Currently, papaya is one of the most popular and consumed tropical fruits in the world. The papaya, with a scientific name Carica papaya, is a small tree of short life and very fast growth, which has its origin in Central America.
It is a crop that requires a specific climate and care, but that despite everything is within reach of most warm or temperate climates. If you want to learn how to grow papaya at home to enjoy your own fruits, keep reading us in this Green Ecologist article.
When to plant papaya
The best season to grow papayas is usually at Start of Spring, in the months of March and April. However, this largely depends on the climate of the area, since the important thing with this plant is that we have some warm temperatures.
The papaya tree does not tolerate frost or prolonged exposures to low temperatures, so if in your climate the thermometer falls below 15ºC for long periods, it is likely that your papaya will be harmed. It could survive, but its health will probably not be good or its fruits will be small and tasteless. In addition to that, papaya tree care also requires very well-drained soil and good exposure to sunlight.
How to grow papaya in a pot
Although some varieties of the plant can reach considerable heights, papaya can be grown in pots. If we want to carry out this cultivation modality, a very good option is plant potted dwarf papayaThese produce equally delicious fruit on a smaller plant. Knowing this, let us then begin to know how to sow papaya from potted seed:
- To plant papaya you will need a good amount of seeds. You can buy them in a nursery or specialized center if you want to make sure that the crop comes out as well as possible or, if you are simply looking to try, you can plant those of any papaya that you have eaten. Usually, supermarket papayas and supermarkets will give rise to hermaphroditic plants.
- Disinfect the seeds with purchased fungicide or homemade and natural fungicide to improve your chances of survival by avoiding fungal infections.
- The following will be prepare the seedbed. The papaya plant needs very well drained soils, light soils and very rich in organic matter, without being too important the other factors. For this reason, the mixture of seedlings made with a part of peat, another of coconut fiber and a last of worm humus will perfectly meet your needs. Remember that adding some perlite improves the drainage of the substrate even more. Here we explain more about How to make a seedbed.
- Then prepare the seeds. Let them dry 24 hours after placing them in a dry place. You can press them lightly and carefully to break their sac before planting them, facilitating germination. Then plant them in the seedbeds or pots at about 1 cm deep, respecting about 5 cm between them.
- Water frequently, but without ever flooding the substrate, and place the container in a Sunny place. About a month after planting, you will be able to select which seedlings are strongest and best to keep. Rotate the pot regularly so that the entire plant receives good natural light.
- Once the seedlings are of a suitable size, you can move on to transplant papaya to its final location, with no more than one plant per pot. Be very careful with its roots when transplanting, as they are very delicate. In this other post we explain how to transplant a plant.
- Two weeks after this first transplant you will need to start provide fertilizer to your plant.
How to grow papaya in soil or soil
When we ask ourselves how to sow papaya with seeds directly into the ground or the exterior soil, the process is quite similar to that of a pot. Follow these tips:
- The main difference here is that we will leave a meter of space between the seeds if we want to save the transplant or else, we will have to eliminate more seedlings.
- If the soil does not offer good drainage, a raised pile of almost one meter of soil will have to be prepared to avoid puddling at the roots.
- As in the case of the pot, it will be necessary to enrich the soil with organic matter, such as worm castings and compost.
- When the plants have reached a certain size, it will be very beneficial to apply a layer of mulch to the base, which will help protect the plant. Remember to water frequently and without flooding.
How long does it take for a papaya tree to grow?
At the time of seeing how long does it take for a papaya tree to bear fruitIt should be mentioned that this plant can be harvested in only about ten months after being planted, although it does not usually last more than 5 years. Thus, to know when the papaya is harvested, we only have to count a little less than a year from its plantation.
Furthermore, in a papaya crop it is important to distinguish between the papaya male, female and hermaphrodite. The former are the least convenient, because they do not bear fruit and only serve to pollinate the others. Therefore, the ideal is to get hermaphroditic papayas, which can be self-pollinated and are more practical.
If you want to read more articles similar to How to grow papaya, we recommend that you enter our category of Cultivation and care of plants.
