two glasses of papaya juice with a small pile of papaya chunks in front of artfully arranged papaya halves and a while fruit

How To Grow Papaya Plants

Updated on Feb 19, 2024
By Baillie Blankenship

While green and ripe papaya fruits are used both raw and cooked in many world cuisines, the unripe fruit and some parts of the plant may cause a reaction in people with latex allergies. In some parts of Asia, the young, tender leaves are cooked and eaten like spinach. Traditional recipes include both sweet and savory dishes, and the enzyme papain is sometimes extracted for use as a meat tenderizer.

HISTORY

Papaya is an herbaceous plant native to the tropical areas of America. This lusciously decadent fruit originated in southern Mexico and eastern Central America. Papaya has been in cultivation for over 500 years and is now grown in every tropical and subtropical country.

USES

  • The ripe fruit can be eaten fresh, used in smoothies and salads, and dehydrated.
  • The green or nearly ripe fruits are often used in Thai, Lao, Burmese, Indonesian, and Filipino cuisine, and to make sweet jams in some South American regions.

several papayas are shown in close-up shot that includes slices, whole fruits and a bright orange halved fruit with pale seeds inside and some small chunks of fruit all on a dark background

 

  • Papaya must be grown in tropical or subtropical conditions. It will perform best in zones 9-12.
  • Can be grown indoors, in a greenhouse, or outside in a pot to be brought in when the weather begins to cool. 
  • Plant in a wind-protected area in full sun with well-drained soil.
  • Space plants 7-10 feet apart in the ground, or one per large pot.
  • Top-dress with compost and a thick layer of mulch.
A hand holds an opened papaya in front of a plant with green papayas hanging from the central trunk, with more plants in backgroundA hand holds an opened papaya in front of a plant with green papayas hanging from the central trunk, with more plants in background

 

  • Fertilize bi-weekly or monthly with a balanced fertilizer until plants are well established.
  • Fertilize monthly once plants are established.
  • Water regularly but avoid over watering.
  • Plants typically produce fruit in 7-11 months.
  • Harvest fruit when yellow-orange color develops fully.

PESTS/SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

  • Keep an eye out for papaya fruit flies, papaya webworms, papaya whitefly. two-spotted mites, and powdery mildew. Use an organic insecticidal soap if you experience these pests. For powdery mildew, application of lactic acid bacteria is recommended.
Several small green papayas hanging from a thick woody stem or trunk.Several small green papayas hanging from a thick woody stem or trunk.

 

  • Scrape papaya seeds out of the fruit.
  • Ferment seeds for a few days.
  • Rinse off seeds and lay them out to dry.
  • Store in a cool, dry, dark place until you are ready to grow.
Two heavy glasses of papaya juice, one at center of image with a green rim and one in front of it with a blue rim, in front of a sliced-open ripe papaya fruit and a small stack of ripe papaya pieces, on a pale blue-grey backgroundTwo heavy glasses of papaya juice, one at center of image with a green rim and one in front of it with a blue rim, in front of a sliced-open ripe papaya fruit and a small stack of ripe papaya pieces, on a pale blue-grey background