Native to South American, the papaya (Carica papaya) creates yellow, pear-shaped fruit using a mildly sweet flavor. Even though they produce desirable fruit and supply interest to the landscape, these tropical trees arrive with an extreme sensitivity to ethnic problems. Hardy at U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 through 11, this shrub requires warm temperatures, complete sunlight and fast-draining soils to thrive. Trees planted in the wrong conditions will require transplanting so as to stay healthy. For best results, transplant papaya trees in the spring after air and soil temperatures reach 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wait for a cool, rainy, overcast day to excavate the papaya tree. Identify the side of the papaya tree that faces north. Tie a string into one of those branches on this side to mark its alignment.
Dig at a circle around the tree’s back, just inside the canopy’s border, with a shovel, if the canopy’s diameter is 3 1/2 feet or smaller. Dig underneath the halfway stage of the canopy’s width for trees with canopy diameters greater than 3 1/2 feet. Cut through any roots using the shovel’s blade. Reach in the trench using a set of pruning shears and cut through any big roots that the shovel cannot cut. Dig down to a depth of 18 to 24 inches, making a trench.
Catch the shovel’s blade down to the base of the trench. Push the shovel forward while pulling slightly on its handle to undercut the main ball. Push the shovel firmly through any origins to them. Cut through any obstinate or massive roots with a set of pruning shears. Repeat this process around the trench until the root ball is free from the surrounding ground.
Spread a piece of burlap on the ground next to the ball. Recruit help lift the tree in the ground. Insert the shovel underneath the main ball. Lift the tree in the ground, with the shovel as a lever. Don’t lift the tree by the back; lift the root ball just. Manage the main ball carefully to avoid knocking soil from the roots. Put the tree at the center of the burlap. Wrap the burlap’s borders tightly upwards and over the main ball. Secure the burlap in place with string. Place the tree in a wagon or wheelbarrow and transfer it into the new planting site.
Dig a hole at the new website that’s twice as wide and equal in thickness to the tree’s root ball. Space the hole 6 to 8 feet away from other allergens and stationary items. Pile the displaced soil next to the hole.
Pour one part compost, one part peat moss and one part displaced soil into a pile near the hole, making an even ratio of those 3 components. Stir the materials using a shovel or trowel until they are evenly combined.
Untie the string and remove the burlap in the main ball. Cut away any broken, dead or mushy roots sticking out of the main ball’s soil. Don’t remove the soil from the root ball. Put the tree at the center of the hole. Turn the tree so that the division containing the string is facing north. Insert or remove soil from beneath the root ball if required to align the main ball leading with the surrounding ground.
Add a couple of inches of the soil mix to the hole at one time. Tamp down the soil gently, yet firmly, around the tree’s roots. Repeat this process until the hole is complete. Don’t overfill the hole or plant the tree deeper than it was previously growing.
Water the area thoroughly to settle the soil in the planting hole. Insert additional soil to the hole when required to fill in any leading depressions.
Spread a 2-inch layer of mulch around the planting site with a rake. Keep the mulch 4 inches from the back to prevent rot from forming.
Water that the papaya tree each 2 days in the absence of rainfall until the tree begins to produce new growth, a sign that it’s taking root. Don’t enable the earth to become soggy; rather water to keep it evenly moist.