Imported Hybrid Papaya

Planting and care

Caring for Papaya

• Fill a half wine barrel or other large container with a well-draining potting mix, such as a blend of equal parts sphagnum peat, compost and coarse sand.
• Fill the container to about 3 inches from the top of the container.Gather seeds from a mature papaya fruit to start the papaya tree.
• Press the seeds against a colander to break the gelatinous sarcotesta sac, and rinse the seeds thoroughly.
• Sow about 12 seeds spaced evenly in a 12-inch circle at the center of the container.
• Cover the seeds with 1/2 inch of soil.
• Water the seeds at planting, and fertilize with a complete fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, added to the water supply.
• Thin out the seedlings about six weeks after planting, leaving the six healthiest plants in each container.
• Look for plants with strong growth and thick stems.
• Cut off plants with weak, spindly growth at soil level to avoid disturbing the roots of the remaining plants.
• Determine the genders of the young flowering plants.
• Female flower buds are cone-shaped, with a wide base that tapers to a point at the tip of the bud.
• Water the papaya plants around the root zone as needed.
• Papayas need plenty of water to grow tasty fruit, but the plants do not tolerate wet feet.
• Apply a complete fertilizer every two months after planting, using a formula that contains nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, such as 10-10-10.

Typical uses of Papaya

References

• http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/benefits-of-papaya-for-skin-and-hair/