Most of my Papaya turned out to be “Males”
@SIDIKIMPOLE (3488)
Eldoret, Kenya
April 11, 2026 12:17pm CST
While passing by most of my papayas, I was disappointed to discover they were mostly male. This means I won’t harvest much. Still, I have plans to replace most of them with new seedlings from a nearby tree nursery. The only challenge is differentiating the “males” from “females”. I hope the vendors will advise me accordingly.
4 people like this
5 responses
@AliCanary (4459)
•
12 Apr
Can they tell when the trees are still seedlings? I hope you have enough pollinators in your area. You might want to plant some things that attract them (besides the papaya trees).
2 people like this
@AliCanary (4459)
•
12 Apr
@SIDIKIMPOLE I was just wondering if they were really so many males or if they just weren't getting pollinated well enough. Sounds like you need fewer sons and more daughters :)
1 person likes this
@SIDIKIMPOLE (3488)
• Eldoret, Kenya
13 Apr
@AliCanary I failed to understand why it was the case.
1 person likes this
@SIDIKIMPOLE (3488)
• Eldoret, Kenya
12 Apr
Sure there are enough pollinators around. But male papaya do not bear fruit. They only have flowers.
1 person likes this
@pitsipeahie (5758)
•
12 Apr
Hope you can have female ones. Your males won't bear fruit. 
2 people like this
@SIDIKIMPOLE (3488)
• Eldoret, Kenya
12 Apr
True, male papayas only bear flowers; no fruits at all
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@SIDIKIMPOLE (3488)
• Eldoret, Kenya
12 Apr
True, I will study carefully. I am told difference is usually on leaves
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@SIDIKIMPOLE (3488)
• Eldoret, Kenya
12 Apr
It is hard to tell until flowering stage
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@SIDIKIMPOLE (3488)
• Eldoret, Kenya
14 Apr
@thelme55 Always welcome. Do you do ay farming?
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@SIDIKIMPOLE (3488)
• Eldoret, Kenya
13 Apr
Sure if they were bearing fruit, they were females. Males do not. But there are rare cases of hermaphrodites
