Papayas are spherical or pear-shaped fruits that can be as long as 20 inches. The ones commonly found in the market usually average about 7 inches and weigh about one pound. Their flesh is a rich orange color with either yellow or pink hues. Inside the inner cavity of the fruit are black, round seeds encased in a gelatinous-like substance. Papaya's seeds are edible, although their peppery flavor is somewhat bitter. Growing papaya from seed is the easiest and most successful way to get started. And of course it's also the cheapest.
You can grow papayas using seed from shop bought papayas. You can use any shop bought papaya for seeds, but you get the best results if you use seeds from locally grown papaya fruit. Just cut the papaya in half, scrape out the seeds, and clean and dry them. Select a sunny and sheltered place in your garden. That's right, in your garden. Don't start them in pots! Papayas don't transplant well. Anything that disturbs the roots of papayas really sets them back. They just hate it. The most fool proof way to grow papayas is to simply plant them where they are to live.
Papaya trees are very, very hungry. That means they need very good soil, rich in organic matter and nutrients. If you don't have fabulous soil, make some. Dig a hole half a meter across and fill it with a mix of good compost and soil. Actually, make at least two or three such planting beds in different locations. Now sprinkle on some of your seeds. A couple of dozen per bed is a good amount. Cover the seeds lightly with more compost, and then mulch the patch well. The seeds usually take about a couple of weeks to germinate, and may take longer.
Soon you will notice that your seedlings are very different in size and vigor. That's why we planted so many. Start culling the weaker ones. Pull them out while still small, or cut bigger ones down to the ground. Only keep the very best. At this stage you should keep about half a dozen plants. Papaya plants can be male, female, or bisexual, and you want to make sure that you have some females or bisexual plants amongst your seedlings. The male papayas don't bear fruit.
Papayas start flowering when they are about one metre tall. The males flower first. Male flowers have long, thin stalks with several small blooms.Female flowers are usually single blooms, bigger, and very close to the trunk. Cull most of the male plants. You only need one male for every ten to fifteen female plants to ensure good pollination. And that's it. You should end up with one very strong and healthy female plant per bed. If the weather is warm enough, and if you are growing your papayas in full sun and in good soil, then you could be picking the first ripe fruit within 10 months.
The fruit, as well as the other parts of the papaya tree, contain papain, an enzyme that helps digest proteins. This enzyme is especially concentrated in the fruit when it is unripe. Papain is extracted to make digestive enzyme dietary supplements and is also used as an ingredient in some chewing gums. Recently papaya leaf extract has gained popularity due to its medicinal properties and it can provide relief against some deadly diseases like dengue and cancer. Papaya fruit is great for your skin and is incorporated in several face packs and skin care products to give you a healthy and glowing skin.
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http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/benefits-of-papaya-leaf-for-skin-hair-and-health/
Papayas offer not only the luscious taste and sunlit color of the tropics, but are rich sources of antioxidant nutrients such as carotenes, vitamin C and flavonoids; the B vitamins, folate and pantothenic acid; and the minerals, potassium, copper, and magnesium; and fiber. Together, these nutrients promote the health of the cardiovascular system and also provide protection against colon cancer. In addition, papaya contains the digestive enzyme, papain, which is used like bromelain, a similar enzyme found in pineapple, to treat sports injuries, other causes of trauma, and allergies.
Click on this link below to read more.
http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/benefits-of-papaya-leaf-for-skin-hair-and-health/
Papayas offer not only the luscious taste and sunlit color of the tropics, but are rich sources of antioxidant nutrients such as carotenes, vitamin C and flavonoids; the B vitamins, folate and pantothenic acid; and the minerals, potassium, copper, and magnesium; and fiber. Together, these nutrients promote the health of the cardiovascular system and also provide protection against colon cancer. In addition, papaya contains the digestive enzyme, papain, which is used like bromelain, a similar enzyme found in pineapple, to treat sports injuries, other causes of trauma, and allergies.