Weed management is an important part of papaya cultivation . After clearing and disc harrowing the area, it is necessary to blanket spray the ploughed area with pre-emergent herbicides such as Diuron to allow the land to be relatively free of weeds for about six to eight weeks. The minimum usage of herbicides during the early establishment of the crop is very important because the soft, supple trunks of the seedlings are very susceptible to damage by herbicide drift.

At the third month after transplanting, weeds would appear in patches in the field. These should be attended to immediately. Spraying should be done in the mornings when there is little wind (speeds of less than 1 m/sec.) to avoid herbicide drift damage. The stem of the papaya remains green for about four or five months after transplanting and direct contact with herbicides at this stage can cause necrosis, stem rot and lodging of plants.

To reduce further any chances of herbicide drift damage during the critical green stem stage, mulching of individual plants is strongly recommended. Mulching immediately around the trunk reduces the need for herbicides around the plant. The occasional weed can be safely spot-sprayed or hoed out.

The rounds of chemical weeding may be carried out every six weeks or so. However, monthly rounds may be necessary during wet seasons. Despite its higher cost, Basta is recommended for use during the early growth period as it is less phytotoxic to papaya seedlings. When the trees are more than six months old, other cheaper herbicides may be used.

Keeping the orchard free of weeds is an accepted practice in papaya growing. In farms located on slopes with high risks of erosion, inter-row strips of grass are recommended. Blanket legume covers are not suitable because papaya has very weak and shallow root systems and cannot compete with aggressive cover crops. Keeping the orchard weed-free is tedious during the early stages of growth but less so once the trees achieve full crop coverage when many of the common weed species are shaded out. Under these circumstances, spot-spraying of the occasional patches of weeds need only be done at about two-month intervals.

Young papaya seedlings are very sensitive to systemic herbicides like 2,4-D amine and glyphosate (Roundup). Young leaves damaged by these systemic herbicides become distorted, slender and claw-like with curling at the foliage tips. Spray droplets will result in the stem becoming pitted or necrotic. In more severe cases, defoliation and shoot die back occurs. Most plants generally recover from mild drift damage in about a month although flower abortion during that period will invariably affect yield to some extent.

Papayas do not need to be pruned. However, some growers may pinch the seedlings or cut back established plants to encourage branching to produce more fruits.

Watering is the most critical aspect in raising papayas, especially during the early stages of growth and during periods of prolonged drought. In general, the plants should be kept on the dry side to avoid root rot caused by soil borne diseases (e.g. Phythophthora ), but also need enough water to support their large leaves. Lack of moisture generally retards plant growth and causes flower abortion and dropping of fruitlets. Providing adequate water through irrigation therefore is crucial and helps to increase both the size and number of marketable fruits. However, care is needed to ensure there is no excessive soil moisture as this can lead to high incidence of root diseases.

A monthly minimum rainfall of 100 mm is needed without supplementary irrigation for mediocre production. Good production is obtained with 60 to 90 litres per tree per week immediately after planting or during the wet season and 120 to 240 litres per tree per week during the dry period.

Good drainage is a very important consideration because papaya is very sensitive to water logging. Roots will rot after 24 hours of submergence. The affected tree remains stunted and the lower leaves wilt, turn yellow and defoliate, leaving a few leaves at the apex. After the water has subsided, new adventitious roots may grow from what is left of the healthy roots, but plant recovery is extremely slow and the yield is uneconomical. The trees often lodge because of the loss in anchorage. To avoid this problem, it is important to ensure that the site chosen has good soil texture with adequate drainage.

The trees may be irrigated by flooding furrows running along both sides of rows of trees or via micro-sprinklers, jets or drip emitters. Irrigation intervals of around 10 to 15 days may be necessary to sustain production unless this interval is broken by rainfall. Overhead sprinklers are not recommended because they constantly wet leaves and trunks, predisposing them to diseases as well as introduce ground water deposits onto leaves and fruits. Aerial water droplets during irrigation will also hinder movement of insect pollinators. The drip system is very popular but must be capable of providing maximum amount rather than average demand. One emitter per tree is sufficient for the first three to four months but thereafter, two emitters, one on each side of the tree, are necessary. Only one jet or micro-sprinkler with outputs of 30 L/hr is required per tree.