Papaya Planting Methods and Cultivation Techniques

Papaya (scientific name: Chaenomeles sinensis (Thouin)Koehne): Rosaceae, Chaenomeles genus, a shrub or small tree, up to 5-10 m tall, leaves elliptical-ovate or elliptical-oblong, rarely obovate, 5-8 cm long, 3.5-5.5 cm wide, petioles 5-10 mm long, slightly pubescent, with glandular teeth; fruit oblong, 10-15 cm long, dark yellow, woody, aromatic, with a short stalk. Flowering in April, fruiting in September-October.

Planting time for papaya:

Papaya can be planted either in autumn or spring. For autumn sowing, in late October, when the papaya seeds are ripe, pick the fruit and take out the seeds, then in November open holes at a plant-to-row spacing of 15 cm x 20 cm, with holes 6 cm deep, sow 2-3 seeds per hole, and cover with 3 cm of fine soil. For spring sowing, from early to late March, first soak the seeds in warm water for 2 days, then take them out, place them in a basin, cover with a damp cloth, and keep them in a warm place for 24 hours, then sow as above.

Autumn-sown seeds sprout the following spring, and spring-sown seeds sprout from late April to early May. When the seedlings reach a certain height, graft the seedlings. Common grafting methods include bark grafting, cleft grafting, T-shaped budding, and wood-bearing chip budding, among four types. The scion for grafting should be selected from mother trees of superior varieties that have already fruited, have no serious pests or diseases, and grow vigorously. From the mother tree, select well-developed one-year-old fruiting branches with plump buds, or new shoots still growing in the current year, more than 30 cm long, branches whose bark peels easily when pinched with a fingernail. Scion collection can be done together with winter and spring pruning. After grafting the seedlings, strengthen work such as cutting back the rootstock, removing sprouts, as well as water, fertilizer, soil, and pest and disease control. When the seedlings are about 1 m tall, they can be lifted from the nursery and planted in the field. Plant 1-2 seedlings per hole, cover with soil and firm it, water, and the best time for planting trees is spring.

Planting methods for papaya:

1. Site selection and land preparation: Choose a loam or sandy loam soil with plenty of sunlight, fertile soil, moist but well-drained, neutral or slightly alkaline. It can also be planted at the edges of fields, on hillside land, or around the front and back of houses. For block planting, open holes at a plant-to-row spacing of 2 m x 2.5 m. Before planting, dig planting holes 0.8 m long, 0.8 m wide, and 0.6 m deep, and apply 5 kg-10 kg of farmyard manure per hole as base fertilizer.

2. Orchard establishment: ***It is best to dig the holes in the autumn of the previous year, with a hole spacing of 2 m and a hole diameter and height of more than 80 cm. Mix the fertile, loose topsoil around the hole with superphosphate (0.5 kg per hole) and backfill it into the hole. Pile the raw soil dug out of the hole around it, and use the alternating freezing and thawing of winter to promote its maturation. Field planting ***is best carried out in spring when the branches begin to sprout, planting 1-2 seedlings per hole. When planting the seedlings in the hole, the roots should be spread out, the roots should be covered tightly with fine soil, trampled firm, then water thoroughly, and after the water seeps in, backfill new soil to seal the hole.

3. Planting density: Papaya can be planted in spring or autumn. After planting, the trunk can be headed at 70-80 cm above the ground. When sprouting, promptly remove root suckers and sprouts within 50 cm of the base of the main trunk, and appropriately thin out overly dense new shoots. It is suitable for close planting. On thin mountainous and hilly land, the plant-to-row spacing is generally 2 x 3 m, on flat land with good fertilizer and water conditions the plant-to-row spacing is preferably 3 x 4 m, and when intercropped with grain and vegetables the plant-to-row spacing is preferably 5 x 5 m.

4. Water and fertilizer management: In papaya orchards, base fertilizer is mostly applied in autumn, and the amount of base fertilizer applied accounts for about 70% of the total annual fertilizer application. Topdressing should be carried out according to the growth and fruiting status of the papaya tree, during the ***maximum fertilizer efficiency period. For trees in full fruiting stage, promptly apply pre-flowering fertilizer, post-flowering fertilizer, and fruit-swelling fertilizer, and reduce the amount of fertilizer for young trees as appropriate. After fertilizing, irrigate once thoroughly and pay attention to controlling water during the flowering period. In arid areas, after planting, the tree disc should be covered with plastic film or mulch to preserve soil moisture.

5. Flower and fruit management: In the ***first to second year of papaya, pick off the flowers at any time. In the third spring, strengthen management, and apply pre-flowering fertilizer, fruit-swelling fertilizer, and autumn fertilizer well. The self-pollination fruit-setting rate is high, and fruit set is easy. Releasing bees or artificial pollination during the flowering period can increase the fruit-setting rate. Papaya fruit has a self-thinning phenomenon, and poorly pollinated fruit will fall off automatically. Therefore, after fruit set in early May each year, it is enough to thin out small fruit and deformed fruit.

6. Training and pruning: After grafting, the papaya's central trunk is relatively upright, and after slight pruning it can be trained into a cup shape, cylindrical shape, or slender spindle shape, generally mainly the slender spindle shape. Pruning is mainly thinning. During the growing season, pay attention to cutting out competing branches of the central trunk, upright water sprouts within the canopy, overly dense branches, thin and weak branches, and pest- and disease-damaged branches, etc. At locations lacking branches, 1-2 buds can be retained for heavy short pruning to promote branching, and aged fruiting branch groups should be promptly headed back and renewed.

7. Harvesting and processing: Papaya begins to flower and fruit about 3-4 years after field planting. Generally, from July to August each year, when the outer skin of the fruit turns from green to greenish-yellow, harvest it on a sunny day, and be careful not to bruise the fruit or let it fall to the ground. If the fresh fruit brought back is to be used medicinally, cut it in half lengthwise, then put it into boiling water and boil for 5-10 minutes or steam for 10 minutes, then spread it on a bamboo screen to dry in the sun or dry by heat. When drying, first dry it face-up for 3-4 days, so that the moisture in the flesh gradually dries and the color turns red, then turn it over and dry until completely dry. On rainy days, it can be dried over a slow fire. The product is best when it is firm in texture, thick in flesh, with wrinkled outer skin, purplish-red in color, and sour in taste. If used as food, directly process by salting or sugaring.