Carica papaya 'Red Lady'
fruitRed Lady is a Mexican-type papaya bred for the home grower: a dwarf, fast plant that begins fruiting low on the trunk within the first year and keeps producing as it grows. Each oblong fruit can reach about 5 lb with firm, sweet, red-orange flesh, and the variety carries useful tolerance to papaya ringspot virus, the disease that cuts short most backyard papayas. Best of all it is self-pollinating (hermaphroditic), so a single plant sets fruit with no second tree needed. Papaya is a short-lived, fast-growing soft-stemmed plant - it can fruit heavily for a couple of years and is often replanted, or treated as an annual in cooler zones.
Sun
full sun
Water
Every 4 days
Harvest
~300 days
to first harvest
Difficulty
medium
Lifecycle
perennial
Comes back every year
Spacing
6-10 ft apart
Planting Depth
Top of the root ball level with the soil; mound in wet ground
Soil pH
5.5-7.0
Soil Type
Various, well-draining
Hardiness Zones
Zones 9 – 13
When to Fertilize
Small amounts every 2 weeks when young, monthly after ~7 months
Fertilizer
Complete fertilizer with minor elements
Papaya wants heat, full sun (at least six hours), and above all sharp drainage. It thrives in zones 9b to 11; below 31F it is badly damaged and flowering suffers below 59F, so in zone 9a treat it as a fast annual or grow against a warm wall. It tolerates sand, loam, and rocky soils at a wide range of pH, but it rots in wet feet - plant on a mound where ground stays soggy. Keep moisture steady; drought stress makes it drop leaves, flowers, and fruit. Feed little and often: young plants every two weeks with a small amount of complete fertilizer, then monthly once about seven months old. Do not heavily fertilize lawn right next to the plant, which can reduce fruiting. Plant seedlings or set transplants 6 to 10 ft apart.
Direct sow
Apr 15
Projected first harvest
Sep 12 · Year 2
Year 1
Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests
Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide
The main killer of backyard papaya - plant tolerant varieties like Red Lady, control the aphids that spread it, and remove severely infected plants promptly
Plant in fresh or solarized ground, add organic matter, and interplant marigolds
Bag developing fruit or harvest at the first color break and ripen indoors
Rinse foliage in hot dry spells and encourage predatory mites; treat hot spots with horticultural oil
Red Lady begins ripening fruit roughly 9 to 11 months from seed. Pick when the skin starts to turn from green to yellow with a blush of color, then let the fruit finish on the counter for a few days until it gives slightly and smells sweet. Picking at the first color break dodges fruit flies and bruising. The plant fruits continuously up the trunk, so you harvest a few at a time over many months. Wear gloves if you like - the green-fruit latex can irritate skin.
About 43 calories per 100 g with 1.7 g fiber, a very high 60 mg vitamin C (most of a days worth), 182 mg potassium, folate, and a rich dose of beta-carotene and lycopene that give the flesh its red-orange color. Papaya also contains papain, a protein-digesting enzyme. Eaten fresh, blended, or in salads, it is one of the most nutrient-dense tropical fruits.
For educational and informational purposes only — HomeSown is not medical, health, or other professional advice. Always positively identify any plant before handling or eating it; some plants, and some parts of otherwise-edible plants, are toxic. Consult a qualified professional before consuming or otherwise using any plant, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a health condition.
Year 2