How To Grow Pawpaw From Seeds: Updated in 2024

So you are starting you commercial pawpaw farming venture in Kenya: you must look at all possible ways of reducing your production costs and maximizing on your profits. One way to do this would be to raise your own pawpaw seedlings rather than buying ready ones. Even though it is not an easy task raising the seedlings, it is definitely worth the effort. 

By the way, if this is your first pawpaw farming project, then you would want to read the article How Profitable is Pawpaw Farming in Kenya. It highlights costs and expected returns, taking 1 acre into consideration. 

Remember, if you do not have the time to do your nursery, you can always get ready to transplant pawpaw seedlings at Richfarm Kenya. You can order by calling or sending a whatsapp text to +254724698357

High quality papaya seedlings at Richfarm Kenya nursery, Embu

Successfully raising papaya seedlings from seeds is a process that requires a bit of expertise. In this article, we share with you our practice; simple steps to follow to produce high quality pawpaw seedlings from seeds. 

Step 1: Obtain High Quality, Viable Seeds

Pawpaw seeds should be planted as soon as possible after production. The viability of pawpaw seeds reduces rapidly as the seeds stay in store. That explains why many pawpaw farmers in Kenya are complaining about very low germination rates of seeds bought off the shelves of agrovet shops. To get seeds with a high viability, contact Richfarmkenya on 0724698357.

Step 2: Break the Seed Dormancy Before Sowing

To break the dormancy of papaya seeds, soak them in a solution of optimizer for 48 hours (we prefer optimizer from Greenlife). This process induces germination and ensures that you achieve relatively uniform germination and of course a higher germination rate. 

Optimizer from Greenlife: It is used to break seed dormancy

If you are using the greenlife optimizer, the solution is made by mixing 5 ml of optimizer with 10L of water. Change the solution every 12 hours.

Step 3: Sow the Seeds in a Light Planting Medium

The young shoots of papaya plants are soft and delicate. So if your nursery soil, or whichever planting media you are using is hard and compact the shoots will not be able to break through. When this happens, the germinating plants simply stagnate of coil many times underneath the surface then eventually rot. 

In our Richfarm nursery at Embu, we prefer using treated cocopeat or peat moss and planting in 28 or 40 cell trays. This provides the seedling with ample rooting and feeding space.  Plant one seed in each cell.

Pawpaw seedlings planted in cocopeat

If using cocopeat, ensure that you have rinsed it at least 3 times in fresh water before filling it in the trays in order to reduce acidity and bring its pH to about 6.5.

Keep the seeded trays in a warm place with high humidity until the desired germination rate is achieved. The seeds should start sprouting in the 14^th day and might continue even into the 30^th day. Pawpaw seeds have a germination rate of about 80%.

Water regularly to maintain the moisture level of the planting media: please note that the media should never be excessively soaked as this would cause the seeds to rot.

Step 4: Transplant the Germinated Seedlings into Seedling Tubes

The new seedlings should be ready for transplanting 15 to 30 days after sprouting. Prepare planting soil immediately you sow your seeds and cover it with a plastic paper for at least 30 days.

How to prepare the planting soil

Mix 3 parts of fine soil with 1 part of well decomposed manure and 1 part of fine sand. Cover it and let it lie till transplanting time.

Once the seedlings get to about 1 cm in height (with a new set of leaves), fill up seedlings tubes with the planting soil you prepared. We prefer to use 4x6 inch planting tubes; bigger tubes are also ok.

Water the soil for 2 days to ensure that the soil wets all the way down to the base of the tube.  Make a hole in the wet soil equal in size to the cells of the trays in which you planted your seeds. Transplant the ready seedlings into the seedling tubes being careful not to damage or disturb the roots. Keep the seedlings under a shade net for the entire period of time they will be in the nursery: that should be about 2 to 3 months. 

Spray an optimizer immediately after transplanting the seedlings from the trays to the seedling tubes. This helps to reduce transplanting shock. Thereafter, spray a foliar fertilizer once a week.

The seedlings should be ready for transplanting onto the farm 3 months after seed sowing.

Congratulations! Now you can raise your own pawpaw seedling. But for a successful pawpaw farming business in Kenya, you need to have chosen the best variety for your market. At Richfarm Kenya, we deal with the three most popular varieties: Solo sunrise, Calina IPB9 and Malkia (also sold as Red lady by Hygrotech). Read our article on How to Choose the Best Papaya Variety to see photos and descriptions of the 3 varieties.