Growing papaya plant - that's how it is made from seeds


The Content Of The Article:

Growing papaya plant - that's how it is made from seeds: substrate

With each papaya numerous cores are available to grow the tropical plant. Only the least, however, dare to the culture. It is very easy with the right knowledge to draw a decorative papaya plant from the round seeds. However, from the beginning it is important to pay attention to the special requirements of the melon tree - as the papaya is also called.

seed

Ripe and sweet as fruit, still slightly green and roasted as vegetables - the papaya is more versatile than many guessed. In addition, the fruit of the melon tree contains papain, which is valued as a digestive aid. Not least because of this, the fruits are increasingly found in the supermarket and with them a variety of seeds.
To win them for breeding, proceed as follows:

1. Cut the papaya lengthwise.

2. Using a spoon, gently scrape the dark brown to black, round seeds out of the halves and place in a colander.

3. Thoroughly rinse the pulp and fibers and any other remains.

How to handle the seeds afterwards depends on the desired sowing date. The papaya seeds are surrounded by a shell and an aqueous liquid. This protects the nuclei and makes them storable, but it also delays their germination. If the cultivation is still to wait a bit or does not hurry with the germination, the shell must therefore remain on the seeds.

Papaya carica - melon tree


The situation is different if the cultivation starts immediately and the germination is not long in coming. To achieve this, the covers must be removed. For this they can be easily rubbed over a piece of sandpaper, for example. Afterwards, they are washed off again to remove covers, liquid and residues.
Before the seeds are brought into the substrate, they should in any case be allowed to dry easily for a few hours to two days.

substratum

For the cultivation of the papaya from kernels, the use of seedling soil is recommended. This is loose and permeable and also has a low nutrient content. If the substrate is to be mixed in place of the finished seed soil, the following components can be used:
  • Coconut fibers or coco substrate
  • perlite
  • sand
  • peat
A mixture of two parts of perlite and one part of coco substrate has proven useful. Sand and peat can be mixed in equal parts. However, the use of peat is not very environmentally friendly.
Tip: If no finished soil is used, the substrate should be heated to 200° C before use in the oven or microwave. This kills any existing germs and mold spores.

vessel

When the papaya seeds germinate, they quickly form a delicate root system. This makes it more difficult to separate the young plants while repotting without damaging the roots. One solution to this is to individually introduce the seeds into a planter each time. The chosen pots should have a diameter of about eight centimeters and, if possible, be torn or cut.

Papaya carica - melon tree


This facilitates later repotting and reduces the risk of damaging the papaya plants. In addition, care must be taken that the planters have sufficient water drainage.
Tip: Ideal is a heated room greenhouse and single or articulated planters. It is important in any case that the vessels can be covered.

Location

One of the most important factors for growing the papaya from cores is the temperature of the substrate, which should be between 25 and 30° C. In the cold season, even in the house is difficult to implement. Window sills are usually drafty or too cold, even near the heating. Directly on the heater, the temperature can fluctuate again.
To be sure, the temperature at the desired location should be consistently measured for at least one day and one night. Critical fluctuations are noticeable and conditions can be adjusted as needed or another location selected. However, the problem can be solved much easier with the already mentioned, heated room greenhouse. These are commercially available at surprisingly low prices. For older plants, a location in the winter garden, greenhouse or another, bright and warm as possible outside the summer recommends.

sowing

The young papaya plants are sensitive and not every seed will germinate, so it makes sense to plant several cores. The procedure is as follows:

1. Optionally, a drainage layer is first introduced into the pots. For this purpose, perlite or coarse gravel are suitable.

2. The planters are so far filled with substrate that are up to the top of about two centimeters free space.

3. The seeds are placed individually, centered in the pot and covered with about half a centimeter of composting soil.

4thWith a water sprayer, the substrate is slightly moistened.

5. The vials are now either placed in the room greenhouse or covered with a foil or glass plate to produce the moisture required to germinate the papaya seeds.

To prevent mold growth, the cover is removed daily for a short time and the substrate is thus ventilated.

light

Papaya carica - melon tree

As long as the papaya seeds have not germinated, they are not dependent on 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 can not be generated naturally in autumn, winter or spring, a plant lamp is indispensable for the cultivation of the papaya. If the light is missing, the young plants go awry, develop weak shoots and usually go in quickly.

Water

During germination, the substrate for the papaya should be kept moist - but not wet. Soft, low-calcium and tempered water is used. It should at least have room temperature, but may also be slightly lukewarm. During 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, too high a humidity of the substrate is a risk that mold forms and the roots begin to rot. This often goes unnoticed until it is already too late. Casting is therefore required and adapted to the conditions.

repotting

The first repotting can wait until the planter is well rooted and individual roots already show up on the bottom of the pot. In order not to harm the papaya, the planter should be removed and the root ball and old substrate placed in the new pot.
Now a mixture of equal parts perlite, sand, compost and garden or foliar soil is used. The percentage of perlite can be slightly higher, so that the substrate remains well drained and does not tend to densify. It is best to repot the papaya in spring.
Tip: The planter can be chosen quite small, but should be stable. If the papaya has a height between one and two meters, for example, a diameter of 20 to 40 centimeters is sufficient. By stones on the bottom of the pot or bucket or a heavy planter, the plant can be stabilized.

Fertilize

Papaya carica - melon tree

For the first two months after germination, the papaya needs no additional nutrients, it is supplied by the seed. Then it can start slowly with the fertilizer, if not already repotted. Because the addition of compost and fresh soil, the plants already get nutrients and then covered again for some time.
If no change of earth has taken place, fertilization takes place weekly about two months after germination. For this purpose, a liquid fertilizer for leafy plants is used, but in much lower dosage. Only about a quarter of the amount specified by the manufacturer should be used. In older plants, it may be slightly more fertilizer. From the second year, they are also fertilized weekly during the growth phase, ie from March to September. Then, however, with the recommended amount of liquid fertilizer.

outdoors

Already from the first year, the young papaya plants can be put outdoors if the temperatures are correspondingly high. Around 25° C should prevail, so that the plants are not damaged. It is also important that the papaya is slowly getting used to the direct sun. This can be achieved by first being light but not unprotected in the light and moving a little bit further into the sun every day. In addition, the following points should be observed when cultivating in the field:
  • Final location as sunny as possible
  • Check and water frequently to avoid drying out
  • In cold weather and late frost spend urgently in the house
  • Protect from cold wind and heavy rain

fertilization

Papaya carica - melon tree

In order for the papaya seeds to actually produce fruit-bearing plants, they must first successfully grow to a height of about two meters. In optimal conditions then flowers are formed. At first, these are only to be found individually and in small numbers. Over time, however, they occur more numerous. In the meantime, when the papaya plant is out in the open, insects can successfully fertilize it.
However, there is no guarantee for that because the papaya has a special feature - male and female flowers. In some cases, the flowers may also be hermaphrodit and thus self-fertile. The female flowers must be pollinated with the pollen of the male flowers, so that fruits can form. For this it is important to be able to visually distinguish the flowers.
Female flowers are comparatively large.The buds are conical in shape, so they come at the end pointed and have a noticeable thickening on the stem. The petals are free and not connected. Male buds are narrow and small, the petals are connected at the stem end. Furthermore, the male flowers are rarely 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. Longish and oval in shape, they have a small constriction in the middle (similar to a peanut shell).
While in the hermaphrodite flowers no targeted fertilization is necessary, must be helped in female flowers. This can be done, for example, with a fine brush or cotton swabs by first taking the male pollen and this is introduced into the female flowers.
Tip: It is advisable to pull several papaya plants to ensure fruiting to increase the chance of female and male flowers.

wintering

Since the papaya comes from tropical areas, it does not tolerate cooler temperatures and must be brought to the house from about 18 to 20° C. Also possible are wintering in the conservatory or a heated greenhouse. Important is also:
  • Water moderately, the substrate should not completely dry out but should not be wet
  • Stop fertilizing in September
  • Spray the plant occasionally to increase the humidity and prevent pests
  • Room temperature from 20 to 25° C

Diseases, pests and typical care mistakes

Papaya carica - melon tree

Since the papaya is not native to this country, it remains largely spared by pests and diseases. However, it may be affected by spider mites and may develop root rot if culture conditions are not attuned to their needs. If it is too dry, it becomes more susceptible to spider mites. White spots on the leaves and loss of leaves and cobwebs point to this. Remedy is an increase in humidity, for example by regularly spraying the plant with soft water. In contrast, root rot occurs when the papaya is too wet. Possible causes for this are:
  • Flooding casting
  • Compacting, impermeable substrate
  • Lack of water drainage
To prevent the disease, appropriate prevention is important. The choice of the right substrate, the introduction of a drainage layer and adapted casting are crucial. If the papaya plant is already weak and caring, the root rot is usually well advanced. Repotting and removal of affected areas may be attempted, but is not a guarantee of salvation.

Growing papaya plant - that's how it is made from seeds

FAQ - 💬

❓ How do you grow papaya from seed?

👉 Choose a ripe papaya and scoop out the seeds from the fruit. Rinse the seeds to remove any excess pulp, and then dry them on a paper towel. Once the seeds are dry, plant them in a well-draining potting mix. The seeds should be planted about 1/2 inch deep in the soil.

❓ How papaya seeds are formed?

👉 For papaya fruit to develop, pollen must be transferred from the staminate (male) flowers to the pistillate (female) flowers. The fruit may produce 1,000 or more seeds and so well over 1,000 pollen grains must be deposited on the stigma while it is receptive.

❓ How do you grow papaya from pips?

👉 It is easy to grow the ordinary papaya tree from seed.

  1. Wash the seeds from a ripe papaya.
  2. Squeeze the seeds from the jelly bag that covers each seed. ...
  3. Dry them in a shady place.
  4. Store in a tightly closed container and keep them until December.
  5. Plant the seeds in December. ...
  6. Keep the small plants moist.

❓ How can you tell if a papaya seed is male or female?

👉 They have lots of experience and knowledge about plantations. They told me that all the papaya's has two kind of seed inside, brown and dark black. Those brown seeds are male papaya and black are female.

❓ How do you grow papaya from seed in Australia?

👉 Here's how to grow papaya from seed:

  1. Scrape seeds out from the fruit, wash them under running water and leave the seeds to air-dry on a paper towel.
  2. Choose a sunny spot in the garden with rich, well-drained soil. ...
  3. Sow seed, lightly cover, and water in well. ...
  4. Thin out small, weak seedlings and any excess, leaving the rest.

❓ Do papaya seeds need to be dried before planting?

👉 A papaya contains numerous seeds that you can plant to grow your own papaya trees. Simply scoop them out, rinse them off, and let them dry on a paper towel. Germination will be improved if you remove the fleshy material around each seed.

Video Board: How To Grow Papaya From Seeds - STEP by STEP.

© 2024 EN.Garden-Landscape.com. All Rights Reserved. When Copying Materials - The Reverse Link Is Required | Site Map