Papaya tree

I just bought a papaya plant from Logee's. It is in a 4 inch pot. Can I transplant it into a 8'' pot or does it need to go into a 6" pot first. Tina

Tina
Be very careful when transplanting. Papaya do not respond well when their roots are disturbed. Another thing is to never use cold water when watering. Papaya grow very fast when the weather is hot so I would use a large pot. I had a couple in 20 gallon pots, that produce fruit, but larger is better with these plants.
Oldude

I'd put it in gradually larger pots to keep it root-bound. Do the re-potting after the sun has gone down, and the plant is "asleep" Yes, six inches, eight inches, and so on, is what I'd do, anyway.

I just looked up your papaya on Logee's site, and am totally amazed! Papayas here usually get ten to twenty feet tall! The fruit is usually at least five feet from the ground. Their photo is a mind blower, haha! Such a shortie with all that fruit! I'd aim at a pot the size that one is pictured in.

Beware, the fruit gets big and stays green forever before it starts turning golden and ripe. Wait until it begins to feel soft.

Papaya is actually a herbacious plant and lives about three years at the most. The seeds don't keep very long, only days, if you want to try some 'babies', take off the squishy part and plant them right away. Do NOT eat the seeds. I don't know why there are so many recipes, they're slightly poisonous.

Keep posting, I'd like to hear of your success!

Thanks to both of you. I put it into a six inch pot and now it is sitting under my new areogarden so that it is getting plenty of light. I keep my house fairly warm though, at about 75-80F. I'm hoping that this works. Thanks again Tina

Just curious, do they have to have a mate to actually produce fruit? Sorry I don't know the correct terminology.

I wonder about that too (LOL, the word is pollinate). I have one that bloomed beautifully last summer but never set fruit.

I didn't really understand why everything can't self polinate. i should go back to 6th grade! I am just remembering when I lived in this great bungalo in Vero Beach & was told that my papaya tree would bear fruit because the neighbor had one too. I had tons of fruit.

The "Solo" variety developed in Hawaii does not need a 'boyfriend'.

Some have both flowers on the same plant, I retrieved some seed from a yard that had neglected papaya plants that had both male and female on the same racime, very wierd! But I believe those are from Thailand or India.

That's about all I know. I have now about twenty male plants! And maybe five not blooming. Maybe they're the 'girls'.

Per a California papaya grower's website, I'm going to move the 'man plant' and pinch out the growing tops, OUCH! The California folk say this treatment makes girls out of boys. Haha!

I'll see what happens when I move them, the second time, to an afternoon full sun and heat blast, from a half-shady, breezy place. Poor guys! I've been fooling with thee plants for nearly a year now.

Looks like I'm evolving from MelissaMulch to MelissaMango to MelissaPapaya! hahaha

I'll keep posting.

There are hybrids that self pollinate, Here's the link http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/798556/

How do you know if it is male or female?

I looked up Logee's and you have a plant that's one of the self-fertile type. The photograph is amazing! So much fruit from a plant in such a small pot! It must need daily watering.

Male plants have their flowers on long stems, racimes. Female plants have one or several blossoms in a cluster right in the leaf axil, up against the main stem. Usually the first bloom of the cluster to open is the largest.

I'm keeping the boys that I have because the hummingbird like the fragrant flowers.

Oh dear, I have a lady plant. Guess I need to find her a beau.