Climatic conditions have a pronounced effect on papaya growth. Overall, the performance of papaya is best in the tropical regions, characterised by warm temperatures, high humidity and good rainfall. It grows particularly well in areas with even rainfall distribution throughout the year without flash floods and water logging conditions. Because papayas are shallow-rooted crops, they are easily damaged or suffer lodging when exposed to strong winds. Strong typhoons frequently lead to uprooting, stem breaking, leaf tearing or flower abscission. Slow recovery of affected plants normally results in the production of undersized fruits.

All vegetation should be cleared before planting papaya because the crop is very sensitive to competition. On most soils, one pass of disc plough followed by rototiller would be sufficient. On heavy or compacted soils, subsoiling or ripping down to 50 cm is recommended to enable roots to penetrate deeply. Subsoiling provides better drainage if done parallel to the contour lines.

Most tropical soils are acidic and should be limed to pH 6 before growing papaya. Well-limed papaya areas result in earlier crops as well as higher yields. The best time to add the lime (calcium carbonate or ground magnesium limestone) to the soil is after the two runs of the disc plough. About 3-4 t/ha are required and this is broadcasted uniformly either by tractor or more tediously by hand. After the broadcast, the lime is worked into the soil by single run of the disc harrow.

After incorporating the lime into the soil, a blanket spray of the ploughed area with a pre-emergent herbicide is recommended. This will ensure that the area remains free of weeds for the first 6-8 weeks of growth.

Lining should be done along the contour lines and each row is spaced 2.7 m apart. Within row, holes are dug about 1.8 m apart. With this spacing, about 2,000 plants/ha can be obtained. The size of the hole depends on the nature of the soil. If it is friable, a 30 cm diameter hole will be sufficient but increase to 45 cm if the soil is compact or has hard lateritic concretions.

The ideal stage for transplanting seedlings from the nursery to the field is at the eighth to twelfth-leaf stage. This is the stage when it will suffer the least transplanting shock because of its optimal plant size and minimal root injury during removal of the polybags.

Just prior to transplanting, about 200 g of T.S.P. (Triple Superphosphate) with 45% P2O5 , should be added to the hole and mixed well with the soil. This is preferred over the cheaper Christmas Island Rock Phosphate (CIRP) because the nutrient is more readily available to the young seedlings. As was mentioned, most Malaysian soils are acidic and low in phosphates and this early booster will be of considerable advantage to the initial development of the roots and shoots.

The actual process of planting is simple. The surrounding soil of the hole is filled back with loose earth and mixed with the T.S.P added earlier. A small depression, large enough to fit the size of the polybag is made. The polybag is carefully torn with minimal damage to the earth ball containing the roots and the ball of earth is lowered into the hole. The soil is pushed around the collar of the plant but the normal practice of tamping the soil with the feet is discouraged because this rapidly compacts the surrounding soil. The best depth of planting is when the soil level covers about 2 cm of the collar of the seedling. If it is shallower than this, the plant may run the risk of exposure of the surface roots later due to erosion while deeper planting may result in collar rot.

The double and triple-point planting systems basically involve the planting of two or three seedlings to a point, spaced about 30 cm apart. After about three months, when the plants start flowering, examining the flowers which are different enough to distinguish the sexes. The hermaphrodite flowers are more elongated while the female flowers are rounded. The female plants are then removed leaving only one hermaphrodite plant per point. In cases where all the plants in one point are of the female sex, only one female plant is retained. By adopting this system, a hermaphrodite stand of between 80 - 85% for double point planting and over 90% for triple-point planting can be achieved.

Polyethylene mulch over the beds reduces moisture losses, fertiliser leaching and effectively controls weeds. Organic mulches of grasses, wood shavings, rice hulls, oil palm empty bunches and other kinds of material are also beneficial.