Growing your own plants from seed is very rewarding. Papayas can be propagated from seed. When grown from seed, plants can take 10-18 months to bear fruit. For best results, ensure you know the variety of fruit (Diecious or bisexual) you are taking seed from.

Note: Dioecious seed require a female and a male plant. 2 plant positions will need to be planted. Once seedlings are producing flowers a female tree can be selected in the first position and a male in the second. See step 8 for plant selection.

1. Scrape seeds out from the fruit, wash them under running water. Remove the clear outer skin from the fresh seed by pressing gently and popping the seed out. Leave the seeds to air-dry on a paper towel. 
2. Fill a small pot with potting mix. Place 4 seeds,slightly separated on top of the pot and cover with seed raising mix. The seeds should only be 3-5mm deep.
3. Water the pot and keep in a warm spot in filtered sunlight or in a place they will receive morning sun. 
4. They should germinate in 10 to 14 days in warm weather, it may take longer in cooler weather.
5. Once germinated water once a week and allow to grow to a height of about 20cm.
6. Choose a sunny spot in the garden with rich, well-drained soil. Transplant your seedlings.
7. Continue to feed and water regularly.

Once the plants start to show flowers you can thin them out by cutting off the unwanted plants at ground level and leaving the healthiest and strongest. In the case of dioceous plants you want to leave a female, these have a large flower on the stem, in the first position. In the second position leave a male, these have a spray of small flowers on a branch. For bisexual variety you only need one plant as they will self pollinate.

Seed propagation

  Seedling planted in one site