Once a common understory tree native to the eastern United States. Papaya trees have become increasingly popular in the landscape of late. Papaya trees not only produce delicious fruit but also make attractive, low-maintenance small trees for the landscape. With the many dark brown seeds produced in each papaya fruit, gardeners may naturally wonder: can you grow a papaya tree from seed?
Can You Grow A Papaya Tree From Seed?
If you are looking for instant gratification and expect to immediately enjoy its fruits, buying a cloned growing papaya may be the best option for you. When growing papaya trees from seed, the more pertinent question is when to plant papaya seeds, rather than how to plant papaya tree seeds.
Most gardeners have heard the old Chinese proverb: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.” While 20 years may be a bit longer, many fruit trees, such as papaya, do not bear fruit for many years. When planted from seed, papaya trees generally do not produce fruit for five to eight years.
Growing papayas from seed is an exercise in patience, as the seeds take time to germinate and require special care. In the wild, papaya trees grow naturally as understory trees. This is because the germinating seeds and young papaya seedlings are extremely sensitive, and even die from direct sunlight. To successfully grow papayas from seed, you’ll need to provide them with some shade for the first year or two.
How To Plant Papaya Seeds
Even when adequate shade is provided, papaya seed germination requires a period of 60 to 100 days of cool, moist stratification. The seeds are usually sown directly into the ground. Or in deep tree containers in late fall, after the seeds mature in the fall. Layering can also be mimicked in a refrigerator at 32-40 F. (0-4 C.). For this method, the papaya seeds should be placed in a Ziploc brand bag filled with damp but not wet sphagnum moss and sealed.
The seeds should be kept in the refrigerator for 70-100 days. Once removed from the refrigerator, the seeds can be soaked in warm water for 24 hours to break dormancy. Then planted in soil or deep containers. Papaya seedlings usually sprout a month or two after germination. But aerial growth will be very slow for the first two years as the plant spends most of its energy on root development.
Papaya trees are hardy in US hardiness zones 5-8. They prefer well-drained, slightly acidic soils in the pH range of 5.5-7. In heavy clay or waterlogged soils, parrot seedlings will not do well and may die. Proper drainage is essential for optimal growth. Parrot trees also don’t transplant well, so it’s important to plant papaya seeds in a spot where they can stay permanently. Or in a large enough container where they can grow for some time.
Papaya seeds, like their fruit, have a very short shelf life. In just three days of drying, papaya seeds can lose around 20% of their viability. Papaya seeds ripen in the fall (September to October) and are usually removed from the fruit, washed. And used immediately for seed propagation.
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