Potted Papaya Soil and Pot Size?

[TomekK]

I think I need to transplant my vasconcellea species, as they’re in 6 inch pots and doing worse and worse. I’m thinking that either they have root rot, in which case they’re doomed, or are suffering because of some scale, or simply because the pots are too small. I didn’t want to transplant them during the winter, but now as temperatures are getting warmer they should go in bigger pots.

So, first, what size pot? Should I be going in increments, or just go for the biggest pot I have (7 gallon deep root nursery containers)? The plants are on average over a foot tall and have a trunk between a centimeter and an inch in thickness (mixing units is fun!). What do you recommend? I hear papayas have big roots which are better undisturbed, so I’m leaning towards the bigger pot. But is 7 gallon too big? Can also do 5 gallons and smaller.

My biggest problem is with soil. I really really don’t want to give them any root rot, and my past experiences with papayas all ended in rot. These are in someone else’s soil, and I don’t want to screw this up. What do you recommend? I have plenty of perlite, and some miracle grow-and-equivalents (the cheap stuff from Home Depot). Should I buy better soil, or can I do something with what I have? If I do need to buy something, the cheapest (and therefore best) option for me is a 5kg block of coconut coir. I really don’t know though, so please give me some recommendations.

Thanks,
Tomek

[LycheeLust]

https://youtu.be/KHZHy3_7PPE
I would use a 25 gallon pot and leave it there

[Forester]

Hi Tomek, I am not a great specialist in growing papaya, especially for Russia this is generally nonsense, however, there are six mountain varieties in my collection, they all grow in 40 liter pots and I use coconut coir, perlite and some garden soil as soil. The ratio looks like this 3: 2: 1

[TomekK]

https://youtu.be/KHZHy3_7PPE
I would use a 25 gallon pot and leave it there

Thanks for the link. Interesting video. Makes a lot of sense, especially for potting soils. I don’t have any pots larger than 7 gallons currently, so I’ll probably have to make do with that (have 5 plants that need transplanting). Eventually I might transplant into big fabric pots, but for now 7 gallons will have to do. They are pretty deep pots, so that should help.

[TomekK]

Hi Tomek, I am not a great specialist in growing papaya, especially for Russia this is generally nonsense, however, there are six mountain varieties in my collection, they all grow in 40 liter pots and I use coconut coir, perlite and some garden soil as soil. The ratio looks like this 3: 2: 1

Well, you’re growing more mountain papayas than me! I only have 2 varieties left. I think I will use your ratio, but switch out the garden soil with coarse sand. Perhaps a bit less sand. My garden soil and the garden soil that is available (miracle grow) is just plain sad. Add some fertilizer-azomite for trace minerals, some granulated mix for the basics, and the soil should hopefully be good enough.

On another note I now now why my papaya seeds keep dying in my soil, why for the past two years my tomatoes are damping off or not even sprouting, so many small seedlings are rotting—that damn miracle grow! Fungus gnats everywhere; cannot imagine what evil microbes in the soil. Will try to sterilize that soil, and maybe then use it in my mix. Though probably not for papayas-they’re too delicate!