![]() ![]() ![]() Perhaps this is because my papayas are grown in a greenhouse while most of the ruthless papaya pests live in the tropics.Sowing time refers to the optimum time for sowing seed of a variety to encourage strong and vigorous growth. I know that Papayas have a hard time with a wide range of insects and pests, but I have yet to encounter any pests on my papayas. Only the most vigorous offshoot should be left to grow, cut off the rest. After this is done offshoots will begin to grow off the sides of the trunk. This is done by cutting the trunk down significantly, as low as a few feet. Much like a banana tree, the papaya tree can be regrown after harvest. Unfortunately, after harvesting your papaya it will die back. If properly cared for your papaya should be towering over you in just a couple of years. Being such a fast-growing plant, it requires a constant supply of nutrients, therefore I like to feed them about every month. Fertilizing should be done often but not too often, also go for high nitrogen fertilizer. Soils that don’t drain well can cause root rot that will easily kill even a fully grown papaya.ĭon’t worry about fertilizing your papaya seedlings, they won’t need it until they are at least 6 months – 1 year old. Picking a well-draining soil is crucial for growing papayas, go for a potting mix, or make your own. Seeds that float to the surface will not sprout so scoop them up and throw them away. If you are worried about germination rates try putting your seeds in a warm cup of water for a day. There are several ways to go about germinating the Papaya seeds, I recommend directly sowing them into the soil. Papayas also prefer to be grown in humid climates, but I have found that they will grow outside in Tucson with as little as 20% humidity.Īs with most fruit seeds, germination takes a while (up to a month or more). I have heard of some people in town (zone 8) growing full-sized Papayas in their backyards, but I have yet to see that for myself. Even light freezes can completely kill a papaya tree so my guess is that most people below zone 7 or 8 probably don’t have a chance at growing papaya outside. You can find a wide range of papaya cultivators on the internet, even dwarf varieties that fruit at low heights, perfect for greenhouses.Īdmittedly, Papayas are rather difficult to grow in non-tropical climates, but it is possible. The Hawaiian variety is a smaller than average fruit, while the Mexican papaya a true giant but doesn’t taste as good. ![]() ![]() For those living in the United States, two varieties of papaya are most commonly found in grocery stores, the Hawaiian and the Mexican papayas. To greatly improve germination rates, storage time, and disease resistance, you should remove each seed from the surrounding gel (aril). When collecting seeds from a papaya fruit you will notice jelly-like capsules surrounding each seed. Of course, most growers don’t want (or have space) for that many papayas, luckily the seeds stay viable for at least a few years so you don’t have to grow them all at once. Papayas have a lot of seeds in them, so one papaya is enough to get a decent-sized plantation going. Papayas are particularly fast-growing compared to most perennial fruit trees and can be harvested in as little as three years. They aren’t true trees, however, they are actually considered herbs. This is because they germinate fast and grow extremely tall in just a few years. As far as tropical fruit trees go, I believe that the papaya is the easiest and most rewarding for beginners to grow. Typically papaya trees can get quite large, sometimes over thirty feet tall. The Papaya is an iconic tropical fruit coming from the Carica papaya plant. ![]()
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