Papaya is a palm plant, belongs to the Karikov family. Homeland - Mexico, Central and Northern South America. The distribution area at the moment is all tropical countries, as well as the south of Russia and the Caucasus.
This exotic fruit is also called melon tree because of the similarity of the fruits.
Papaya Description
The trunk of this tree-like culture is slender, thin, devoid of branches of 3-10 m. In the upper part, palm-dissected leaves with a diameter of about 30-70 cm are located on the long cuttings. A flower appears in their sinuses, turning into a fruit, oval-elongated (10 x 15 cm - 30 x 45 cm). The ripe fruit has an amber-yellow juicy pulp. If the papaya is ripe, it is consumed as fruit, and unripe is added to the side dishes and salads.
Varieties and varieties of papaya
There are three main types of plants, named for characteristic fruits and many hybrid varieties.
- Pink red - delicious pulp.
- Small green - orange juicy sugar pulp, small size.
- Red-embossed - rich red sweet flesh and embossed surface.
Popular varieties bred by selection:
Grade | Fruit, pulp |
Dutch |
|
Hawaiian |
|
Big lady |
|
A long |
|
Hortus Gold |
|
Washington |
|
Ranches |
|
Growing papaya from seeds in a room
Papaya can be obtained at home. It grows very quickly, and with proper care it can even bear fruit.
Seed preparation
Step by Step Actions:
- Cut fresh fruit, get seeds.
- Rinse under a stream of warm water.
- Dry the day.
- Pick about 20 large intact pits.
- Determine the preparation method: put them for 12 hours in a growth stimulator; can be wrapped in moist moss, sand and pack into a film.
Seeds remain viable for several years when stored properly. To do this, use a glass container and keep it cool.
Landing time
It is determined by daylight, as the plant needs sufficient lighting. The best time is March.
If it is necessary to plant in another period, the lack of light is compensated for by additional means.
Soil, capacity
Soil for ficus with additional sand or a mixed substrate of equal proportions of leaf, sod land, sand and peat.
Capacity: long, shallow with drainage (small expanded clay, pebbles).
Landing
Place the seeds through a centimeter from each other, pushing into the soil by 2 cm. Cover with a transparent container. Air once a day for 60 minutes. Sprouts will appear in 2 weeks, they need to be planted.
Crop Care
Water often often in small doses, keep the soil moist, and prevent putrefactive phenomena. Water must be defended.
If there are deficiencies in lighting, use artificial. Keep the temperature at least + 25 ... +28 ° C.
Conditions for further cultivation
To grow this exotic fruit from seed, you need to not only prepare it, place it in the correct soil, but also transplant it in time, keep it in favorable conditions, and not make mistakes in leaving.
Parameter | Spring | Summer | Autumn winter |
Location / Lighting | Good lighting on the sunny side. In summer you can place on the balcony. | Additional lighting. Avoid drafts. | |
Temperature | + 24 ... +28 ° C, but not more than +30 ° C. | + 14 ... +16 ° C | |
Watering / Humidity | Do not allow the soil to dry out. Provide moderate humidity. | Reduce watering. At rest, stop. | |
Top dressing | Add ammonium nitrate once every two weeks. | Potash, phosphorus fertilizers. Alternate foliar and root dressing. | Do not feed. |
The peculiarity of obtaining papaya fruits at home
Papaya is a dioecious plant. To obtain fruits, plants of two sexes are needed, but now breeders have bred self-fertile varieties.
Fruiting papaya occurs in summer and autumn.
Remember that unripe fruits are poisonous due to the presence of milky juice in them.
Fruit storage
It is better to keep a ripe fruit at a temperature - +10 ° C, humidity - 85-90%. Under such conditions, it retains its palatability for 2-3 weeks.
It is stored in the refrigerator for a week, not more and separately from other products, especially from bananas, which accelerate ripening.
They do not recommend freezing papaya; it loses its properties.
Papaya propagation by cuttings
In addition to growing from seeds, it is possible to propagate the plant by cuttings. This method retains the features characteristic of the mother plant:
- Cut the cuttings to about 12 cm, with a diameter of not more than 1.5 cm at 45 °.
- Leave the top two sheets.
- Dry 3-7 days. Sprinkle with chopped charcoal before planting the cut.
- You can soak in root for 8 hours.
- Deepen the cuttings into the soil by 2-3 cm (equal proportions of vermiculite, perlite, sand or peat, and you can also take the substrate from a mixture of sand and peat in equal proportions), compact and pour with clean, settled water.
- Place the container in a bright room, with diffused light, temperature - + 25 ... +28 ° C, maintain high humidity.
- Top with a glass or plastic container.
- After rooting the cuttings, transplant into a new small container, take into account that it should exceed the previous one by 2-3 cm, not more.
Diseases, pests and their control
Papaya can be attacked by pests and diseases.
Disease / pest | Reason and manifestation | Remedial measures |
Powdery mildew | High humidity, lack of heat. Whitish coating. | Spray with colloidal sulfur or sulphate with weak solutions. |
Spider mite | Infection. Web. | Treat with a solution of laundry soap, garlic infusion, yarrow broth. From chemical - Aktofitom. |
Aphid | Dark spots, upon closer inspection, insects. |
Mr. Dachnik recommends: the beneficial properties of papaya
Papaya is tasty and at the same time healthy and low-calorie fruit. Its healing power has been known since ancient times.
The fruit and its juice are used for digestion, for insect bites, for relieving pain from burns, for treating ulcers, colitis, bronchial asthma, for normalizing blood sugar and liver function, it also cleanses the intestines.
It is also used in cosmetology, for the production of exfoliating products, juice treats skin diseases, removes unwanted hair, removes freckles.
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It is recommended for pregnant women, infants and growing children.
Despite the fact that this fruit is healthy, it is very dangerous to use it unripe. The juice is poisonous.
It is contraindicated for allergies, people with intolerance.