How to Grow Papaya

Growing Papaya from Seeds

Check whether papayas will thrive in your climate. Papayas thrive in USDA hardiness zones 9-11, which corresponds to minimum winter temperatures of 19℉ to 40ºF (-7℃ to 4ºC). They may be damaged or die if exposed to prolonged frost, and prefer climates that are warm throughout most of the year. Papaya trees do poorly in wet soil. If your climate is rainy, you may plant them on a mound of well draining soil as described further on.

Prepare your soil. Choose a nutrient-rich potting mix for tropical plants, or make your own mix out of garden soil and 25–50% compost. As long as the soil drains well, the exact soil texture doesn't matter. Papaya will grow in sandy, loamy, or rocky soils. If you are able to test soil pH or you are choosing between commercial potting mixes, select a soil with a pH between 4.5 and 8. This is a broad range, so it is likely that any soil that successfully grows other plants in your garden has the correct pH for papaya. If you want more of your seeds to germinate, use sterile potting mix. You can make your own by mixing one part vermiculite and one part potting mix, and baking this mixture in the oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit (93 degrees Celcius) for one hour.

Prepare the seeds. You can use seeds scraped out of the center of a papaya fruit, or seeds purchased from a garden center or nursery. Press seeds against the side of a colander to break the sac surrounding the seeds, without breaking the seeds themselves. Rinse thoroughly, then dry in a dark location on a paper towel.

Plant seeds. You may plant seeds directly in your garden to avoid the risks of transplanting them later, or you may plant them in pots to have greater control of plant arrangement once you see which ones are sprouting. Poke the seeds into the soil about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) under the surface and about 2 inches (5 cm) apart from each other. Plant as many seeds as you have room for to increase the odds of both male and female plants sprouting; you can remove the weaker plants later on. There is no feasible way to tell whether a plant is male, female, or hermaphroditic before planting.

Water the soil moderately well. Water thoroughly after planting, but do not soak to the point that standing water forms on the soil. Monitor the moisture over the next few weeks and water as necessary, keeping the soil slightly damp, but not soggy.

Determine which seedlings to keep. Approximately two to five weeks after planting, some of the seeds will germinate, and emerge through the soil surface as seedlings. After giving them a week or two to grow, pull out or cut the smallest seedlings, along with any seedlings that appear withered, spotted, or otherwise unhealthy. Cull plants until you have only one plant per pot, or the seedlings are at least three feet (0.9m) apart. Keep at least five plants for now for a 96% chance or higher to produce both male and female trees. Once you've chosen your most successful plants, move on to the section on planting, if transplanting to your garden, or the section on general care otherwise.

Once plants are flowering, remove excess male plants. If you still have more plants than you want to end up with, wait until the plants are about 3 feet (0.9 m) tall to see what sex each plant is. The male plants should flower first, producing long, thin stalks with several flowers. Female flowers are larger and near the trunk. In order to produce fruit, you only need one male plant for every ten to fifteen females; the rest can be removed. Some papaya plants are hermaphroditic, meaning they produce both male and female flowers. These plants can pollinate themselves.

Planting a Growing or Mature Papaya Plant

Build a dirt mound if necessary to avoid water. If there are heavy rains or floods in your area, build a mound of soil 2–3 feet (0.9 m). (0.6–0.9 m) high and 4–10 feet (1.2–3.0 m). (1.2–3 m) in diameter. This will help keep water from pooling around the papaya's roots, reducing the chance of injury or death. Read the instructions below before you build your mound, to learn about soil preparation.

Dig a hole otherwise. Make the hole three times as deep and wide as the planting pot or root ball, in the plant's intended permanent location. Choose a sunny, well-drained location, about 10 to 20 feet (3.1 to 6.1 meters) from buildings or other plants. Make a separate hole for each papaya plant.

Mix an equal amount of compost into the displaced soil. Unless your garden soil is already rich in nutrients, replace some of the soil in the hole or mound with compost and mix thoroughly. Do not mix with manure, as this can burn roots.

Apply fungicide (optional). Papaya trees can die from disease after transplantation. Follow the instructions on a gardening fungicide and apply it to the soil to reduce this risk.

Add the plant carefully. Add the altered soil back into the hole or pile it in a mound, until the remaining depth is roughly equal to the depth of the potting soil or root ball of the plant being transplanted. Remove the papaya plants from their containers, one at a time, and plant each in its own hole at the same depth as it sat in the container. Handle them carefully to avoid breaking or scraping the roots.

Backfill the soil and water it. Fill the remaining space in the hole with the same soil. Pack gently to remove air pockets if the soil isn't filling the spaces between the roots. Water the newly planted papaya seedlings until the soil surrounding the root ball is thoroughly moistened.

Caring for Papaya Plants

Apply fertilizer once every two weeks. Apply fertilizer to growing plants every 10–14 days, diluting it according to the fertilizer's instructions. Use a "complete" fertilizer, not a specialized one. Continue to apply at least until the plants are about 12 inches (30 cm) tall. After the plant reaches this size, commercial growers continue to fertilize papaya every two weeks with 1/4 lb. (0.1 kg) complete fertilizer near but not touching the base of the plant. Follow this practice if you would like to hasten the plant's growth, gradually increasing the amount of fertilizer and length of time between applications until the papayas receive no more than 2 lb. (0.9 kg) every two months starting at seven months old.

Water papaya seedlings and established plants regularly. Papayas can be easily damaged by standing pools of water, but may not produce sizable fruit without regular water access. If planted in loam that holds water well, water no more than once every three or four days. In sandy or rocky soils, increase this to once every one to two days during hot weather. Allow a few more days between waterings during cooler seasons.

Apply bark mulch or wood chips if necessary. Apply pine bark, another bark mulch, or wood chips around the base of the plant if you need to reduce weeds or if the plant looks withered from failure to retain water. Layer 2 inches (5 cm) of mulch around the papaya, no closer than 8 inches (20 cm) to the trunk.

Inspect the papaya's leaves and bark regularly for signs of disease or insects. Spots or yellowing on leaves or bark indicate possible disease. Black spots on the leaf won't typically affect the fruit, but may be treated with fungicide if the infection is severe. Curling leaves may be a sign of picking up herbicide from a nearby lawn. Other problems, including insects or full plant collapse, may require consulting an expert gardener or local agricultural department.

Harvest papaya fruits when they reach the level of ripeness you desire. Tart, green fruits may be eaten as a vegetable, but many people prefer fully ripe, yellow or orange fruits for their sweet taste. You may harvest anytime after the fruit is mostly yellow-green, if you would like them to finish ripening indoors, away from pests.