Papaya in New Zealand

Papaya is one of the most rewarding tropical fruits to grow in New Zealand. With the right care, plants can be highly productive, producing sweet fruit that many times better than what can be found in the supermarket. While they are naturally suited to warm, frost-free regions, papaya can be grown successfully in many areas of the country when planted in the right spot or managed in containers.

Flavour and Appeal

Papaya fruit is sweet, fragrant, and refreshing, with flavour that develops best in the warmth of spring and summer. In cooler months, fruit may drop early or remain green, but these can still be used for savoury dishes or salads. Compact, low-bearing varieties are especially suited for home gardeners, as they begin producing fruit while still relatively small.

Time to Fruiting

Papaya usually flower once the plant reaches around 70 cm tall, which is typically within the first nine months. Under good conditions, fruit follows soon after, with the heaviest and sweetest harvests coming in the warmer months. Often in NZ you will get fruit in the plants second season, as they require one season to get to a fruiting-size.

Pollination

Our papaya grown from commercially-sourced seed often produce a mix of two-thirds hermaphrodite plants and one-third female plants. Both are capable of bearing fruit, but a female requires a hermaphrodite nearby to set fruit. For reliable harvests, it is best to grow at least two or three plants together.

Growing Conditions

Papaya thrive in full sun with excellent drainage and protection from frost. In the warmer parts of the North Island, they can be planted directly into the ground if the soil is free-draining and the site is sheltered from excessive winter rain. In less favourable conditions, growing in containers is a highly effective option. Dwarf varieties fruit low on the trunk (from just 60–70 cm tall), making them particularly well suited for pots. Container plants can be moved to shelter (from rain) during winter and returned outdoors in spring.

Container Growing

Papaya adapt well to pots, but overwatering is the most common cause of failure. Always allow the soil a few cm below the surface to dry slightly before watering again. Use a high-quality, free-draining potting mix, and upsize gradually during September – December, avoiding re-potting in the late season. Papaya can produce well in 30–50 litre containers. Fertiliser can be applied as with other fruit trees; slow-release fertilisers are a convenient option, providing steady nutrition for up to six months at a time.

Cold Tolerance

Papaya are sensitive to frost and prolonged cold, particularly when combined with wet conditions. While they can survive cooler temperatures, excessive winter rain often leads to losses. For this reason, sheltered sites or container culture are the safest approaches outside of the warmest parts of the North Island. We generally don’t have issues with trees kept dry over winter, but keep an eye out for slugs and snails.

Dwarf (low-bearing) varieties we grow:

Red Lady 786 F1: Our most popular variety. Deep red flesh, very sweet mild flavour. Flowers around 70cm. Reportedly slightly more cold tolerant than other types.

Tainung #2 F1: Produces long and narrow sweet, yellow-fleshed fruits. Thai origin, flowers around 70cm.

Hawaiian Solo Sunset: One of the sweetest, pink fleshed, small fruit. Flowers around 70-80cm.

Red Nemesis F1: Similar to Red Lady but has a stronger flavour and reportedly more disease resistance. Flowers around 70cm.

Below: Our Red Lady producing fruit in a 50L pot in Auckland. (The sides of the area are exposed, with a plastic roof to protect them from excess rain over winter).

Below: a friend’s dwarf papaya, very happily growing along his driveway in Milford, Auckland. The drainage is excellent and it likely gains additional heat from the fencing and nearby concrete.

Pictured: New Zealand grown papaya. L: Red Lady, R: Tainung #2.