Papaya

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PAPAYA 
My papaya, (or sometimes also called paw-paw) trees have been growing like crazy this year.  I am picking at least 1 papaya a day, sometimes more.  There is a lot to be said about growing your own papaya, it is very healthy for one.  My gran is probably the best example of this, she eats a papaya every morning for breakfast and is a very healthy, fit, 91 year old.

Papaya from my garden- ready to eat

How to plant Papaya (Carica papaya):
This is extremely easy if you live in a warm semi-tropical climate, like I do - no frost allowed!  Mine grow from the seeds thrown into the worm farm.  Whenever I use the compost produced from my worm farm.  The papaya seeds go "sunshine" and they pop up all over the show by their hundreds. I then do a major thinning out session and leave only a couple of the stronger plants.
My advice here (for those without a worm farm) is just throw a few papaya seeds from a store bought papaya into your veggie garden and cover with a thin layer of compost.
Other than a nice warm tropical climate, they need to be:
- watered fairly regularly but not over watered.  (3 times a week)
- a healthy dose of sunshine (but mine actually do just fine in the dappled shade as well),
- and nice fertile soil.  I fertilize mine with an organic fertilizer about three times a year.

The Paw paw (or papaya) tree shoots up quite fast, has flowers and then produces fruit, this is where a lot of patience is required.  From the time you see those very first the first little fruit starting to appear on your paw-paw tree it is a year, until those first ones change colour and ripen.  From then on-wards it is easy sailing, Picking pap-paws practically daily thereafter.
After a few years (3 or so)  it is best to cut down your old paw-paw tree and let one on the other gazillion seedlings take it's place.  By this time those paw-paws are way too high anyway!  You can also cut the pawpaw down to about a meter off the ground. It shoots new stems out the side and the new paw-paws are easier to then reach

papaya popping up all over 

Nutritional benefits
Vitamins:

Vitamin A            

Vitamin C            

Vitamin E            

Vitamin K            

Folates  

Niacin  (Vitamin B3)

Pantothenic acid

Pyridoxine           

Riboflavin  (Vitamin B2)         

Thiamin

Minerals

Sodium 

Potassium           

Calcium

Iron       

Magnesium         

Phosphorus        

Zinc  
Other Nutritional Values
Carotene

Crypto-xanthin

Lutein-zeaxanthin

Energy  

Carbohydrates    

Protein 

Dietary Fibre

Health benefits 
- promotes healthy skin
- Used as a face pack can help rid get rid of acne
- great food to help your eyes see better
- protects against heart disease and strokes
- protects prevent certain types of cancer
- helps against nausea and morning sickness
- can use as a poultice on slow healing wounds and skin infections
- aids in digestion
- helps protect and clean the colon

This Post Links to:
Veggie Patch Pinterest
Our Delightful Home
Jill"s Home Remedies
Adventures of a DIY Mom
Setting for Four
Mamal Diane
Nap Time Creations
Shabby Creek Cottage
Lambert's Lately
My Turn for Us
Fresh Eggs Daily
Snippets of Inspiration
Back to Basics
Love Bakes Good Cakes
Tilly's Nest