I quote a local expert who's grown/tried to grow Papaya for many years:

"Realistically [Southern California] is a marginal climate for growing papaya (native to southern Mexico and Central America). The tree-like plant sulks when temperature drop below 60 degrees F and performs best when daily temperatures are well above 80 degrees. A healthy tree is quite a sight!

There is a devastating Worldwide disease called Papaya Ringspot Virus PRSV. Although it doesn't kill the plant, the production drops off dramatically (80-90%) and even these few fruit are of poor quality (not sweet). This disease appeared less than 3 generations ago but has spread around the World. The disease is spread primarily by aphids (also by infected seed) and shows up in young plants as distorted leaves with yellow blotches. Older plants often become symptom free, but don't ever perform well.

In the 1980's I grew many plants, but although the mature plants looked healthy they bloomed very little and produced just a few fruit of poor quality. I do remember seeing the distorted, blotched foliage on the young seedlings, but didn't know what it meant at the time.

By the late 1980's the papaya industry in Hawaii was in full retreat. PRSV was causing farmers to move their plantings to uninfected areas but they were quickly running out of real estate because the disease kept spreading. Researchers at Cornell University wanted to help the farmers. They tried inoculating the plants with limited success. The researchers then took a portion of the PRSV's DNA (a portion not capable of producing disease symptoms) and introduced it into the genetic makeup of a papaya. The resulting plant developed an immunity (mechanism unknown since plants do not have an immune system) toward PRSV and its offspring inherited the immunity. The hybrid called RAINBOW became the new successful variety for Hawaiian papaya farmers.

These papayas, although genetically modified, were cleared for human consumption by the EPA, as the introduced DNA has already been consumed by most papaya fruit lovers (myself included). The findings are that much more of the virus's DNA is found in infected fruit than in the genetically modified papaya fruit.

Cornell never intended to profit from this research. They merely wanted to save the industry.

Of course, there are anti-GMO activist groups that are up in arms about the use of GM papaya plants even though in this particular case no foreign genes are being introduced. Some spokespeople have stated that proper farming techniques would have made GM papaya unnecessary. After reading all of the history, I believe, that proper farming techniques couldn't stop PRSV. So even though I'm not particularly fond of GMO, I'll grow and eat these. "

You don't say where you are, but interior zones where there is enough summer heat have the drawback of colder winters, which the Papaya does not like. Coastal zones with warmer winters lack the summer heat to produce sweet fruit.

'Red Lady', 'Bella' or 'Sungold' are F1 hybrids. The F1 hybrids are crosses bred with a genetically modified parent so they should be tolerant to the PRSV disease. Perhaps if you are in an interior zone and can move your tree into a greenhouse for the months when temperatures drop below 60F, you have a chance at some fruit.

I've grown mine in Southern California, cover them at night with burlap so that they stay warm.

The last two winters have been so mild,I'm seeing Papaya photos all over soucal. I've even managed to get Maridols to live outdoors in the bay area through the last two winters. The growth though has been slow. 2 summers and not even 3' tall. But- look good!

I have seen papayas grown in the coastal area of San Diego. I don't know the species though. The owner told they are easy to grow.

I do believe you need the best draining soil possible.

I think its a myth they aren't tasty in soucal. I'm told they are MUCH better then store bought fruit from somebody who lives in inland San Diego- plenty of heat to grow them.

I've also seen them in San Diego but did not have success trying to grow them in Westchester, but my soil does not drain well at all. I did grow some in Venice and got fruit from them, however, but possums liked to eat the fruit on the tree.

December 2017 - My Hawiian Papayas grow better if it is facing West (probably back of your rear wall of the fence or house. Also, one thing I found out is that it will provide lots and lots of fruits if the soil is combined with sandy and clayish.

The sandy portion makes draining over watered months and clayish for retaining moisture. My wife always drain her buckets of water (house cleaning) right beside the papaya during summer months.

During winter, I will still provide twice a week soaking to prevent dehydration (cold nights could easily suck the moisture both from the soil and papaya trunks easily).

Papayas grow well when it is positioned right below your roof gutters. Accidently, the purpose of planting papayas is cover our windows facing west. Such move gave us filtration of the sun's heat and rainy season less watering.

Southern California often gets this monsoon season and papaya roots dug down as deep as they can when needed. Big trunks means healthy papayas with lots of good results.

Not all papayas will provide good fruits for the first 1-2 years but eventually will catch-up with mother nature. Be patient...and give them fertilizer too!

These Papaya trees are located in Exposition Park on the grounds of the Los Angeles Museum of National History. I took the picture November 2016 and they were super healthy, tall and full of fruit. I was amazed at how good they looked. Location helps, since the museum is located in Downtown Los Angeles, about 15 miles away from the coast and get plenty of heat.

Also, my neighbor two houses down has a very healthy and tall papaya tree with fruit and I'm on the coast in L.A on a cliff a block from the ocean. We have rocky clay soil with decent drainage.

One day googling Los Angele map's I saw a HUGE Papaya fronting an Apartment. It had to have been over 20' with a massive multi trunk and a few Papaya near the top.

I knew I should have bookmarked it. Take my word,it looked more like a Schefflera than the normal 6-10' California Papaya.

Never a shortage of fruit

Ventura ca.

2 year old trees from seeds gathered from grocery store hawaian solo papays. They grow like weeds, and fruit like crazy.

I've gotten Mexican to fruit. It took 4 years from seed. But before the fruit ripened it rotted in our last very rainy winter. I now have a Carib. Red and its 2 years old and 3' tall. Its not getting all day sun..best I can do.

I can tell people that growing Papaya in the bay area is more possible than it's ever been. Like I said,my last two tries have gone pretty good.

The Solo is said to be fastest growing...but tender. Give it a try.

Should add somebody in San Jose here in the bay area got them big and with ripe fruit. The story is they were from home depot and HD Papaya's are Solo types. Scotts look like the San Jose plants.

I saw this in town yesterday. Shocking. That's a tool shed roof 10' or 12' ? Something like that.

I am in zone 10b and I have 6 fruiting Hawaiian papaya trees. I’ve managed to successfully grow them over they years by doing the following things:

1. Put an umbrella over your papaya trees in the winter: This prevents root rot from the cold winter rain.

2. In the summer I water them everyday and they THRIVE!

3. California’s soil has a lack of drainage because it is pure clay. When plating you want to dig a big hole, put lava rocks at the bottom with some wood chips for drainage. Then add organic soil, some compost, sand, perlite, and plant your papaya tree, with a thick layer of mulch on top. this will help your papaya tree from getting root rot in the winter and keep it healthy. Plant in a area that receives full sun but not too intense.

Hi!

I would really appreciate any tips on growing papaya plants from seed. I'm in zone 10b in a pocket of So Cal where it never gets below 40 even on the coldest winter night and days are generally warm most of the year. In both 5 gal pots and in prepared spots in the ground, I had both Hawaiian and Mexican seeds sprout like crazy. But after a month or two, they would start to wither and die and never get over an inch or two. I don’t think I overwatered or underwatered and just to be sure, I watered some plants more than others but they all basically shriveled up after a couple months. They get plenty of sun but not 100 plus degree sun. I’m basically trying to grow them in the same conditions that my father had huge and healthy plants when I was growing up but I can't replicate his success. I planted them in cactus soil for good drainage and mixed in some potting soil after a couple of attempts in order to mix it up but no luck. Super frustrating! Any tips?

Thanks! Gerry

Probably Gerry planting the seeds in ground and not watering enough did them in. Maybe grow them out in gallon pots first,then plant in ground and remember they love water all summer long and frequent feeding also for fastest growth. You shouldn't have much problems growing them after a good start from gallon pots. They in best socal climates become near tree's with multiple branches and 20' tall or so.

Hey Gerry. I had the same experience last few months. Not really sure why, but I suspect the sun UV rays were too strong this Winter/Spring. An older papaya tree we had in the same area became sun scalded, and my sprouts planted straight into the ground never got taller than a couple of inches. Might try experimenting with some sort of sun screen.

I transplanted a Marinol papaya tree on sandy loamy soil, almost about 2 feet tall then over a year ago. It was transplanted into the ground, a sandy loamy soil. It didn't grow much perhaps one or two leaves but then, lately, It took this long to finally start growing in earnest. These papaya tree, they need sun light since their sap is milky white rather tha regular tree sap which is watery. Store planting soil I am not sure, what I know is that they like light color soil rather than mulchy soil.

I am in east county san dieg, due to gophers and clay soil, my hawaiian papayas are growing in 2x2x6 galvanized tanks

since these are shallow roots , will my tank be deep enough ?

i did transplant one into my clay soil but i do t have sand does that means mine wont grow at all ?

I planted some seeds from hawaiian variety in January. Sprouted outdoors in a controlled environment. 3 seedlings emerged. I transplanted into ground in late march. 1 is 54" tall right now, looks healthy enough. no signs of flowers yet. I'm in Sacramento California. I am racing the seasonal change at this point though. I may take measures to protect them. In transplanting, I dug a 3 foot deep x 1 foot diameter hole in hardpan soil. At the bottom is a layer of gypsum and then pea gravel. I added layers of homemade compost, sand, and dirt. Then the plant, and then 4 inches of mulch. Watering is accomplished by two drip emitters at opposing points of the outer edge of the hole. Summer watering is twice per day for 10 minutes at 3 gph emitters. At the top of the plant, two opposing 1 GPH misting emitters twice a day.

No luck with seeds either.