How to Plant and Grow Papaya Trees

Most of the papayas sold in supermarkets are Hawaiian.

Commercially grown papayas and those fresh-from-the-tree do not compare in taste. To get to the market before they spoil, papayas are picked before they are ripe. Most of the time they taste like air. A papaya that has been allowed to ripen on the tree, however, is soft and sweet. Papaya trees are tropical and require sunshine and temperatures between 60 and 89 degrees Fahrenheit year-round to thrive and bear fruit. Grow papaya trees in zones 10a and above on the U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zone Map.

Things You'll Need

• Fungicide
• Shovel
• Tarp or wheelbarrow
• Pitchfork
• Compost
• Sand
• Fertilizer

Instructions

1. Choose a planting location where the papaya will receive sun all day. It also needs warmth, so planting it where it will receive reflected heat, such as next to the house or garage is best.

2. Pour fungicide into the papaya tree's pot until the soil is soaked. Allow the pot to drain while you prepare the planting site.

3. Dig up the top 12 inches of soil, in a 1-foot square area and place it on a tarp or in a wheelbarrow. Add 2 inches of coarse sand and 3 inches of compost to the removed soil and use a pitchfork to blend it. Return the amended soil to the planting site.

4. Dig a hole that is three times as wide and the same depth as the papaya's pot. Remove the papaya from the pot and place the root ball in the hole. Fill the hole with soil and press firmly around the trunk with your hands.

5. Soak the soil until water stands at the papaya's base. Allow it to drain and place a 2-inch layer of mulch on the soil. Spread it from 3 inches away from the trunk, out 1 foot, surrounding the tree.

6. Water the papaya tree every other day through maturity. If the tree is growing in loam. water every three days. Moisten the top 10 inches of soil.

7. Fertilize the newly planted papaya tree every two weeks until it reaches 8 months old. Give it 1/4 lb. of 14-14-14 fertilizer. At 8 months, increase the amount to 1 lb. and apply it every other month.

References

• Floridata; Carica Papaya; Steve Christman; October 2007
• University of Florida IFAS Extension; Papaya Growing in the Florida Home Landscape; Johnathan H. Crane; October 2008
• California Rare Fruit Growers: Papaya