Babaco - How to Grow the GardenEzi way
The babaco (see pictures at www.gardenezi.com "Articles") is sometimes called "the mountain papaw (or papaya)" and the two are closely related
. However their flesh is very different in texture, color and flavor and their growing habitats are different, too.
The babaco has a soft, pale creamy flesh with a unique, tangy flavour - very juicy and refreshing. It can be eaten with or without the soft skin.
Because it originates in the highlands of Central and South America the babaco does best in upland areas of the sub-tropics where it gets dry winters, wet summers, cool but not severely cold temperatures, and frequent mountain mists to provide moisture without inundation of the root zone. However, if it is given good drainage, adequate water during the growing season, and protection from both frost and very harsh sunlight, the babao will do well in quite a range of localities, from southern California to upland areas of the south-eastern United States, to parts of southern Europe, the Middle East, China and sub-tropical Australia, New Zealand and Africa.
In appearance the babaco fruit is rather like a papaw with a single, knobbly stem dividing into two or more branches at the top. It bears a few large, lobed leaves and sparse flowers which form on the trunk and branches. Fruit is borne on the ends of long, slender petioles, growing out from the stem and forming open clusters of such weight that branches may need support. Height of the plant at maturity is about 2.5 metres (6 feet) it's desirable to keep a babaco as low as possible for easy harvesting. A thick trunk produces the best and biggest fruit.
SOIL
The babaco does best in a fairly light sandy loam that's been enriched by regular additions of good compost. Here in the sub-tropics I add compost around the roots of my babacos at the beginning of the warm, wet summer and again in late summer. I also keep the area around the plants well-mulched with organic material (I use straw, cane trash or greenwaste mulch), kept well clear of the stem. I pull this mulch well back during the cool season to allow sunlight to warm the soil around the root system.
A babaco should not be planted too deeply and the lower stem should be allowed to stand well clear of the soil. This helps prevent root rot.
CULTIVATION
Babacos require almost no work once established. I go by the GardenEzi method of making gardening as easy as possible; thus I almost never water my babacos, except in very long, dry periods. Nor do I fertilize them except with the compost applications already mentioned. Some people like to give their plants a dose of nitrogenous fertilizer once or twice a year and either blood and bone or fowl manure seem to get the best results though the latter must be well-composted and not fresh or it could burn the delicate roots.
Insects in my part of the world never attack babacos to the extent of causing damage not even the dreaded fruit fly which attacks just about every other fruit in my garden! Something in the chemical composition of the babaco skin seems to repel them. Nor are they as susceptible as papaws to being devoured by bats and other wildlife. So I never use any form of protection. If fruit IS attacked by wildlife then it would be easy enough to protect with netting or fencing in the case of deer. Two-spotted mites sometimes infest the leaves but don't cause any real problems so I leave them alone and, when the weather changes, they move on. Sometimes the babaco skins become roughened and discoloured I've never been able to ascertain exactly what causes this, but suspect a viral infection rather than insect problems. Either way, it doesn't affect the inner fruit and all you have to do is remove the ugly skin.
At left: Young babaco
To get the best out of a babaco I allow only one trunk (occasionally two if they both look particularly strong and vigorous) to develop, removing most of the shoots that grow around the base but keeping the single most vigorous one. The main trunk will bear well for a couple of years and can be cropped as required to keep it from becoming too tall. After this is should be cut back to base and the second shoot, which by now should be growing vigorously, then takes its place. Again, new growth around the base should be cut back except for one small and vigorous shoot which, in a couple of years, will become the main fruit-bearing plant.
Disease control
In the right conditions, babacos are remarkably tough and disease-resistant. But if they become waterlogged then they are very susceptible to root rot diseases. Prolonged humidity can also bring on powdery mildew, which coats the leaves in a pale, powdery substance. The latter can be easily treated with either milk sprays (one part milk to 10 parts water) every 10 days or a commercial brand remedy. Severe root rot in babacos can only be dealt with by chopping down the plant and either treating the soil with a fungicide or, better, chopping out the whole root system (which is not extensive) and leaving the ground empty for at least a year before planting any other fruit tree there. I have never found this necessary! Prevention is better than cure good drainage, plenty of light, and good air circulation around the plants will prevent these problems occurring in the first place. Babacos need humidity to set fruit but it's important not to crowd them together or fungal problems can develop.
Other protection
The babaco is a brittle plant and strong winds will easily knock it over. So some screening is advisable if you have an exposed garden. Frost protection is essential. Babacos do need good light and thrive in at least six hours of direct sunlight each day, but in very hot climates some protection from afternoon sun (preferably from adjacent, slightly taller plants) is advisable.
When to pick
Pick babacos when the skin starts to yellow. They can be picked early to ripen in a warm, well-lighted place, such as a window ledge. Windfalls can usually be ripened in this way. Although best eaten when ripe, slightly immature babacos can be used in pickles, or cooked in a curry or similar dish. Babaco keeps well; up to four weeks and even a bit longer in the refrigerator.
How to use
On its own (with or without sugar)
In a fruit salad
Blended in a fruit drink
Made into jam or pickle
Added to savory dishes with an Asian or South American flavor
For other easy gardening articles and hints, go to the
www.gardenezi.com home page and click on the "Articles" button at the top of the page. Or visit my blog at
www.gardenezi.com/blogBabaco - How to Grow the GardenEzi way
By: Julie Lake
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