With every papaya there are numerous seeds available for the cultivation of the tropical plant. However, only those at least dare to try culture. With the right knowledge, it is very easy to grow a decorative papaya plant from the round seeds. However, the special requirements of the melon tree - as the papaya is also called - have to be taken into account right from the start.
To win them for cultivation, proceed as follows:
The situation is different if cultivation should begin immediately and germination should not be long in coming. To do this, the covers must be removed. To do this, they can be rubbed lightly over a piece of sandpaper, for example. They are then washed off again to remove any casings, liquids and residues.
Before the seeds are brought into the substrate, they should in any case be allowed to dry slightly for a few hours to two days.
Tip: If ready-made potting soil is not used, the substrate should be heated to 200 ° C in the oven or microwave before use. This kills any germs and mold spores that may be present.
This makes repotting easier and reduces the risk of damaging the papaya plants. In addition, it must be ensured that the planters have sufficient water drainage.
Tip: A heated indoor greenhouse and individual or articulated planters are ideal. In any case, it is important that the vessels can be covered.
To be on the safe side, the temperature at the desired location should be measured continuously for at least one day and night. Critical fluctuations are noticed and the conditions can be adjusted if necessary or a different location can be selected. However, the problem can be solved much more easily with the already mentioned heated indoor greenhouse. These are already available in stores at surprisingly low prices. For older plants, a location in a winter garden, greenhouse or other bright and warm room is recommended outside of summer.
As long as the papaya seeds have not sprouted, they do not need appropriate lighting. If the first shoot tips appear after two to four weeks, however, the light is of crucial importance. Since the papaya comes from tropical areas, it needs a very bright location. In fact, she feels most comfortable in the blazing sun. Since such conditions in temperate climes cannot be created naturally in autumn, winter or spring, a plant lamp is essential for growing papaya. If there is no light, the young plants will die, develop weak shoots and usually die quickly.
Especially in winter, with diminishing brightness and falling temperatures, there is a too If the substrate is too humid, there is a risk that mold will form and the roots will begin to grow rotten. This often goes unnoticed until it is too late. It is therefore poured as required and adapted to the conditions.
A mixture of equal parts of perlite, sand, compost and garden or leaf plant soil is now used. The percentage of perlite can be slightly higher so that the substrate remains well permeable and does not tend to compact. It is best to repot the papaya in spring.
Tip: The planter can be chosen to be quite small, but it should be stable. If the papaya is between one and two meters high, a diameter of 20 to 40 centimeters is sufficient. The plant can be stabilized by stones at the bottom of the pot or bucket or a heavy planter.
For the first two months after germination, the papaya does not need any additional nutrients, it is supplied by the seeds. Then you can slowly start fertilizing, unless repotting has already taken place. Because by adding compost and fresh soil, the plants already receive nutrients and are then covered for some time.
If the soil has not yet been changed, fertilization is carried out weekly about two months after germination. For this purpose, a liquid fertilizer for foliage plants is used, but in a significantly lower dosage. Only about a quarter of the amount specified by the manufacturer should be used. Older plants can use a little more fertilizer. From the second year onwards, these are also fertilized weekly during the growth phase, i.e. from March to September. But then with the recommended amount of liquid fertilizer.
So that fruit-bearing plants can actually develop from the papaya seeds, they must first grow successfully to a height of around two meters. If the conditions are optimal, flowers will then develop. Initially, these can only be found individually and in small numbers. However, over time, they appear more numerous. If the papaya plant is outside during this time, insects can successfully fertilize it.
There is no guarantee for this, however, because the papaya has something special - male and female flowers. In individual cases, the flowers can also be hermaphrodite and thus self-fruiting. The female flowers must be pollinated with the pollen of the male flowers so that fruits can develop. First of all, it is important to be able to visually distinguish the flowers.
Female flowers are comparatively large. The buds are conical in shape, tapering to a point at the end and have a noticeable thickening on the stem. The petals are free and not connected to each other. Male buds are narrow and small, the petals are connected to each other at the end of the stem. Furthermore, the male flowers rarely stand alone, but occur more often in small groups. Hermaphrodite flowers are both male and female and also look like a mixture of the two sexes. Long and oval shaped, they have a small constriction in the middle (similar to a peanut shell).
While the hermaphrodite flowers do not require specific fertilization, help is needed with the female flowers. This can be done, for example, with a fine brush or cotton swab by first picking up the male pollen and introducing it into the female flowers.
Tip: It is advisable to grow several papaya plants to ensure fruit formation in order to increase the chance of female and male flowers.
Since the papaya is not native to this country, it is largely spared from pests and diseases. However, it can be attacked by spider mites and develop root rot if the culture conditions are not tailored to its needs. If it is too dry, it becomes more susceptible to spider mites. White spots on the leaves and leaf loss, as well as cobwebs indicate this. This can be remedied by increasing the humidity, for example by regularly spraying the plant with soft water. On the other hand, root rot occurs when the papaya is too wet. Possible causes for this are:
Seeds
Ripe and sweet as a fruit, still slightly green and fried as a vegetable - papaya is more versatile than many people realize. The fruit of the melon tree also contains papain, which is valued as a digestive aid. Not least because of this, the fruits are increasingly to be found in the supermarket and with them a large number of seeds.To win them for cultivation, proceed as follows:
1. Cut the papaya lengthways.
2. Carefully scrape the dark brown to black, round seeds out of the halves with a spoon and place them in a sieve.
3. Rinse off pulp and fibers as well as other residues thoroughly.
How the seeds are dealt with afterwards depends on the desired sowing date. The papaya seeds are surrounded by a shell and a watery liquid. This protects the kernels and makes them storable, but it also delays their germination. If cultivation is to wait a little longer or if germination is not in a hurry, the cover must remain on the seeds.The situation is different if cultivation should begin immediately and germination should not be long in coming. To do this, the covers must be removed. To do this, they can be rubbed lightly over a piece of sandpaper, for example. They are then washed off again to remove any casings, liquids and residues.
Before the seeds are brought into the substrate, they should in any case be allowed to dry slightly for a few hours to two days.
Substrate
The use of potting soil is recommended for growing papaya from seeds. This is loose and permeable and also has a low nutrient content. If the substrate is to be mixed instead of the finished potting soil, the following components can be used:- Coconut fibers or coconut substrate
- Perlite
- sand
- peat
Tip: If ready-made potting soil is not used, the substrate should be heated to 200 ° C in the oven or microwave before use. This kills any germs and mold spores that may be present.
vessel
When the papaya seeds germinate, they quickly develop a delicate network of roots. This will make it more difficult to separate the young plants when repotting without damaging the roots. One solution for this is to place the seeds one at a time in a planter. The pots you choose should be about eight centimeters in diameter and, if possible, capable of being torn or cut up.This makes repotting easier and reduces the risk of damaging the papaya plants. In addition, it must be ensured that the planters have sufficient water drainage.
Tip: A heated indoor greenhouse and individual or articulated planters are ideal. In any case, it is important that the vessels can be covered.
Location
One of the most important factors for growing papaya from seeds is the temperature of the substrate, which should be between 25 and 30 ° C. In the cold season, this is difficult to implement even indoors. Window sills are usually drafty or too cold even when near the heating. On the other hand, the temperature can fluctuate significantly directly on the heater.To be on the safe side, the temperature at the desired location should be measured continuously for at least one day and night. Critical fluctuations are noticed and the conditions can be adjusted if necessary or a different location can be selected. However, the problem can be solved much more easily with the already mentioned heated indoor greenhouse. These are already available in stores at surprisingly low prices. For older plants, a location in a winter garden, greenhouse or other bright and warm room is recommended outside of summer.
sowing
The young papaya plants are sensitive and not every seed will germinate, so it makes sense to plant several kernels at the same time. To do this, proceed as follows:1. If necessary, a drainage layer is first introduced into the pots. Perlite or coarse gravel are suitable for this.
2. The planters are filled with substrate to the extent that there is still about two centimeters free up to the upper edge.
3. The seeds are placed individually in the middle of the pot and covered with about half a centimeter of potting soil.
4. The substrate is slightly moistened with a water sprayer.
5. The vessels are now either placed in the greenhouse or covered with a foil or a glass plate in order to produce the moisture required for the germination of the papaya seeds.
To avoid the formation of mold, the cover is removed daily for a short time and the substrate is ventilated.light
As long as the papaya seeds have not sprouted, they do not need appropriate lighting. If the first shoot tips appear after two to four weeks, however, the light is of crucial importance. Since the papaya comes from tropical areas, it needs a very bright location. In fact, she feels most comfortable in the blazing sun. Since such conditions in temperate climes cannot be created naturally in autumn, winter or spring, a plant lamp is essential for growing papaya. If there is no light, the young plants will die, develop weak shoots and usually die quickly. Water
During germination, the substrate for the papaya should be kept moist - but not wet. Soft, low-lime and tempered water is used. It should be at least room temperature, but it can also be slightly lukewarm. During the further growth, the substrate should also be kept moderately moist, must neither dry out nor be wet.Especially in winter, with diminishing brightness and falling temperatures, there is a too If the substrate is too humid, there is a risk that mold will form and the roots will begin to grow rotten. This often goes unnoticed until it is too late. It is therefore poured as required and adapted to the conditions.
Repot
The first repotting can wait until the planter is well rooted and individual roots are already showing on the bottom of the pot. In order not to damage the papaya, the planter should be removed and the root ball, including the old substrate, placed in the new pot.A mixture of equal parts of perlite, sand, compost and garden or leaf plant soil is now used. The percentage of perlite can be slightly higher so that the substrate remains well permeable and does not tend to compact. It is best to repot the papaya in spring.
Tip: The planter can be chosen to be quite small, but it should be stable. If the papaya is between one and two meters high, a diameter of 20 to 40 centimeters is sufficient. The plant can be stabilized by stones at the bottom of the pot or bucket or a heavy planter.
Fertilize
For the first two months after germination, the papaya does not need any additional nutrients, it is supplied by the seeds. Then you can slowly start fertilizing, unless repotting has already taken place. Because by adding compost and fresh soil, the plants already receive nutrients and are then covered for some time. If the soil has not yet been changed, fertilization is carried out weekly about two months after germination. For this purpose, a liquid fertilizer for foliage plants is used, but in a significantly lower dosage. Only about a quarter of the amount specified by the manufacturer should be used. Older plants can use a little more fertilizer. From the second year onwards, these are also fertilized weekly during the growth phase, i.e. from March to September. But then with the recommended amount of liquid fertilizer.
Outdoors
From the first year on, the young papaya plants can be put outside, provided the temperatures are correspondingly high. It should be around 25 ° C so that the plants are not damaged. It is also important that the papaya slowly gets used to the direct sun. This can be achieved by initially standing brightly but not unprotected in the light and moving it a little further into the sun every day. In addition, the following points must be observed when cultivating outdoors:- Final location as sunny as possible
- Check and water frequently to avoid drying out
- Spend urgently indoors in cold weather and late frost
- Protect from cold wind and heavy rain
fertilization
So that fruit-bearing plants can actually develop from the papaya seeds, they must first grow successfully to a height of around two meters. If the conditions are optimal, flowers will then develop. Initially, these can only be found individually and in small numbers. However, over time, they appear more numerous. If the papaya plant is outside during this time, insects can successfully fertilize it.There is no guarantee for this, however, because the papaya has something special - male and female flowers. In individual cases, the flowers can also be hermaphrodite and thus self-fruiting. The female flowers must be pollinated with the pollen of the male flowers so that fruits can develop. First of all, it is important to be able to visually distinguish the flowers.
Female flowers are comparatively large. The buds are conical in shape, tapering to a point at the end and have a noticeable thickening on the stem. The petals are free and not connected to each other. Male buds are narrow and small, the petals are connected to each other at the end of the stem. Furthermore, the male flowers rarely stand alone, but occur more often in small groups. Hermaphrodite flowers are both male and female and also look like a mixture of the two sexes. Long and oval shaped, they have a small constriction in the middle (similar to a peanut shell).
While the hermaphrodite flowers do not require specific fertilization, help is needed with the female flowers. This can be done, for example, with a fine brush or cotton swab by first picking up the male pollen and introducing it into the female flowers.
Tip: It is advisable to grow several papaya plants to ensure fruit formation in order to increase the chance of female and male flowers.
wintering
Since the papaya comes from tropical areas, it does not tolerate cooler temperatures and has to be brought into the house from around 18 to 20 ° C. Wintering in the winter garden or a heated greenhouse is also possible. It is also important:- Water moderately, substrate should not dry out completely but also not be wet
- Stop fertilizing in September
- Spray the plant occasionally to increase the humidity and prevent pests
- Maintain room temperature of 20 to 25 ° C
Diseases, pests and typical care mistakes
Since the papaya is not native to this country, it is largely spared from pests and diseases. However, it can be attacked by spider mites and develop root rot if the culture conditions are not tailored to its needs. If it is too dry, it becomes more susceptible to spider mites. White spots on the leaves and leaf loss, as well as cobwebs indicate this. This can be remedied by increasing the humidity, for example by regularly spraying the plant with soft water. On the other hand, root rot occurs when the papaya is too wet. Possible causes for this are:- Floating pouring
- Impermeable substrate with a tendency to compaction
- Lack of water drainage