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Many gardeners in our country would like to see exotic fruits grow in their summer cottages instead of the usual carrots and potatoes: passion fruit, feijoa, papaya. However, the climate will not allow this to be done in open ground. 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.
Is it possible to plant papaya seeds?
Papaya, or melon tree, is a tropical plant, and it can only be grown in Russian latitudes in an artificially created climate, for example, in greenhouses or winter gardens. It reproduces well by seeds, which have good germination. Therefore, if the temperature regime is observed and normal soil moisture is maintained, it will not be difficult to obtain seedlings.
How to grow papaya 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 reminiscent of a palm tree. The fruits ripen in the upper part of the trunk, densely clinging to it.
There are more than 1,000 varieties of papaya, but there are only 2 varieties: Mexican and Hawaiian. The berries of this plant are used for food both fresh and after heat treatment. Fire-baked fruits give off the smell of fresh bread, which is why papaya is sometimes also called breadfruit.
At home, it is most likely impossible to grow a papaya or melon tree to a large size. Even with good care, its height will not exceed 1-1.5 m. To grow papaya at home, it is necessary to create a good microclimate, provide the necessary level of illumination and regularly care for the plantings. The photo below shows a papaya tree grown at home.
How to germinate papaya
Growing papaya is no more difficult than any other plant. This does not require any special knowledge or skills. Anyone who has at least once grown seedlings at home, for example, cucumbers, will easily cope with this task.
Landing dates
To grow papaya at home, it is best to plant the seeds in early spring. In this case, increasing daylight hours will have a beneficial effect on the seedlings. Papaya loves sunlight very much. If you plant seeds at another time, for example, in autumn or winter, then due to the short daylight hours, the seedlings will have to be additionally illuminated with phytolamps. This compensates for the lack of light.
Seed selection and preparation
The seeds of this plant can be taken from fully ripened fruits. There are quite a lot of them, each berry (papaya fruits are berries) contains up to 700 small black seeds inside.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 damp moss.
Papaya seeds are covered with a hard shell, so for better germination they are often subjected to scarification, that is, their covering layer is destroyed. At home, this procedure can be done using a metal strainer. You need to put the seeds in it and rub them with your fingers.
Preparing the planting container and soil
Papaya seeds can be planted in regular flower pots or special containers for group planting of seedlings. You can also use individual peat pots. This will avoid picking seedlings in the future. As soil, it is best to use ficus soil purchased at a specialized gardening store. You just need to add a little sand to it. You can prepare the soil yourself by mixing high soil, peat and river sand in equal parts.
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 must be maintained around the clock at + 22-25 ° C. Containers must be ventilated daily and the soil must be moistened. If everything is done correctly, the first shoots should appear in 12-15 days.
Seedling care
In order for papaya seedlings to grow healthy and strong, they need water, warmth and light. Watering should be small but regular.The soil should not be allowed to dry out, but overmoistening is also extremely undesirable, since it can cause root rot in the plant. Seedlings need to be protected from drafts. In conditions of insufficient daylight, seedlings must be illuminated using ordinary lamps or special lighting devices. They should not be located too close to the plants, so as not to cause overheating and drying out of the soil or burns of the leaves.
The temperature in the room where the papaya seedlings are located should not fluctuate greatly during the day. The optimal temperature regime is about + 18-22 °C in winter and + 20-25 °C in summer. The room must be ventilated periodically, but the fresh air should not be too cold.
Caring for papaya at home
Papaya is a tropical plant. It is quite simple to obtain seedlings at home, but providing an adult plant with the necessary conditions is much more difficult. The average lifespan of a papaya is about 5 years, and during this time it will need to be provided 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 warmth; it does not tolerate cold drafts at all. The plant tolerates a decrease in temperature, even short-term, painfully; negative temperatures are completely unacceptable for it.
Watering and fertilizing
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 stagnation of water. When the ambient temperature drops, watering should be reduced or stopped altogether; when the ambient temperature rises, on the contrary, it should be increased.
The intensive growth of papaya requires regular application of nitrogen-containing fertilizers to the soil. It is best to apply fertilizer in the form of aqueous solutions of organic fertilizers. You can use infusions of mullein or bird droppings, diluted to an acceptable concentration. Vitamin-mineral fertilizer complexes are also used, they are applied in accordance with the instructions for use.
Protection from diseases and pests
Diseases can appear on papaya due to irregular care or unfavorable conditions, for example, due to too low ambient temperatures. Excessive watering can cause root rot. In combination with low temperatures, it often provokes the appearance of a white coating on the leaves - powdery mildew. To prevent diseases, plants are treated with solutions of fungicides or colloidal sulfur. Folk remedies that are used to spray the plant have also proven themselves to be effective:
- laundry soap solution;
- garlic infusion;
- onion broth;
- infusion of ash.
In order to avoid diseases, you must strictly observe the temperature regime and not exceed watering norms.
The likelihood of pests appearing on papaya grown at home 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 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 roots and will be suppressed. The plant tolerates transplantation extremely painfully, so seedlings are usually transplanted only once. The papaya root system is very fragile and very easy to damage. In this case, the plant is guaranteed to die. Transplantation is carried out as carefully as possible and only with an earthen lump on the roots. It is necessary to immediately foresee this and choose a container of significant size for growing or allocate enough space for the plant in the winter garden.
Fruiting papaya at home
Under natural tropical conditions, 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, the plants do not bloom at all or the fruits fall off before they have time to ripen. Therefore, it is impossible to give a clear answer to the question of whether papaya bears fruit at home. There are too many subtleties and nuances in this issue related to the characteristics of a particular growing location.
Conclusion
Growing papaya at home from seeds is an interesting and exciting activity. Unfortunately, even if you follow all the rules of care, it is not 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 source of pride for the gardener and the envy of his colleagues.
