Now I can hear you saying that the papaya grows branches. The papaya, *banana, *coconut and let me add the *pineapple are not happy with stress. Branched fruit trees, unlike single stemmed fruit crops, require some level of stress for best fruit production. A mango tree and most fruit trees are branched. The papaya does not grow like a branched tree. N ow remember we can grow them, and some other tropical fruit crops, in Florida with the right knowledge. The papaya plant grows faster and is more productive when grown in the tropics.They like it warm, humid and with a steady supply of rich organic soil. These plants may be described as 'bisexual' or having 'perfect flowers'. Red Lady and some other varieties are hermaphrodites, with flower arrangements that have both male and female flowers. Generally two plants a male and a female are required for pollination. Remember that seed grown papaya can produce a mix of male, female and hermaphrodite plants. Grow your own by saving the seeds and planting or just buy some more plants when you are ready to replace them. Papaya, often suffers from viruses after the second year so replacing them controls the spread of the virus. We recommend growing these trees for two years and then replacing them. Plant them on a raised bed if you are flood prone. They like to be kept moist and warm but in well drained soil. These fruit trees grow best with at least 7 to 8 hours of full sun. The enzyme papain is found in the fruit and is excellent for a healthy digestive system. Papain is also used as a meat tenderizer. Click here to shop for starter fruit trees Tainung 1, Golden Thai and Nana Pusa AVAILABLE SOON IN OUR STORE! Here are a few new cultivars we just planted seeds of.Įxcellent dwarf and semi dwarf Papaya plants that are excellent for container or in ground growing Caribbean Red is taller and produces a large fruit of exceptional flavor. Birds will peck at the fruit and squirrels, possums and other wildlife will have a feast. Leaving the fruit till it is completely yellow will often attract birds and other animals. It is best to harvest them when they show yellow along three sides of the fruit. Papaya tastes a bit like cantaloupe and the sweetness depends on how evenly ripe the fruit is. Solo produces small one lb average fruits. Both Red Lady and TR Hovey grow fast and produce medium fruit. Some very common varieties, and good ones for our area, are the Dwarf Red Lady, Caribbean Red, Solo, Sunrise & TR Hovey. This is one of several tropical fruit trees you can grow here in our lovely subtropical South Florida. It's a cultural thing.įruta Bomba is fairly easy to grow. In Miami Florida, Cubans are everywhere, so always be polite and ask for Fruta Bomba. Fruta Bomba is what Cubans call Papaya, it's the same fruit as Papaya.

Fruta bomba