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Many gardeners of our country would like exotic fruits to grow at their summer cottage instead of the usual carrots and potatoes: passion fruit, feijoa, papaya. However, the peculiarities of the climate will not allow it to be done outdoors. Nevertheless, there is a way out. For example, growing papaya at home from seeds is quite possible, although it will take a lot of work for this.
Is it possible to plant papaya seeds
Papaya, or melon tree, is a tropical plant, and it can be grown in Russian latitudes only 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 reminiscent of a palm tree. The fruits ripen in the upper part of the trunk, thickly clinging to 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. Fruits baked on a fire give off the smell of fresh bread, which is why papaya is sometimes also called a breadfruit.
At home, growing a papaya or 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 take care of the plantings. The photo below is a home-grown papaya tree.
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 at least once grown seedlings at home, for example, cucumbers, can easily cope with this task.
Landing dates
To grow papaya at home, seeds are best planted in early spring. In this case, the increased daylight hours will have a beneficial effect on the seedlings. Papaya is very fond of sunlight. If you plant seeds at other times, 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.
Selection and preparation of seeds
The seeds of this plant can be taken from fully ripe fruits. There are quite a few 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 moist moss.
Papaya seeds are covered with a hard shell, therefore, for better germination, they are often scarified, 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.
Planting tank and soil preparation
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. It is best to use ficus soil purchased from a specialized gardening store as a soil. You just need to add a little sand to it. You can prepare the soil yourself, mixing in equal proportions horse soil, 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 foil, simulating greenhouse conditions. In the room where the seedlings are located, a temperature of + 22-25 ° C should be maintained around the clock. The containers should be ventilated daily and the soil should be moistened. If everything is done correctly, then the first shoots should appear in 12-15 days.
Seedling care
For papaya seedlings to grow healthy and strong, they need water, warmth and light. Watering should be light but regular. Drying of the soil should not be allowed, however, waterlogging is extremely 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 supplemented with 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 leaf burns.
The temperature in the room where the papaya seedlings are located should not fluctuate much during the day. The optimal temperature regime is about + 18-22 ° С in winter and + 20-25 ° С in summer. The room should be ventilated periodically, but the fresh air should not be too cold.
Caring for papaya at home
Papaya is a tropical plant. Getting her seedlings at home is quite simple, 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 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 it is rather difficult to simulate tropical climate conditions for it. 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 drop in temperature, even a short-term, is painful for the plant, negative temperatures are unacceptable for it at all.
Watering and feeding
Watering is very important for papaya. However, it must be done as carefully as possible. Large leaves evaporate a lot of moisture, so you need to water the plant constantly, but little by little, avoiding stagnant water. When the ambient temperature drops, watering should be reduced or stopped altogether, if it rises, on the contrary, increase.
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 and 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 temperature. Excessive watering can cause root rot. In combination with a low temperature, it often provokes the appearance of a white bloom on the leaves - powdery mildew. For the prevention of diseases, plants are treated with solutions of fungicides or colloidal sulfur. The folk remedies with which the plant is sprayed 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 rate.
Home-grown papayas are not likely to be pests. However, when in contact with the environment, insects such as aphids or spider mites can appear on the leaves. If the population of pests 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 agents. 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 inhibited. The plant is extremely painful to transplant, therefore, seedlings are usually planted only once. The root system of papaya 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 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 conditions in 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 sporadic. In most cases, the plants do not bloom at all or the fruits fall off before they mature. Therefore, an unambiguous answer to the question of whether papaya bears fruit at home cannot be given. There are too many subtleties and nuances in this matter associated with the characteristics of a particular growing place.
Conclusion
Growing papaya at home from seeds is an interesting and exciting experience. Unfortunately, even if all the rules of care are followed, it is far from always possible to taste the fruits of this tropical plant. However, in any case, this is an invaluable experience, and papaya grown with your own hands from a stone at home will undoubtedly be a source of pride for a gardener and a cause of envy of colleagues.
