How to Grow Strawberry Papayas

Select a suitable site for your papaya tree. It needs shelter from the wind and likes a high degree of heat – temperatures near 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit year round – so plant it near the side of a building in direct sun. Papayas need a light soil with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0 that drains well to prevent root rot.

Dig a hole for your Sunrise papaya tree that's twice the width and depth of the plant's root ball. Remove rocks and weeds from the site and break apart soil clods with your hands.

Pull the papaya from its container and massage the root ball with your hands to loosen it. Gently unwind tangled roots and place the papaya in the hole so it sits at the same depth as it was planted in the container. Push soil into the hole, firming it against the plant roots, to plant your strawberry papaya.

Water the tree to saturate the soil. Thereafter, water the plant to wet the soil, then allow the soil to dry out thoroughly between waterings. Papaya trees will rot if given too much water; soil that remains wet several days after watering is too wet.

Fertilize the strawberry papaya monthly during the growing season using a nitrogen-rich fertilizer. Follow the recommended dose range based on the dimensions of your tree. Sprinkle dry fertilizer on the soil around the trunk, then water to disperse nutrients.

Cover the soil around the papaya with a plastic tarp in the winter to prevent the plant from getting too much water, going as far out from the trunk as the branches extend. Secure the tarp with stakes or bricks. Papayas prefer to be kept dry in the winter and will rot if exposed to too much water. Water lightly in the winter and only when the soil is dry 1 inch below the surface. Check soil moisture with your finger.

Harvest the papaya when the skin turns mostly yellow, from mottled yellow green. Pull the papaya off the branch to harvest it. Allow the fruit to ripen at room temperature.