Growing
How to grow papaya
Determine if the papaya variety you have selected has separate male and female plants (if so, you will need to grow a few of them) or if each plant has perfect, hermaphrodite flowers and can self pollinate (one plant will USUALLY do). Click here for more information.
Plant one or more seeds in pots about 1/2 deep to get started. After seeds germinate, only allow the strongest plant to grow in the pot. SNIP off the extra plants. Do not pull out extra plants or you might damage the roots of the remaining plant.
Keep moist, fertilize lightly, place in the sun, protect from wind and FROST.
When you see roots starting to leave the pot, transplant to a location in the SUN, in native soil, preferably after cooler weather is over and summer is on its way. Papaya can also be transplanted into a larger pot and grown.
Water, fertilize lightly, protect from FROST, keep an eye out for the Alope Sphinx Moth Caterpillar, and pick them off when you see them. When you disturb the plant, the caterpillar hangs by his rear end and is easy to spot hanging upside down.
Should your papaya get too tall for you, remove it and start another one! Papayas can be grown as an annual. No reason to call a fire truck to harvest your papaya.
We have been known to cut our papaya off at a desired height, cover the cut with a coffee can, then watch it sprout sideways! This happened naturally to us during a frost when the top of the plant died. Covering the cut with a can prevents water from entering the hollow stem of the papaya and causing ROT.
Determine if the papaya variety you have selected has separate male and female plants (if so, you will need to grow a few of them) or if each plant has perfect, hermaphrodite flowers and can self pollinate (one plant will USUALLY do). Click here for more information.
Plant one or more seeds in pots about 1/2 deep to get started. After seeds germinate, only allow the strongest plant to grow in the pot. SNIP off the extra plants. Do not pull out extra plants or you might damage the roots of the remaining plant.
Keep moist, fertilize lightly, place in the sun, protect from wind and FROST.
When you see roots starting to leave the pot, transplant to a location in the SUN, in native soil, preferably after cooler weather is over and summer is on its way. Papaya can also be transplanted into a larger pot and grown.
Water, fertilize lightly, protect from FROST, keep an eye out for the Alope Sphinx Moth Caterpillar, and pick them off when you see them. When you disturb the plant, the caterpillar hangs by his rear end and is easy to spot hanging upside down.
Should your papaya get too tall for you, remove it and start another one! Papayas can be grown as an annual. No reason to call a fire truck to harvest your papaya.
We have been known to cut our papaya off at a desired height, cover the cut with a coffee can, then watch it sprout sideways! This happened naturally to us during a frost when the top of the plant died. Covering the cut with a can prevents water from entering the hollow stem of the papaya and causing ROT.
