The Spruce / Leticia Almeida
Papaya is not a typicalhouseplantwhich is precisely why you might consider growing one.
A single supermarket papaya will yield several hundredblack seeds.
Unless pruned, many varieties will reach the ceiling before a year has passed.
The Spruce / Letícia Almeida
Can You Grow Papaya Inside?
Papayas are a great sunny patio plant for summer climates.
Temperature and Humidity
Papaya plants need quite warm conditions, up to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Spruce / Letícia Almeida
This is not a plant that will tolerate a location near a drafty window.
In warm-weather climates, potted papayas are sometimes grown on a patio.
But they will not react well to any temperatures below 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Watering
These plants need a prodigious amount of water.
As the plant grows, expect to water it every three to four days.
You want to water it thoroughly but never let water stand on top of the soil.
The Spruce / Letícia Almeida
Fertilizer
Feed your papaya plant abundantly.
Papayas are very rapidly growing plants that need nutrients to support that growth.
Feed it every few weeks with a balanced fertilizer.
For this reason, they are often pruned off at the top to keep them in check.
Cut off the main stem to a couple of feet tall.
The plant will send up several new shoots from the base of the plant.
A very large pot fashioned of an old barrel or large bucket is a great option.
Rot problems may occur if the potting soil is too dense and lacking in drainage.
Unless you live in USDA Zone 9 or higher, your papaya is a single-season novelty plant.
Take care when moving the container.
Keep it in a very warm, sunny spot through the winter.
Papaya plants sprout readily from seeds, even the seeds harvested from grocery store papaya fruit.
Seeds sprout quickly, and the plants will begin rapid growth.
When the seedlings are a few inches tall, transplant into larger containers to grow as houseplants.
Pick them from the tree just after the fruits have turned fully yellow.
It’s best to store them in the refrigerator for two to three days before eating papaya fruits.
