Papaya is a short-lived perennial tropical plant that produces delicious edible exotic fruit. The papaya is native to Ecuador and the northwestern Andes. It is grown commercially in the United States in Hawaii and Florida. Dwarf papaya plant varieties are fast-growing and can produce fruits in as little as 10 to 12 months. Warmth and light are important when growing papayas because they are tropical plants and will die easily if exposed to cold conditions. Papaya plants are female, male or hermaphrodite, with pollination and fruit production dependent on male or hermaphrodite flowers near female plants. Papaya plants have large oval green leaves, and the 2-inch flowers are very fragrant.
Test the soil for the ph level and phosphorous content. Papaya grows best in soil with a neutral ph, not too acid and not too alkaline. If your garden plot is extremely acidic, or has a high ph, add sulfur to lower the ph level. If your garden plot is extremely alkaline, or low ph, add lime to raise the ph level. The same principles apply to soil mix for container planting. Add plenty of organic matter to the soil before planting.
Clean fresh seeds of pulp by rubbing them between your palms under running water, or use a sieve and a wash cloth. Prepare at least 100 seeds if possible for outdoor planting and at least 30 for planting in containers.
Plant seeds outdoors in large hills 12 inches high at least six feet apart in rows at least 12 feet apart. Make quarter- to half-inch holes in the middle of each hill and fill with water. Put 10 seeds in the middle of each hill, and tamp soil firmly over them. If planting in containers, plant at least seven seeds in the middle of each, water them well and place them in a warm location.
Thin seedlings to the strongest seedling per pot or outdoor space when they are six inches high, and water them with a phosphorous fertilizer solution. Carefully transplant the seedlings to larger containers if you are growing them indoors.
Ensure seedlings have adequate light, warmth, consistent water (but not waterlogged), and shelter from wind during growth, whether they are outdoors or inside. Provide heat and bright light for 12 to 16 hours per day for the best growth. Papayas are heavy feeders and require frequent fertilizing during the growing season to produce fruit. Plants flower in about three months.
Things You Will Need
- Papaya seeds
- Soil test kit
- Lime soil amendment, if necessary
- Sulfur soil amendment, if necessary
- Organic matter, such as compost
- Growing pots or large well-drained garden plot
- Well-drained, light and porous soil mix with neutral ph
- Plant fertilizer with high phosphorous content
- Grow dwarf varieties if you don’t live in a tropical climate with a long, warm growing season.
- University of Hawaii: Papaya
- University of Florida IFAS Extension: Florida Crop/Pest Management Profile: Papaya
- Growing Tasty Tropical Plants in Any Home, Anywhere; Laurelynn G. Martin and Byron E. Martin
- Don’t Throw It, Grow It!; Deborah Peterson
- Tom Brakefield/Stockbyte/Getty Images