T.R. Hovey papaya pot size

14 years ago

Just picked up a nice looking T.R. Hovey dwarf papaya on the internet at a great price. Since I've been told they're are sensitive to being transplanted, I'd like to put it in its permanent pot now. Any recommendations as to pot size? When I've seen this in pictures it usually seems to be in a disproportionately small pot but it can be hard to get scale from pictures. I don't usually know the gallons of my pots but a diameter would be very helpful.

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Comments (8)

hmhausman
14 years ago
I had never heard of this variety, but it is very interesting in the way it grows with such short stature. Suopposedly, it was bred for use in hydroponic culture. If this is so, the size of the pot just needs to be big enough to support the tree. In growing papayas in pots that are much larger than this cultivar, I have used pots that were like 24 inches across. I would think you could go down to about 15 inches with this one. Keep us posted on how the fruit tastes.

Harry
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User
14 years ago
I've been watching this thread because I just got a TR Hovey, too.

I've grown and fruited other papayas and (knock wood) haven't seen the problems other people have described. No trouble transplanting, no trouble with root rot...although I'm careful about overwatering in the winter and I have a really gritty, fast draining mix.

I just put mine in a little 6" clay pot for now. The pics I have seen have me excited about this variety.
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gardenfreak, forget about the postage, will be my first good deed of the new year ! lol Have located a smallish, ( 3/4 cup ? ), plastic jar with a lid, should be perfect to mail up a good amount of seeds enmeshed in a bit of orange flesh. My Red Lady papaya plant is 5 1/2 feet tall, with fruit clinging to the trunk from a foot above the bottom to 4 ft above the ground, where the trunk ends. The top 1 1/2 ft and sides are totally covered by the wide leaves, as shown above. As I recall, the flowers showed up quickly after the 18 " tall plant was put in the ground, maybe 7 - 8 days or so. Good luck with your papaya growing up there in 7a. Am sure you are experienced with these guys and know about very gently rubbing the black seeds against a metal strainer before planting. I share your enthusiasm, - watching mother Nature in action is amazing ! ( smile ) .
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steve_in_los_osos
14 years ago
The original posting made me search again after I had concluded that the plants were just too expensive of a risk. I, too, found what I felt was a "good deal" online and purchased one, but I also noted that another more expensive source shipped the plant in a 4 in. pot along with a ("decorative") 12" pot (presumably diameter?). So.....one might infer an expectation that at least for the first fruiting, a 12" pot will be sufficient. Seems small to me, but......
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mango_kush
14 years ago
i dug up a papaya recently, they dont have much of a rootball at all, its an herb/plant, not a tree.

theyre just top heavy when they fruit
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wanna_run_faster
14 years ago
I have one in South Florida. It's at least 1 1/2 years in a 12 inch pot. It has not fruited yet even though it is supposed to fruit at 10 months. Mine seems to be just doing ok, not getting taller or wider or anything; but not dying off either. I'm going to plant it in the ground this weekend and then wait & see what happens, lol. If it ever fruits, I'd be happy to share the seeds :)
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brettay
14 years ago
I have a four year old TR Hovey whose roots nearly completely fill a 10 gallon pot. In my experience the root system is fairly extensive and deep.

-Brett
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steve_in_los_osos
14 years ago
Brett--

You are in a similar zone. Can you share with me what kind of potting soil you used for the TR Hovey and what growing conditions have worked for you (obviously for 4 years!)?

I've managed to kill seed-grown mountain papayas that alternated between outside and a greenhouse. Would like some tips before I kill the soon-to-arrive TR Hovey.
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brettay
14 years ago
I use a combination of equal parts pine bark fines and Sloat (my local nursery) potting soil. I think the key is to never let the soil get cold, for example less than 50Â°. I keep it inside my house for the winter (watch out for spider mites) and it is one of the last tropicals to go outside for the summer. Papayas very easily develop root rot. Good luck.

-Brett
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T.R. Hovey papaya pot size

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hmhausman

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