Growing Papaya in Florida

Can you grow papaya in Florida?

Papaya trees grow well in the sub-tropical climates of Central and Southern Florida nearly year-round. Papaya trees do not like cold weather so those in north Florida will have to be mindful of when you plant. Temperatures below 31F will damage or kill your papaya tree. Some of the best varieties of papaya to grow in Florida are Maradol, Red Lady, and Tainug #2.

Papayas need a bit of space to grow and you also will have better luck getting fruit if you plant more than one. Read on for more tips to growing papayas in Florida.

Best Papayas to Grow in Florida

Mexican Papayas

Maradol

Red Lady

Tainug #2

Hawaiian Papayas

Solo Sunset

There are only a couple of popular varieties of papaya to grow in Florida. Red Lady is probably the most popular but Maradol and Tainug #2 are good options as well.

These are all Mexican type papayas and they produce fruit that is oblong in shape. There are also Hawaiian type papayas. Hawaiian types produce smaller pear-shaped fruits with a little bit of different taste to them. The most popular Hawaiian type of papaya is the solo sunset.

Get a variety of papaya seeds here.

Red lady papayas are nice because they are a semi-dwarf tree and one thriving plant can make as many as 50-120 fruits.

No matter the variety of papaya you choose, you should be sure to plant at least 2-3 papaya plants. Papaya trees are either, Male, Female, or Bisexual. This means that if they are male, they only make male flowers. If they are female then they only make female flowers. If they are bisexual they will produce both.

If you are lucky and get a bisexual plant you will be able to harvest fruit from only one plant, however, it never hurts to have another plant papaya next to it, more flowers means more chance of pollination.

Best Time to Plant Papayas in Florida

North Florida	March-April
Central Florida	March
South Florida	February – March

The best time to plant papaya is after the fear of all frost is gone. Papaya will not grow well if temperatures are below 60F. If your soil is cooler than that, growth on your papaya tree will stop altogether.

Papaya will continue to grow even at temperatures of 90F. You may notice flower drop if temperatures are consistently above 90F.

How Long Does It Take For a Papaya to Bear Fruit?

Each variety is slightly different. the climate, as well as the care given, will also affect when you will harvest your papaya. In perfect conditions, you could be harvesting fruit in 6-8 months. But more than likely you will begin harvesting fruit at the 9-10 month mark.

How Much Space Does A Papaya Need to Grow?

Papaya trees can grow somewhat large, 20-30 feet in some cases. Ensure that papaya trees are at least 7-10 feet away from each other. Also be mindful of anything above them, power lines or awnings, etc…

While we are n the subject of placement lets also keep in mind that papayas need to be planted in full sun for maximum fruit production.

Watering a Papaya Tree

Papaya trees love water, but that does not meann that they want their roots to drown in it. When choosing a spot to plant your papaya make sure that it’s an area that gets plenty of rainfall but one that doesn’t stay soaked for hours on end after the rain.

If jyou planted your papaya tree straight into the ground and you have mostly sandy soil, you will most likely need to water everday. or at the very least every other day.

Drought stressed plants will look wilty, and drop flowers.

Fertilizing a Papaya Tree

Its best to fertilizer your plant regularly. applying small doses frequently ensures that your plant is getting plenty of nutrients.

A complete fertilizer with Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and potassium is best for papayas. Other minerals like magnesium, Calcium and iron are also important and can be added as a supplement to your steady supply of fertilization.

Fertilizer	when to apply
Complete N-P-K	once every two weeks
Supplemental	Once a month

You can get a balanced tree fertilizer at your local hardware store or online. For your supplemental fertilization this Botanicare cal-mag plus looks like a great option that would give you a very well rounded fertilization program.

Papaya Tree Pests in Florida

The most common pest you will deal with in Florida on papayas is the papaya fruit fly. The papaya fruit fly is commonly mistaken for a wasp due to its shape and color.

This pest lays eggs in the fruit and the larva eat away at it. The most common way of combating these pests is to cover each fruit individually with a paper bag or something similar. This seems like a real pain, if somebody out there has figured something else out that works better I would love to hear it!

Other common pests are whitefly and nematodes. You may also have to battle some diseases with papaya as well. Things like blight, mildew and leaf spot are some of the more common diseases you will see.

How To Grow Papaya in Florida

Plant only after the fear of all frost is gone.

Plant varieties like Maradol, Red Lady, Tainug #2, and Solo types.
Red Lady is probably the most popular variety of papaya grown in Florida
Plant in Full sun and well draining soil

Water every day to every other day
Plant more than one papaya tree. more than one papaya will increase your chance of harvesting a lot of fruit.
Plant trees at least 7-10 feet apart.

Fertilize regularly with a well balanced fertilizer and supplement with lesser needed nutrients.
Keep an eye out for common pests like the papaya fruit fly