Contents
Many gardeners in our country would like exotic fruits to grow in their summer cottage instead of the usual carrots and potatoes: passion fruit, feijoa, papaya. However, the peculiarities of the climate will not allow this to be done in the open field. However, there is a way out. For example, growing papaya at home from seeds is quite possible, although it will take quite a lot of work to do this.
Is it possible to plant papaya seeds
Papaya, or a melon tree, is a tropical plant, and it can only be grown in latitudes in an artificially created climate, for example, in greenhouses or winter gardens. It reproduces well by seeds that have good germination. Therefore, subject to the temperature regime and maintaining normal soil moisture, it will not be difficult to obtain seedlings.
How papaya grows at home
In many countries of Central and South America, Africa and Southeast Asia, papaya grows everywhere. It is a rather tall tree-like plant, vaguely resembling a palm tree. The fruits ripen in the upper part of the trunk, densely sticking around it.
In total, there are more than 1000 varieties of papaya, but it has only 2 varieties: Mexican and Hawaiian. The berries of this plant are used for food both fresh and after heat treatment. Roasted on a fire, the fruits emit the smell of fresh bread, which is why papaya is sometimes also called breadfruit.
At home, growing papaya or a melon tree to a large size, most likely, will not work. Even with good care, its height will not exceed 1-1,5 m. To grow papaya at home, you need to create a good microclimate, provide the necessary level of illumination and regularly care for plantings. The photo below is a papaya tree grown at home.
How to sprout papaya
Germinating papaya is no more difficult than any other plant. This does not require any special knowledge and skills. Anyone who has grown seedlings at home at least once, for example, cucumbers, will easily cope with this task.
Terms of planting
To grow papaya at home, seeds are best planted in early spring. In this case, the increasing daylight hours will have a beneficial effect on the seedlings. Papaya loves sunlight very much. If you plant seeds at other times, for example, in autumn or winter, then because of the short daylight hours, the seedlings will have to be additionally illuminated with fitolamps. This compensates for the lack of illumination.
Selection and preparation of seeds
Seeds of this plant can be taken from fully ripe fruits. There are quite a lot of them, each berry (papaya fruits are berries) inside contains up to 700 small black seeds. After being removed from the fruit, they are washed with clean water and dried. Immediately before planting, the seeds are soaked for 12 hours in a growth stimulator or kept in wet moss.
Papaya seeds are covered with a hard shell, therefore, for better germination, they are often subjected to scarification, that is, their cover layer is destroyed. At home, this procedure can be done using a metal strainer. You need to put seeds in it and rub them with your fingers.
Preparation of the planting tank and soil
Papaya seeds can be planted in ordinary flower pots or special containers for group planting seedlings. You can also use individual peat pots. This will avoid picking seedlings in the future. As soil, it is best to use earth for ficuses, bought in a specialized store for gardeners. You just need to add some sand to it. You can prepare the soil yourself by mixing equal parts of highland, peat and river sand.
How to plant papaya from seed
The prepared seeds are embedded in moistened soil to a depth of about 2 cm. Then the container is covered with glass or film, simulating greenhouse conditions. In the room where the seedlings are located, the temperature of + 22-25 ° C should be maintained around the clock. Every day, containers must be ventilated and the soil moistened. If everything is done correctly, then the first shoots should appear in 12-15 days.
Seed care
In order for papaya seedlings to grow healthy and strong, they need water, heat and light. Watering should be small, but regular. Drying out of the soil should not be allowed, however, waterlogging is highly undesirable, since it can provoke the appearance of root rot in the plant. Seedlings must be protected from drafts. In conditions of insufficient daylight hours, seedlings must be illuminated with ordinary lamps or special lighting fixtures. They should not be located too close to the plants, so as not to cause overheating and drying of the soil or leaf burns.
The temperature in the room where the papaya seedlings are located should not fluctuate greatly during the day. The optimal temperature regime is + 18-22 °С in winter and + 20-25 °С in summer. The room must be periodically ventilated, but fresh air should not be too cold.
papaya care at home
Papaya is a tropical plant. Getting seedlings at home is quite simple, but providing an adult plant with the necessary conditions is much more difficult. The average life of a papaya is about 5 years, and during this time it will be necessary to provide him with constant care and the necessary microclimate.
Optimal conditions for growing papaya at home
It is possible to grow papaya at home from seeds, but simulating tropical climate conditions for it is quite difficult. The soil should be moist, but not waterlogged. The plant needs a lot of sun and heat, it does not tolerate cold drafts at all. A decrease in temperature, even a short one, is painful for the plant, negative temperatures are unacceptable for it at all.
Watering and top dressing
Watering is very important for papaya. However, it must be done as carefully as possible. Large leaves evaporate quite a lot of moisture, so you need to water the plant constantly, but little by little, avoiding stagnant water. With a decrease in ambient temperature, watering should be reduced or stopped altogether, with an increase, on the contrary, increased.
The intensive growth of papaya requires regular application of nitrogen-containing fertilizers to the soil. It is best to apply top dressing in the form of aqueous solutions of organic fertilizers. You can use infusions of mullein or bird droppings, diluted to an acceptable concentration. And also vitamin-mineral complexes of fertilizers are used, they are applied in accordance with the instructions for use.
Protection against diseases and pests
Diseases can appear on papaya due to irregular care or unfavorable conditions, for example, due to too low ambient temperatures. Over watering can cause root rot. In combination with a low temperature, it often provokes the appearance of a white coating on the leaves – powdery mildew. For the prevention of diseases, plants are treated with solutions of fungicides or colloidal sulfur. Folk remedies that spray the plant have also proven themselves well:
- laundry soap solution;
- infusion of garlic;
- onion broth;
- infusion of ash.
In order to avoid diseases, it is necessary to strictly observe the temperature regime and not exceed the watering norms.
The likelihood of pests on home-grown papaya is very low. However, upon contact with the environment, insects such as aphids or spider mites may appear on the leaves. If the pest population reaches a significant size, they can even cause the death of the plant. If insect pests are found on papaya leaves, the plants should be immediately treated with insecticides, acaricides or biological preparations. You can also use folk remedies, such as an infusion of garlic or yarrow.
Transfer
Papaya grows quite quickly, so in small containers the plant will quickly begin to feel a lack of space for the roots and will be oppressed. The transplant is extremely painful for the plant, so seedlings are usually planted only once. The papaya root system is very fragile and very easy to damage. In this case, the plant is guaranteed to die. The transplant is carried out as carefully as possible and only with an earthy clod on the roots. It is necessary to foresee this immediately and choose a container of considerable size for growing or allocate enough space for the plant in the winter garden.
Fruiting papaya at home
Under natural conditions of the tropics, 10-12 months after planting, the plant begins to bloom and bear fruit.
However, when growing a papaya tree at home, such results are rare. In most cases, plants do not bloom at all or the fruits fall off before they have time to ripen. Therefore, a definite answer to the question of whether papaya bears fruit at home cannot be given. There are too many subtleties and nuances in this matter related to the characteristics of a particular place of cultivation.
Conclusion
Growing papaya at home from seeds is an interesting and exciting activity. Unfortunately, even with all the rules of care, it is far from always possible to taste the fruits of this tropical plant. However, in any case, this is an invaluable experience, and a papaya grown with your own hands from a seed at home will undoubtedly be a gardener’s pride and an envy of colleagues.
