How to grow papaya trees so they thrive? A detailed guide to cultivation methods
How do you grow papaya well? Here is a detailed introduction to the planting method. To grow papaya trees, you can refer to the following techniques: 1. Choose excellent papaya tree varieties: varieties suitable for the local area include Yizhou papaya, Yipinhong papaya, etc., and they can pollinate each other. 2. Papaya tree planting site selection method: it is best to choose deep, fertile soil with good drainage and neutral or slightly alkaline loam or sandy loam. Plant spacing 2.5 m x 4 m. Before planting, dig planting holes 1 m long, 1 m wide, and 0.8 m deep, and apply 10 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer per hole. Before planting, select 2-3 year old strong seedlings of good varieties. Both spring and autumn planting are acceptable. Spring planting is best before the seedlings bud, and autumn planting is carried out from leaf fall until the soil freezes. Autumn planting wounds the roots less easily, has a high survival rate, and grows well. When planting, choose grafted seedlings with a height of more than 1.2 m, a graft union thicker than 1 cm, and a well-healed graft union. The root system should be intact. The planting depth should be such that after planting and watering, the root crown junction is level with the ground, and cover the tree base with 1 sq m of plastic film.
How do you grow papaya well? Here is a detailed introduction to the planting methodTo grow papaya trees, you can refer to the following techniques:
1. Choose excellent papaya tree varieties:Varieties suitable for the local area include Yizhou papaya, Yipinhong papaya, etc., and they can pollinate each other.
2. Papaya tree planting site selection method:It is best to choose deep, fertile soil with good drainage and neutral or slightly alkaline loam or sandy loam. Plant spacing 2.5 m x 4 m. Before planting, dig planting holes 1 m long, 1 m wide, and 0.8 m deep, and apply 10 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer per hole. Before planting, select 2-3 year old strong seedlings of good varieties. Both spring and autumn planting are acceptable. Spring planting is best before the seedlings bud, and autumn planting is carried out from leaf fall until the soil freezes. Autumn planting wounds the roots less easily, has a high survival rate, and grows well. When planting, choose grafted seedlings with a height of more than 1.2 m, a graft union thicker than 1 cm, and a well-healed graft union. The root system should be intact. The planting depth should be such that after planting and watering, the root crown junction is level with the ground, and cover the tree base with 1 sq m of plastic film.
3. Fertilizer and water management for papaya trees:Base fertilizer is applied in late September when the orchard is deep-plowed, mainly with barnyard manure and human manure/urine, mixed with quick-acting N fertilizer. For young trees, apply 15-30 kg of base fertilizer per tree, and for mature trees, apply 30-50 kg per tree.
Topdressing for papaya trees: before budding (late March to early April), apply 130 g of urea and 400 g of ternary compound fertilizer per tree in holes or trenches. Two weeks before and after flowering, spray once each with a mixture of 0.3% urea, 1% superphosphate, and 0.3% potassium sulfate to promote fruit cell division; at full bloom, spray 0.2% boric acid or 0.3% borax to help fruit set. In mid-to-late May, apply 100-250 g of urea per fruiting tree by ring broadcasting or trench application. After fruit harvest, apply compound fertilizer mainly based on nitrogen fertilizer, 0.5 kg per tree.
Water management for papaya trees: generally irrigate once thoroughly before and after flower bud break. During fruit enlargement and new shoot growth periods, water appropriately. Before winter, irrigate once with anti-freezing water together with base fertilizer application. At the same time, papaya is afraid of waterlogging, so drain in a timely manner.
4. Pruning of papaya trees:For the natural round-headed form, the trunk heading height is 70-80 cm. From the new shoots that grow, select and retain 3-4 as main branches. The main branches should be arranged in 3-4 different directions, with 10-20 cm spacing between branches. Each main branch then produces 2-3 side branches, and from the outer side of the side branches, small side branches or fruiting mother branches and branch groups are produced to bear fruit.
Bud removal on papaya trees: promptly remove buds below the shaping zone, as well as upright buds on the back of main branches and competing branches at the tips of extension branches.
Pinching on papaya trees: when the main branch extension shoot reaches 50-60 cm, pinch it to promote secondary branches and train the main branches. For new shoots in other parts that grow vigorously, are upright, overlap with main branches, or cross, pinch when they reach 20 cm to promote secondary shoots. Branch bending: generally in late August and early September, bend flat the branches not retained as main branches and keep them as auxiliary nurturing branches.
Winter pruning method for papaya trees: for young papaya trees, with the goal of shaping and expanding the crown, in the first year's winter pruning, shorten the branches retained as main branches, preferably leaving 30-40 cm. Young trees should be pruned lightly, mainly removing excessively dense branches, competing branches, crossing branches, and overlapping branches. For branches with space, shorten them, preferably leaving 20-30 cm. When they grow to 40 cm the next year, pinch them in time to form fruiting branch groups.
5. Flower and fruit management methods for papaya trees:To obtain high and stable yields, suitable pollinator trees need to be planted when establishing the orchard. The ratio of main cultivars to pollinator cultivars is 4:1. Poor papaya management can lead to alternate bearing, so attention should be paid to flower and fruit management, and flowers and fruits should be thinned during the flowering period. Thinning flowers and fruits is especially important in an on-year. When thinning fruit, first remove branch-tip fruit, deformed fruit, and crossing fruit, and generally retain basal fruit and middle fruit on the branches, with about 20 cm between fruits, to ensure large fruit, high yield, and stable yield.
6. Pest and disease control for papaya trees:There are very few diseases of papaya; the main problem is insect pests, mainly aphids, papaya borers, red spider mites, etc.
In May, for aphids and other pests, you can spray 10% imidacloprid at 5000-6000 times dilution, once every 15 days, for 2-3 times in a row.
Or in mid-June and late July, use Taoxiaoling or Taoxiao Yicijing at 1500-2000 times dilution to control papaya borers.
To control red spider mites, use 2000 times dilution of Mieshaoli.
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