Papaya

In this country they are not completely frost hardy so need to be kept in a greenhouse or conservatory in the winter months. Papaya trees love warm damp conditions so try to mimic their swampy origins in a warm greenhouse or even outside on a sheltered patio during the summer months. If you are keeping your tree inside, or even outside in dry spells a misting with rain water every week or so will help to keep the leaves fresh and healthy.

Papaya trees come from humid climates, so it is important that their roots are not allowed to dry out. Water thoroughly from the top once or twice a week. A general purpose or citrus feed added to the water every couple of weeks is also a good idea to encourage healthy growth and fruiting.

Papaya trees need plenty of sunshine before they will flower but once they do flower you should find that one or two fruits will set and start to swell up on this young tree. Papayas are permanent and quite substantial trees and over time as they grow on, so too will your crops of tasty pawpaws!

Problem Solving

Exposure to cold draughts and temperatures is the most common problem with papaya trees followed by lack of nutrients/water.

These trees do prefer the sunshine so try and keep them above 15C if possible and the soil well-watered. If you find that the tips of the leaves or the first few leaves from the top start to turn brown it is likely that the leaves have got a bit too cold. At this stage, trim off the damage and use a horticultural fleece or straw mulch to wrap in more heat.

Our Papayas are grown in a pesticide free environment. In the unlikely event that you find any pests (including aphids or caterpillars) on your plant use a soft soap or pest spray to wash off the offending creatures and pick off any damaged leaves to keep the plant tidy