How to Grow a Papaya Plant From the Seeds of Store-Bought Fruit

Native to Central and South America but grown throughout many tropical regions, papayas are a beloved plant. You can even grow them in your own backyard, so you'll have sweet, delicious fruit right at your fingertips.

It may seem like a daunting task, but it's even possible to grow a papaya plant from another fruit's seeds. With a bit of extra work and patience, these seedlings will soon flourish and provide the perfect harvests. Here, gardening experts share exactly how to do it.

Papayas 101

You might assume papayas grow on trees like lemons or oranges—but that's not exactly the case. "Papaya (Carica papaya) is technically not a tree," says tropical plant expert Tatiana Anderson. "It's a herbaceous plant with a hollow trunk—some gardeners joke that it is basically a giant grass."

These plants grow rapidly, but are susceptible to the wind. "It is a medium-sized, palm-looking plant with a large canopy of leaves at the top," she says. "In the ground, papaya can grow 10 to 15 feet tall, but there are several dwarf forms that are perfect for container growing. They are one of the best exotic fruit plants to grow, even outside the tropics."

Dwarf varieties may be preferable for those who need to keep the plant indoors during the winter, as papayas are only hardy in Zones 9 to 11.

How to Plant

Planting papaya seeds isn't complicated, and their fast-growing nature helps you quickly achieve meaningful results.

Choose a Seed Source

Serious gardeners will most likely want to source their seeds from a reputable plant nursery. This guarantees quality and type.

"If you plant seeds from a store-bought papaya, then you don't know the variety," says Anderson. "Chances are high that the plant will not be dwarf." She suggests buying a plant of a known variety or using seeds specifically from a dwarf variety. "The good news is that papaya varieties come true from seed, so if the seed source is known, you can rely on the result."

Prepare the Seeds

If you're using seeds from a store-bought papaya fruit, they'll need a little extra prep. Anderson suggests cutting the fruit into quarters and then using a teaspoon to scoop out the seeds. "Good seeds are black and about 1/4 inch in diameter," she says. "Seeds that are too small, green, or white are immature and will not germinate. Fresh papaya seeds are covered with a slimy coating that prevents them from germinating inside the fruit. This coating must be removed."

She recommends washing the seeds in a strainer and then planting them shortly afterwards. Papaya seeds that are dried will need more time to germinate.

Start with a Small Container

Don't plant too many seeds in a small container—give them enough space to grow. "If you leave it too crowded, the seedling won't thrive," says edible gardening expert Desiree’ Samone-Sims.

Anderson recommends planting seeds in small cells with one or two seeds per cell, or in small pots with four to eight seeds per pot. "When seedlings reach about 2 inches tall, transplant into individual pots carefully—don't disturb roots!" she says.

Provide the Right Conditions

Papaya plants are tropical, so they thrive in warmth. "Fresh seeds taken directly from a ripe fruit usually germinate in two to three weeks, provided temperatures stay above 70 degrees Fahrenheit," says Anderson. "The warmer the better—ideally 85 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit."

She recommends heating your trays from underneath if possible. "Bottom heat is very helpful, and seed germination mats work great," she says. "Use well-draining potting mix or coconut fiber. Keep soil moist but not soggy." 

Stake Your Young Plants

Like young tomato plants, your papaya will benefit from some vertical support. "Stake the plant with a bamboo stick," says Anderson. "Papayas grow fast, and the stem may grow faster than the roots. Even light wind can knock them over without support."

 How to Transplant

Generally, when plants or trees are grown in containers, the grower must guide the plant through a fairly frequent succession of pots. However, with papaya plants, the story is somewhat different. "Choosing the right container is critical," says Anderson. "Rule of thumb: Papayas hate transplanting. They don't like their roots being disturbed."

Keep transplanting to a minimum. "When the plant outgrows a 4-inch pot, move it directly into a 1-gallon or even 3-gallon container," she says. "Once seedlings are ready for regular pots, choose a container that will last a while."

A larger container does come with specific watering needs. "Bigger pots stay wet longer. Papayas do not like wet roots," she says. "Always reduce watering when moving into a larger container." The key is watering with an eye on pot size, and the fruit's specific moisture needs.

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Care Instructions 

So, how should you care for your papaya on a day-to-day basis? Since these are tropical plants, they do have a specific set of needs.

Water

Watering your papaya is important, but providing too much water is the real danger. "Excess moisture can kill roots, even on established plants," Anderson says. Plan on watering twice weekly, but adjust as necessary to prevent overwatering.

Sunlight

Papayas love full sun. If you keep them in the shade, these plants can produce leggy growth, they may not flower, and they might not produce fruit. 

Fertilizing 

Don't assume your original potting soil will support the papaya indefinitely. "Papaya is a heavy feeder," says Anderson. "Poor soil means no fruit." Many gardeners fertilize every three weeks. Samone-Sims says that healthy soil and compost are a great starting point, but that a balanced organic fertilizer can be beneficial as well. She opts for fish emulsion.

Optimal Environment

Papayas prefer warmer weather—Zones 9 to 11. Depending on your region, you may be able to move your plant's container outdoors during the summer months, but you'll need to bring it inside when temperatures drop below 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Keeping indoor humidity levels high is also important, so you may need to run a humidifier near your indoor papaya. Another tip: for pollination purposes, it's wise to have multiple trees. "Have at least three papaya trees growing on your property," says Samone-Sims. 

Harvesting

Papayas are one of those fruits that you can pick prior to full ripeness. Try to harvest when the fruit is roughly two-thirds fully colored, although Samone-Sims notes that you can even harvest them when they're green. You can wait longer to increase the sweetness, but the fruit might become overly sensitive to bruising if you wait too long.

Be gentle, and harvest with a slight twist, or snip them off. "Sometimes they'll be sticky and kind of sappy on the outside," says Samone-Sims. "That's completely normal." She recommends dwarf varieties for ease of harvest, but you can use a ladder if you have a taller tree.