Growing Papaya Fruit Trees in Cold Climate

[@MsFishingdog]

Enjoyed watching. I enjoy your yard. Next to the other yards. Nice green. Tropical looking.

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Thank you. Many of my neighbors are getting curious when walking by my yard. I suspect they’ll eventually try their hand in growing tropicals.

[@mauriciodiaz1310]

This is one of my favorite videos!!!! Love papayas and my seedlings still have not died. I use to over water them no i use a moisture meter n not to much sun till they get bigger

[@TropicalCentralValley]

That’s awesome. Papaya trees do great in the Central Valley, though they can struggle just a bit during the cold season.

[@wellspring2life-]

That is awesome! Love what you're doing in your yard. My my friends here in FL are from the Philippines and they eat and cook the young fruit like we cook potatoes. I live in north FL now, but I'm going to try to grow anyway. ❤

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Thank you. In addition to the young papaya fruits, I didn’t know the leaves were edible until I saw folks on KZbin eating them. I’ve been missing out.

[@Walkonwater333]

Best subtropical video’s on KZbin I’ve seen thank you very helpful

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Thank you. It’s not easy growing tropicals in harsh climate, though, with some techniques, it is very much possible.

[@georgevalenzuela2489]

I’m in Merced County, after watching your videos I’m going to try to grow some papayas too. Thanks!

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Yeah, they do phenomenally well in the Central Valley. My recommendation would be to see if you’re able to get a hold of different varieties of papaya fruits as they germinate very easily.

[@777Macau]

I am planting today for a 8 month production in southern Wisconsin, using a Thai varietal that produces awesome in Hawaii.

[@TropicalCentralValley]

That’s awesome. The Asian varieties are generally smaller but way sweeter.

[@ishaa5948]

Thank u for sharing. 🙏

[@TropicalCentralValley]

You’re very welcome.

[@salgado1601]

In Bakersfield trying to grow papayas now😊

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Nice. They thrive in our summer sun, even when young.

[@kmiklec]

Thank you its so valu able forme this information

[@TropicalCentralValley]

You’re very welcome.

[@gerardohernandez8901]

Love your videos lots of information. I live in Clovis and have 12 Mexican papaya trees 3 feet tall and they all wilted looks like nine of them might not make it up I’m just going to let them be up and see what happens in the spring like you said they might branch out but all my other tropical trees are doing good

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Thank you. That’s awesome. Even with the other 3 papaya trees, that’s going to be a lot of fruits. When germinating my papaya from seeds, I generally plant about 12 of them in the same spot, then pluck out the weak ones while only leaving 3 or 4 strong seedlings.

[@yes12337]

I'm from Poland and our winters are way too cold for papayas, but I wonder if it would grow well from cuttings? It seem to be much easier to store cuttings over winter than full-grown trees 😊

[@TropicalCentralValley]

My recommendation would be to germinate them from seeds, from a store bought papaya fruit. From seeds, they grow really and will produce fruits within a little over a year.

[@RealLifeFruitopia]

Papaya salad for months in that wheelbarrow! I have not had any luck with papaya in my zone 9b in Melbourne Australia, tried 5 varieties over 8 years, all succumb to root rot in winter.

[@TropicalCentralValley]

That’s a bummer. Just a suggestion, but have you tried using 75% sand as part of your soil? Specific to my papaya trees, I really don’t directly water them, and instead, the trees rely on water from nearby trees whenever I deep water those trees.

[@RealLifeFruitopia]

@@TropicalCentralValley Thanks for the suggestion, I've yet to try a sandy mix as my top soil is loam down to 20 inches. I recently tried the sand mix with potted mangoes but yet to see any advantage until winter rolls in.

[@samuelford9384]

I drill before planting a papaya seedling a 8 foot deep, 10 inches wide hole and fill it with good soil. Then they make a good Taproot.

[@TropicalCentralValley]

That’s quite a bit of work for a papaya tree, but well worth it. Besides these two trees, I’ve not had any real issues with my other papaya trees uprooting. I probably need to do a better job of picking the papaya fruits as to not make the trees so top heavy.

[@QueenMaryStuart]

8 feet deep!?? How does a seedling find the light from that deep

[@TropicalCentralValley]

I suspect the seedling was likely planted a few inches from the surface, and the extra 7 or so deep allows for easy root growth and drainage.

[@baomichael]

Nice 👍🏻 video homie sunrise best. Can u use it raw for goi du du too

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Thank you. Yes, the unripen papaya fruits can be used to make papaya salad.

[@bettyrodriguez1150]

Hi. Just to confirm…if I leave the immature fruits that are already in my papaya trees to overwinter they will continue to grow once is warm again, for us in Central Florida that would be March? I was considering harvesting them to make green papaya desert to avoid them getting bad during the few nights temperature drop here but if they can survive and continue to mature Id rather leave them in the tree. Thank you so much. Excellent video.

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Yes, the fruits will continue to ripen as the weather warms up, though, some say they aren’t as tasty. Personally, I’ve never had any taste issues with any of my papaya fruits that ripen over winter.

[@bettyrodriguez1150]

@@TropicalCentralValley Thank you for the fast reply. I wish you the best with your channel.

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Thank you.

[@HunXing_Kongolia]

I live in Merced and my papaya trees only grow to 2 feet tall. Most of them died from root rot while in a green house. I cannot figure out what to do?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Papaya trees require excellent soil drainage due to its super shallow root systems. Assuming yours are grown in containers, I recommend the use of half peat moss and half sand as the growing medium. Throw in some non-organic material such as perlite. If grown in the ground, you’ll want to either cut down or in my case, eliminate watering during the winter months, and instead, rely on the rain for water. The water should just be enough to sustain the trees through winter, and not necessarily for growth.

[@muttnimol7903]

Would it be OK I come over and buy some seeds or plants from you?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Papayas are one of the easiest tropical fruit trees to germinate from seeds. If able to, I’d obtain a fresh papaya fruit then germinate the hundreds of seeds. You’re bound to get at least a few dozen seedlings.

[@mikecheck1256]

How old are your Mexican papaya?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

They were 1 and a half years old. I actually have since removed all of my Mexican papaya trees, in favor of growing Sunrise and Hawaiian Solo varieties.

[@vvv_06]

What care you do for winter? Do u cover them. Howmuch do u water. Here in bay area.

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Can you clarify your question? To date, I’ve made about a dozen videos showing the ease at which many of these tropical fruits trees growing through winter. Can you clarify the issue with growing tropical fruit trees in winter?

[@vvv_06]

@@TropicalCentralValley I have many tropical plants like guava and papaya and java plum but I only kept guava outside however in winter for the 1st 2 yrs I had to cover it with the frost cloth and reduce the watering. My question is Q. howmuch water do you give yours, howmany times a week ? Q. Winter if I plant my papaya in ground do I need to cover them with frost cloth? Q. What and howmany times do u fertilize these plants? Q. Will java plum also live outside in ground in winter with out covering?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Thank you for the clarification. As you are in the Bay Area, I don’t imagine your winter hitting sub-freezing and as such, the papaya trees should be fine even if planted outdoors. As with almost all tropical fruit trees, you’ll want to dramatically cut back on your winter watering as well as fertilizing. I made a video covering this topic last year: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5y2hZ-Xn9tmoLM Specific to your region though, assuming you’re in San Francisco, many tropical fruit trees prefer the summer heat and are not a fan of cloudy days or extreme windy conditions. I hope this helps.

[@nh6405]

Hi, I really enjoyed watching your papaya tree video. I live in Oregon and trying to grow some papaya trees. Here in Oregon it gets pretty cold. Do you think if I grow them in a pot, it will last outside?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Thank you. Absolutely, though, be sure to select a large container, preferably something like a 25 gallon as the papaya tree will appreciate the extra root space.

[@nh6405]

@@TropicalCentralValley Do you think that I should take the papaya tree inside? I also have a custard apple tree that is almost 9 months old. Hopefully it will last till next year!

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Tropical fruit trees grown in containers will also be slightly more sensitive to frost, due to the lack of geothermal heat. To err on the side of caution, I’d start sheltering your papaya and your custard apple inside when the temperature drops below 40°F.

[@rebeccaledesma4912]

What type of banana [red striped] is in your front yard, by the entrance? I have one that looks so similar but can't find one that looks JUST the same online. Closet I saw was called a zebrina I think? I bought it unlabeled, and want to know if it produces fruit, and if so is it edible. If you know the name, please let me know so I can research more about it. Fingers crossed it comes back. First winter here (brought from LA)

[@TropicalCentralValley]

It’s called a “Sumatrana X Cross”. I don’t know if it’s known by any common name, but it’s fruits are ruby red in color.

[@rebeccaledesma4912]

@@TropicalCentralValley has yours produced?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

No, not yet anyway. I actually have since dug it out and moved it into my backyard. Doing so has set it back a year.

[@rebeccaledesma4912]

@@TropicalCentralValley @Tropical Central Valley since we had those warm days this week i cleaned up around my plants and checked for signs of activity. My Cavendish and blue java have the slightest bit of green still in the small trunk that survived. My sumatrana x cross is dead down to the bottom =[ he was in a pot. The survivers were in the ground. I will have to wrap them next year. So, if you ever have any sumatrana pups, please consider letting me know!

[@TropicalCentralValley]

That’s a bummer. I haven’t checked up on my Sumatrana X Cross as we’re expecting another late freeze sometime next week, but the banana has seen worst times and has always managed to make a nice comeback, same with my Cavendish.

[@edjo3430]

I'm encouraged by your video. I live in valley springs California. Probably 2 hours north from you. Heavy clay in my acre. You advised me earlier. I have just planted 10 trees. the only one I'm really worried about is the Cornelian cherry. They love the cold and mild summers. But we have 110 degrees summers. Anyways, I purchased a soil made of sandy loam plus humus. I blend it with clay for each tree. I also add worm castings, some micorhizae, perlite and then try to mound up 1 foot mound and plant the tree high. What would you suggest me changing with this formula? Would this work with papaya? Also, is it OK planting trees 3 to 4 feet apart?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Thank you. Concerning the Cornelian Cherry, based on the fact that various online forums recommend planting the tree in full sun to part shade, given your summer, I don’t think it’s going to handle the full sun too well. As the tree is rather slow growing, perhaps plant a companion shade tree next to it? Something like a Moringa will provide the much needed shade. I actually wouldn’t put the trees in a mound. Driving up and down 99, I noticed almost all conventional farming methods have their trees planted in rows of mounds. While this helps to ensure the trees do not drown/root rot, this method may backfire during the summer heat. The tree will have a very hard time trying to cool itself and it’s root down. My trees are planted at grade and some even below grade, as protection against the summer heat. In my case, I do have about a foots worth of mulch covering the tree base, keeping the ground cool and moist. I have trees planted about a foot apart and have not had any issues, though, you’ll want to ensure the trees are “compatible”, as they may fight with one another for the available resources.

[@lazymanle7070]

I live in S California weather not to cold like your area, but my Papaya still die too.

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Papaya loves heat. I notice mine thrives when the temperature consistently hits the high 90°s. Perhaps your region is a bit too cool for the papaya trees during summer?

[@Toomuchbullshitt]

Could be overwatering or soil conditions

[@growingtropicalsandexotics]

I'm so sorry to see that 2 of your Mexican papayas are gone. 😢 luckily they're easy to replace and very fast growers. I think the worst papaya killers are root rot and in my case papaya anthracnose 😭 I lost all 4 of my strawberry sunrise papayas not long ago. It started with yellowing of the leaves and circular rings/spots all over the leaves the 2 Mexican papayas survived but the sunrise all died from root rot and the tips wilted withered and just turned into mush. Made sure to quickly discard them including the soil. I will make sure to disinfect the old containers they were in to. The main reason they got attacked so viciously was because my greenhouse has poor airflow and gets really hot in the day so it's fluctuates way to much gos from being 80+- to 30-+ very rapidly throughout the day going from very humid and cold at night to very hot and dry in the day. They hated it plus the anthracnose loved it so. ☠️ Everything else is doing just fine luckily. I will install some vents and a greenhouse fan before next winter. For now what has happened, happened. By the way I do open both ends of the greenhouse everyday but since there almost no wind in my area air doesn't flow much if not at all but if I didn't open it it easily goes to 100+ in minutes has happened several times. 😬 Great to see your garden doing so well though! 😃

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Thank you. Sad to hear about your experience though. Lots of trial and error when growing tropicals that should grow here.

[@vtran1978]

That's amazing that those papaya that fell were only 2yrs old! Did you have to do any soil amendments when you planted them. What sort of fertilizer regiment did you use to get them to grow so fast?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Yes, I used my standard 40% peat moss, 40% sand and 20% potting soil mixed in with half native dirt when planting. Used a typical balance organic granular fertilizer with routine foliar feedings. Papaya trees in general, grow super fast. Would have been way faster, but the Central Valley’s cold keeps them shorter than normal.

[@karenc6952]

Are the unripe Mexican papaya the kinds that we use to make papaya salad?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Traditionally, yes, though any unripe papaya can be used as an ingredient in papaya salad.

[@patricktoscano5362]

Bello come sempre.....oh visto il tuo meteo di mattina gela con -1° ? Le papaye le proteggi? Perche à me qua à fatto 2giorni di notte 0° la papaya e rimasta senza foglie solo il tronco col frutto sopra , secondo do te soppravivera il frutto lo devo togliere? Graziee

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Thank you. I think Google Translate may have gotten some of your words lost, however, I think I got the gist of your question. Google Translate result: “Beautiful as always. Oh saw your morning weather freeze with -1? Do you protect the papayas? Why to me here on days at night or the papaya is left without leaves only the trunk with the fruit on it, according to you survive the fruit I have to remove it? Thanks” There has been about 4 times where your temperature dropped below 0°C this winter. Our forecast for this Wednesday to Saturday are 0°C, -1.11°C, 0°C and 0°C. I do not protect any of my papaya trees and they continued to do fine in the winter. Google Translate: “Ci sono state circa 4 volte in cui la tua temperatura è scesa sotto 0°C quest'inverno. Le nostre previsioni per questo mercoledì e sabato sono 0°C, -1,11°C, 0°C e 0°C. Non proteggo nessuno dei miei alberi di papaia e hanno continuato a funzionare bene in inverno.”

[@clairestile5743]

Wow! That is amazing. I didn't know that that the fruit tree produced so much. Maybe next time donate the extra amount to people who could really use a nice piece of fruit. Like the homeless.

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Thank you. Specific to the papaya fruits from the fallen trees, many of the fruits were immature and not ripen. As such, they wouldn’t have tasted good.

[@clairestile5743]

@@TropicalCentralValley I ate my first fresh papaya today! So I came looking for videos on them. The seeds taste just like black pepper. I did chew a few. They are supposed to be good for you. My fruit may not have been completely ripened, the fruit was soft but not so sweet. It had a melon texture. I appreciated seeing how much fruit can grow on the tree, and how many fruit you can get.

[@TropicalCentralValley]

That’s awesome. I’ve personally have not eaten the actual seeds. Papaya trees are super productive and quite easy to grow, assuming the soil conditions are met.

[@clairestile5743]

@@TropicalCentralValley I am going to pot some seeds, and see what happens. But honestly, I am in NY, and way upstate, so right now... it's snowing. Maybe a dwarf plant.

[@chinatownboy7482]

@@TropicalCentralValley Forget about donating your extra fruit. Bring them out here to San Francisco. We can't grow anything. Give me your fruit.

[@thehydrosource]

Hey do you know where I could buy about 25) 25g-30g jaboticabas?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Definitely Mimosa Nursery. I have seen them carrying massive 30 gallon jaboticaba trees. However, be prepared to pay an arm and a leg for it. As I recall their trees in 25-30 gallon containers typically are in excess of $350.

[@tropicalfruitsofmothernatu4440]

How long are your winters there? Our papaya in Melbourne Australia suffer and die more here

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Our winters are typically from December - March. Temperature will begin dropping between those months.

[@jamesallen6309]

I'm across the ditch in New Zealand. My situation is probably a little worse than yours in Melbourne. However, we have local selections that have been bred like Rainbow Valley and Mountain Red that will survive a winter if planted in a favourable spot. One thing this dude has right is water and papaya; especially potted, has to be managed carefully. I lost a rare species from Peru that was coming along fine until I watered it once too often.

[@tropicalfruitsofmothernatu4440]

@@jamesallen6309 good point how you meant to know when to water I think the best thing is the moisture reader

[@jamesallen6309]

@@tropicalfruitsofmothernatu4440 Agreed. I bought one soon after. Good luck with your growing.

[@The_Mothzz]

Can you grow Them in Europe like this?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

There’s really no reason why these tropical fruit trees can’t grow in Europe. With the current heat wave impacting many parts of Europe, your climate in many ways is nearly identical to mine.

[@The_Mothzz]

@@TropicalCentralValley thanks , greetings from Germany, but can i grow Them in my Backyard like this or do i Need a planting Container?

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Assuming your climate is somewhat favorable to the growing of papaya fruit trees, it should be fine. Bear in mind, papaya trees aren’t a fan of the cold. Mine has been able to get down to -3°C for a brief time, however, they do suffer some damage. During the summer season, they thrive on the intense heat. We occasionally get 40°C - 42°C days which these trees absolutely love.

[@The_Mothzz]

​@@TropicalCentralValleyI ve got one now , about 1 meter tall 1year old and in a pot. Hard part now is getting them thru the winter without fungus spider mites and root rot , that actually killed 99% of my papayas last winter , this was the only one which survived as a small seedling under a glass .

[@TropicalCentralValley]

If able to, I’d definitely put it in the ground next spring. They do somewhat ok in containers but will much prefer the ground, as they are super fast growers and needs all the nutrients available in your soil.

[@Maatson_]

I’ve got the worst luck with growing papaya . My neighbors hear in Fl can grow them easy mean while I have either killed them or they got root rot or they are still in the grown and have been the same 1 foot size for over a year :(

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Given their relative quick growth, papaya trees are heavy feeders. I do feed mine quite a bit and often as well. Concerning the root rot, tried amending your soil with heavy use of sand to improve drainage?

[@Maatson_]

@@TropicalCentralValley I will have to use more sand in my dirt next time . As far as fertilizer I use a 10-10-10 and fish emulsion, I started using foliage fertilizer on my plants after watching one of your vids. It has help most of my plants and trees .

[@huevoshuevos1020]

Next time, plant them deeper.

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Unfortunately, that’s not how papaya fruit tree work.

[@burakalp13ylonce53]

can i stunt my papaya

[@TropicalCentralValley]

Not to my knowledge. The tree may encounter some setbacks, but the tree should bounce back.