Its a babaco…
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They might be empty hulls indeed!
At least the brown shells are empty, not sure about the white…
the white ones would be immature seeds.
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About 10 more fruits comming…
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Failed to change my unheated 3 season room to a slightly heated room in time. But my Babaco continues to survive my abuses. Not bad for 6 years old.
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I did not buy it. I have no idea how to use it. Will grab a jar someday when I ready to consume it with out storing it in the pantry for months.
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I’m growing babaco here after years of and on wanting to give it a try. Mine came from Logee’s. Several people have mentioned them being grafted. I was under the impression that they were generally grown from cuttings. Elsewhere I read that cuttings were challenging, but that plants tended to produce side shoots. from the crown. Videos of people propagating then show simply removing a side shoot and potting up. Just wondering what anyone’s experience have been. Also wondering if when I might want to head back. Im relying on natural light during winter, so having it grow much over 6’ tall is going to be less than ideal. I’ll keep it in a high tunnel from April to mid-Nov. I’m curious how the timing will work out.
Also curious to know what people’s feelings are about proper light regime. Some sources seem to say full sun, others say partial shade is ideal. I noticed my young 6” plant resented being placed in the sun and took to growing it inside the screened porch where it got very dappled light.
A friend who spends a good chunk of each winter in Ecuador told me that there is a big push for commercial Babaco cultivation there. Kind of like the dragonfruit craze. Theyre grown largely in Ecuador and are now ubiquitous. I find them underwhelming. Hopefully Babaco is better.
Out of dormancy early this year. I have had a lot of new growth since January.
Mine looks grafted and if memory serves me correctly its grafted to Oak Leaved Papaya Carica quercifolia .
Being unfortunately out of town last year the animals robed me of all my fruit.
Babaco to me has a flavor similar to starfruit with a little more going for it but its not a strongly flavored fruit.
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Yours looks great. Mine is caught in a seemingly endless cycle of pushing new leaves and then loosing those same ones within a week or two. It’s grown in height and girth, though it’s pretty spindly at the top, like an upside down carrot. The internodes are ridiculously small from everything that grew over the winter. I’m wondering if I should head it back. I’m concerned that the summer growth will get quite tall otherwise. It sounds like (for some reason) the central leader tends to root poorly. It looks like you did too, @lordkiwi
I’m still grappling a bit with what light regime to provide. I bought it in spring of last year from Logee’s- just a little rooted side shoot in a 6” pot. Maybe less. I noticed it didn’t appreciate too much light, at least at that stage. What’s been you’re experience?
Spindly growth is a clear sign of needing more light. At the same time Babaco/Papaya do great in the understory. They grow till they reach light and fruit. Hardening of can be a problem one year i took it out to early and it lost all its leaves. but usualy that only happens with doubt stress from not being watered in the sunroom. We have already gone from 60 degree nights to 40 degree nights. You think your safe then immediately your not.
I repotted it when moving it outside this year. The rootball has very few feeder roots. I gave it lots of compost and we will see.
One winter fruit fell of and is ripping now.
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So what’s the verdict on babaco? Worth growing? I was thinking of getting one. But then I watched a youtube video of a new england container grower who took his first bite and said it tasted like crayon…
If your willing to do the work to keep citrus and bananas alive Babaco are very worth it. The fruit is for juicing its going to blend with any tropical flavors you want to use with it. It’s tough as hell even with quite a bit of neglect.
its not particularly sweet from what i gather, but is good sprinkled with a bit of sugar. I planted mine, now ~16 months old, in the ground of the high tunnel for the season. I just dug it a couple of weeks ago. Its good sized and healthy looking. I couldn’t believe how (relatively) small the root ball was. It’s inside now, 3 fruit hanging and still appearing to size up slowly despite a number of leaves dropping. Ive been meaning to setup a grow light for it.
Thanks. It seems fun. Byron Martin at Logees grows one (I think it’s a babaco though it might be a regular papaya) in his front yard in a buried bucket.
still sizing up, and now getting ready to flower again! this exceeds my expectations by far. I dont even have it under a grow light, just parked on my cool north facing porch.
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itd be worth a trip just to see that. I keep meaning to get down there sometime.