulled from the tree when the outer skin is yellow in color. Fruit are eaten with three days of harvest (M. Giwa, p.c.).
Female (left) and male (right) flowers from a papaya tree.