Papayas come in many different shapes and sizes. Very unique texture and taste. People who tell you don't like papayas, they probably haven't had a good one. For papayas to become sweet, they need to be fully ripe. They grow fast and if planted early in the season and dependent on your ambient temperatures, most varieties can fruit same year!.
 
 
Papaya Growing Tips:
 
 
Best time to plant: Anytime night temperatures are at least 50F and expected to rise in the next month or so. This is going to be mid to late spring for most people.
 
 
Sun: Full sun anywhere in the U.S. It doesn't grow well in the shade.
 
 
Winter: Frost sensitive, protect from cold wind and frost. Fully rooted papayas can tolerate ambient temperatures in the 20F's as long as wind/frost protection is provided. Potted plants tend to be more sensitive to the cold.
 
 
 Root system: Roots are shallow and fibrous. Safe to plant close to structures. Roots are very sensitive. Be extremely careful when removing this plant from the container. Mild damage to the root system is all it takes to kill this plant. Never transplant a papaya as it will die.
 
 
Growth structure: Normally they grow as a single trunk with most of the canopy located at the very top. You can force it to branch out by pruning. These plants tend to get top heavy and break easy in the wind. Make sure to plant in a wind protected area. Size of your papaya will vary based on cultivar. From 6ft tall to 12-15ft.
 
 
Fruiting: Flowering normally occurs during the growing season (When night temperatures reach 65-70F+). This will vary throughout the U.S. from early summer to late summer. Fruits normally take a few months to fully ripen. Papayas come in 3 different sexes: male, female and hermaphrodite. Females/hermaphrodite will yield fruit while males only put out pollen. You don't need a male to pollinate your papaya. Female flowers not pollinated by a male will still turn into fruit. These fruits will simply have no seeds inside. This is why sometimes store bought papayas have no seeds. When you buy your papaya, we can't guarantee what sex your plant will be. Female and hermaphrodite are most common while males tend to be more rare.
 
 
Watering: Due to the type of root system (Fibrous) water very frequently. It's not about the quantity of water given at one time but the frequency. The soil needs to be wetter than normal for this plant to be able to up-take the water. Moist soil in extreme temperatures is not enough. This plant does NOT drink more water than other plants but rather it has a harder time drinking the water from the soil. Extremely hard to over water as long you verify drainage before planting. During cold weather, do not keep wet and they will easily rot like bananas.
 
Fertilization: In containers, any slow release fertilizer will work. In ground, compost and mulch is all you will ever need. No special fertilizers needed.
 
Container Grown: Papayas don't do well in containers long term. They truly need space to root out. Yes they can be grown in containers but if you want your papaya to grow at its full potential, plant in ground instead. This plant becomes root bound rather quickly in a container. Root-bound papayas tend to rot rather easy.
 
 
 
Personal Growing Tip: Night temperatures are very important when growing papaya. Never plant too early or too early in the season. Be very careful when handling the roots and water frequently when it's hot. During winter-cold weather, let soil dry fully in between watering and be 100% sure to have good drainage. Papayas won't warn you of over watering. One day, your plant will simply break at the base and it'll be dead if the roots rot from staying wet without drainage. This mainly happens during the winter.