Papaya sex manipulation.

[Bananimal]

I planted a papaya seedling I won at the club raffle.  It's 3 ft tall now and sprouts only male flowers.   The guy that started it said to cut the top off down low leaving 6 to 12 inches of trunk.  He did this to one of his with only male blooms and it grew 2 trunks  which bore only female flowers. 

Really want to grow this one out as it bears the only papaya fruit I have been able to eat so far.  Yellow flesh with great taste with no trace of vomitus-ness.  Almost forgot about Red Lady.  It's good too but this yellow one is better.

Sounds like it will work --- or is it a toss up and male flowering will recommence? 

[Mr. Clean]

I've heard of this.  Don't know how far down you chop.  Make sure your area doesn't have the Papaya Fruit Fly.

[shaneatwell]

According to the interwebs, driving a nail might work too...

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/tropical/msg0912240730264.html

[Mike T]

I don't know if males can really change to females and it sounds like a stretch to me. Maybe in a bisex one swinging more from their male to female side but a permanent change of sex.......maybe the males go in drag for a short while. True males can produce fruit and sometimes are loaded with fruit on long stalks.

[Mr. Clean]

I don't know if males can really change to females and it sounds like a stretch to me. Maybe in a bisex one swinging more from their male to female side but a permanent change of sex.......maybe the males go in drag for a short while. True males can produce fruit and sometimes are loaded with fruit on long stalks.

The President of the Palm Beach Chapter of the Rare Fruit Tree Council said her husband chopped a male papaya tree in half and it grew back as a female. 

[fruitlovers]

Never heard of male papayas changing sex like that. But what do you have to lose in trying it? I would plant other papayas in mean time also.

[SWRancher]

I had a male plant that after a freeze damaged it came back and produced fruit. Unfortunately the fruit produced smelled and tasted disgusting.   

[fruitlovers]

Even without stress or chopping down male papaya trees often produce a few fruits. But yes they are inferior fruits and this doesn't mean the tree changes sex. Females will produce on trunk of the tree. Males will produce a few fruit but at the end of flower stalks.

[fyliu]

Yeah, male fruits are very bland. I'm growing more seedling to replace both of mine.