Container gardening: Tips for successfully growing papaya

This tasty tropical fruit can easily become a large tree in gardens in warm climates. Tropical plants require specific growing conditions to thrive when planted in your garden. If you don’t have a warm climate, it’s best to grow papayas in pots indoors. Although papayas require special care and adequate space, this is manageable.

Before starting to grow a papaya tree indoors, ensure you understand its care requirements and can provide those conditions in your home.

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How to grow papaya in pots

The papaya fruit is not only delicious but also offers numerous health benefits. It aids digestion and helps regulate blood glucose levels in the body. If you believe you can create the right conditions, you can grow papaya from seeds collected from the fruit. Be sure to plant them in large containers to give them ample space to grow.

It is best to grow the plant from seeds from the papaya fruit. You need to let the seeds dry for a week. Once dry, roll them around to remove the outer husk. Choose seeds that are either pale, dark, or a good medium shade of brown, as these are typically the best options. Once the seeds are dry, use a pot with adequate drainage. Sow the seeds in a high-quality seed starting mix and ensure they remain moist and warm. You can also plant in smaller pots, but you will have to transplant into a bigger pot as they grow.

Since papayas are tropical fruits, light is the fruit’s best friend. Papaya trees require full sunlight, so provide a window or space that provides bright, direct sunlight for at least six to eight hours a day. On top of them requiring sunlight, papaya trees also require a lot of water in a well-draining container. Just don’t let the plants dry out, keeping the soil consistently moist.