If you’ve ever juiced a bunch of lemons and felt a twinge of guilt tossing out those beautiful yellow peels, this one’s for you. These lemon zest sprinkles are a vibrant, aromatic way to get even more out of your citrus and add a burst of flavour to your meals. As a home gardener and low-waste kitchen enthusiast, I’m always looking for ways to use every part of what I grow or harvest. Lemon zest is one of my favourite zero-waste flavour boosters, and these dehydrated lemon sprinkles are a must-have in my pantry.
Not only does this recipe help reduce food waste, but it’s also a great way to preserve the bright taste of citrus for use all year round, especially when your lemon tree is loaded and you’re making juice in batches.
Sustainable, Simple, and Full of Flavour
✔️ Uses up leftover lemon skins after juicing
✔️ Easy to make with just one ingredient
✔️ Stores well and lasts for months
✔️ Adds fresh, zesty flavour to sweet and savoury dishes
✔️ A perfect DIY pantry staple for low-waste living
How to Use Lemon Zest Sprinkles
This citrusy powder is so versatile! Here are a few of my favourite ways to use it:
It also makes a beautiful homemade gift when packaged in a recycled spice jar with a handwritten label!
What You’ll Need
3–4 lemon skins (or more if you’re batch prepping)
A dehydrator or oven
A spice grinder, food processor, or Nutribullet
Clean, dry jar for storage
Tip: Use organic lemons or those from your own garden to avoid wax and pesticides.
How to Make Lemon Zest Sprinkles
Step 1: Wash and Peel After juicing your lemons, give the skins a quick rinse. Carefully peel or slice off the outer yellow part of the skin. Try to avoid too much of the bitter white pith.
Step 2: Dehydrate Lay the peels on a tray in your dehydrator or on a baking tray in the oven. Dry at around 45°C (113°F) for 2–4 hours, or until the peels are crisp and snap easily.
Step 3: Blend Once completely dry, add the peels to your spice grinder or blender. Blitz until they turn into a fine powder.
Step 4: Store Transfer to a clean jar—this is a great use for old spice jars or small glass jars with tight lids. Store in a cool, dark place.
Lemon Zest Sprinkles
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours2 seconds
Total Time: 3 hours5 minutes2 seconds
If you have used lemons for juicing then this is a great way to get the most out of your lemons.
Ingredients
3-4 Lemon skins
Instructions
Wash and peel or carefully slice off thin pieces of the lemon skins. Use organic lemons or fresh from the tree.
Layout the skins on a tray and dehydrate using a dehydrator or oven at 45degrees for 2-4 hours until completely dry.
Add the dry peels to a spice blender, food processor, or Nutribullet and blitz to a fine powder.
Place in a jar. I save my spice jars to recycle for future homemade spices such as this.
Notes
Add to sugar for a lemon sugar or add to your dishes for a fresh zesty flavour. Great in salad dressings, stirfry or even on top of ice-cream or yoghurt.
Low-Waste Kitchen Tip
After using the zest, the remaining lemon peel (especially the pith and leftover pulp) doesn’t have to go to waste. Here are two great options:
Compost it: Citrus adds acidity to your compost and breaks down well when chopped.
Make citrus cleaner: Soak the leftover peels in a jar of vinegar for 2–3 weeks to make a natural, homemade all-purpose cleaner. Strain and store in a spray bottle.
This lemon zest sprinkle recipe is a beautiful example of how simple, low-waste habits can add flavour and sustainability to your kitchen. It’s one of those small swaps that turns scraps into something useful, aromatic, and delicious. Next time you juice a few lemons, don’t toss those peels, dry them, blend them, and sprinkle some sunshine on your next dish.
Kumquat and custard scrolls are delicious! If you have a Kumquat tree overflowing with fruit, then whip up a batch of Kumquat jam and make these scrolls. There’s nothing quite like a tree dripping with golden-orange kumquats in the middle of winter. These tiny citrus gems are tart, tangy, and packed with flavour, and if you’ve ever grown your own, you’ll know how quickly they can go from “a few ripe fruit” to an overwhelming abundance.
When your kumquat tree is loaded and you’re wondering what to do with all that fruit, this kumquat and custard scroll recipe is a must-try. It’s comforting, simple, and a great way to preserve and use your homegrown harvest. These scrolls are soft, sticky, and filled with a beautiful mix of creamy custard and zesty kumquat jam—perfect for a weekend treat, morning tea, or a garden-inspired dessert.
Why Kumquats Deserve a Spot in Your Garden
If you’re new to kumquats, they’re small, oval citrus fruits that can be eaten whole, skin and all! Their skin is sweet while the inside is tart, making them ideal for marmalades, jams, and even fermenting. They’re also compact and make wonderful trees for small backyards, pots, or food forests.
Kumquats fruit prolifically through the cooler months, adding much-needed colour and freshness to a winter garden. But because they’re so tangy, many gardeners are left scratching their heads over how to use them all. This recipe is one of my favourite ways to turn that vibrant tartness into something sweet, creamy, and utterly delicious.
Kumquat & Custard Scrolls Recipe
These scrolls are super easy to make and don’t require yeast or rising time, so they’re perfect for a quick baking session. All you need is a batch of homemade kumquat jam, thick custard, and a few pantry basics.
1 cup thickened custard (store-bought or homemade)
Kumquat and Custard Scrolls
Yield: 8-10
Sweet, tart, creamy, and crunchy these Kumquat and custard scrolls are mouthwatering and delcious.
Ingredients
2 cups self-raising flour
2 TBSP icing sugar
80 grams of butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup Kumquat Jam (see recipe below)
1 cup thickened custard
Instructions
Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius.
Mix flour, icing sugar, and butter until it forms a breadcrumb texture. Add milk and form a dough.
Roll out on a floured bench to a rectangle shape rough 30cm long.
Add cooled set custard on top and spoon on your kumquat jam. Mix slightly.
Then roll the long side to form a long roll. This is quite tricky but just do your best.
Then cut into 8cm pieces and place in a greased oven dish with the cut side down.
Spoon on any extra mixture that has fallen out. Bake for 20mins until golden.
Allow cooling before removing them so the custard has set again.
You can also brush with extra jam to glaze.
Make Your Own Kumquat Jam
You’ll need kumquat jam for this recipe, and making your own is incredibly rewarding. You can bottle up the sunshine of your citrus tree and use it in scrolls, toast, cakes, or even savoury dishes like glazed roasted vegetables.
Kumquat Jam
Yield: 3 jars
Prep Time: 4 hours30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Additional Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours55 minutes
Kumquat jam is a great way to use and preserve your harvests. Add this jam to pikelets or baking for a delicious citrus flavour.
Ingredients
4 cups chopped Kumquats
5 cups of water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 lemon
Instructions
Wash and chop your Kumquats and keep the seeds as you will need them to use as natural pectin.
Place the Kumquats and water in a pot.
Get all your seeds and make a little bag from cheesecloth or in a strainer. You want the seeds to be submerged in the water but not dispersed throughout as you will be discarding them later. Let the seeds and kumquats sit in the water for 4hrs to release the natural pectin. Remove the seeds and discard.
Place a saucer or plate in the freezer to test your jam out at the end.
Bring the pot to a simmer for 30mins. Add in the sugar and stir. Bring the pot to boil for 5min.
Test your jam by putting droplets onto your frozen plate. They should thicken as you run the end of a spoon through the droplet to check. If it doesn't look like it is set add some fresh lemon juice, reheat, and stir. Test again. I repeated this a couple of times and it started to look set.
Spoon hot mixture into hot jars (heat mine in the oven to sterilise 120 degrees for 15 mins and the lids in a bowl of boiling water).
Turn the jars upside down to cool and help the lids seal.
Refrigerate and enjoy.
Watch the video
Why Grow Kumquats at home?
Here are some of the many reasons to grow Kumquat
Hardy, low-maintenance fruit tree
Perennial
Ornamental and edible
Prolific producer
Dense busy shrub
Grows well in pots and containers
The whole fruit is edible
Great for making jams and preserves
Popular Kumquat Varieties
Nagami – Japanese variety with small oval-shaped fruit. Bright orange when ready. Sweet skin and tart flesh. 1-2 seeds in each fruit ( my favourite).
Meiwa – Larger round orange fruits. Sweet skin and flesh. A hybrid of Nagami and Marumi varieties.
Marumi – Round fruits that are quite sour or tart. Mainly used for preserving.
Variegated Kumquat – Stand out ornamental variegated leaves and fruit. Variegation disappears on fruit usually once ripe. Also known as Calamondin or Calamansi.
What to Make With Excess Kumquats
If your kumquat tree is overflowing with fruit and you’re wondering what to do with them all, you’re not alone! Kumquats are a wonderful citrus to grow, but their short season can leave you with more fruit than you know what to do with. Thankfully, these small citrus gems are incredibly versatile — perfect for both sweet and savoury recipes.
Here are some delicious ways to use up your extra kumquats:
Make a quick kumquat jam – perfect for toast, yogurt bowls, or as a swirl in baked goods like scrolls or muffins. (I used mine in these Kumquat & Custard Scrolls!)
Candy them – sliced thin and simmered in sugar syrup, candied kumquats are beautiful on desserts or cheeseboards.
Add to salads – thinly sliced fresh kumquats add a pop of tang and sweetness to green or grain salads.
Preserve them – kumquats can be fermented, turned into marmalade, or preserved in honey for winter immunity boosts.
Dehydrate them – sliced and dried kumquats make a bright, citrusy snack or addition to tea blends.
Use in sauces or glazes – cook them down with honey or vinegar for a punchy topping to chicken, tofu, or roasted veg.
And of course, if you’re baking, kumquat and custard scrolls are a delicious and unexpected way to transform your harvest into something cozy and irresistible.
TIP: Don’t forget — even if you’re not using the whole fruit right away, kumquats freeze well or can be zested and juiced for future use.
Garden to Plate
There’s something incredibly satisfying about using your own homegrown ingredients in a recipe from start to finish. These kumquat and custard scrolls are a sweet reward for your gardening efforts, and they showcase just how versatile your backyard harvest can be. If you make these, I’d love to see them! Tag me on Instagram or leave a comment letting me know how they turned out—and if you’ve got other creative ways to use kumquats, share them too.
Learn how to grow a Lemonade Tree (Citrus limon x reticulata) at home, from planting to harvest, and how to use its delicious fruit in drinks, desserts, and garden-fresh recipes. The Lemonade Tree is one of my favourite citrus trees, especially because it’s so productive! You can eat the fruit fresh off the tree, just like an orange, but with lemon flavour!
The lemonade tree was discovered in New Zealand from a chance seedling. Many backyards have Lemonade Trees growing, and it was a staple fruit in my lunch growing up in NZ. I now have a Lemonade Tree in my Perth gardens, and it is loaded with fruit each year. It’s honestly one of the most refreshing, productive citrus trees you can grow. The fruit is naturally sweet and low in acid, like lemonade straight from the tree! It’s perfect for eating fresh, juicing, or turning into easy garden-to-table treats.
What parts of Lemonade are edible?
Flesh – Edible
Mild, sweet-tart flavour with low acidity—can be eaten fresh, just like a mandarin or orange. Great for juicing, making cordial, using in desserts, or adding to savoury dishes. Unlike regular lemons, you often don’t need to add sugar!
Juice – Edible
Naturally sweet juice makes a refreshing lemonade-style drink with no sugar needed.
Zest (Outer Peel) – Edible
The peel (zest) is full of citrus oils and adds bright flavour to:
Cakes and cookies
Dressings and sauces
Herbal teas or syrups
Rind (Including Pith) – Edible when Cooked
Can be used to make candied citrus peel, marmalade, or citrus-infused vinegar. Thicker rinds can also be oven-roasted with herbs or added to preserved lemon recipes.
What is a Lemonade Tree?
The Lemonade Tree is a hybrid between a lemon and a mandarin, resulting in a fruit that looks like a lemon but is mild, sweet, and low-acid. It can be eaten fresh like an orange, juiced into a zingy lemonade-style drink, or used in desserts without that sharp citrus bite.
Quick Tips on How to Grow Lemonade at Home
PLANT
Autumn or spring in frost-free areas.
SOIL
Well-draining, compost-rich soil. Avoid heavy clay unless mounded or in raised beds.
LOCATION
Full sun (at least 6 hours daily). Protect from strong winds and frost.
CARE
Mulch thickly, water consistently (especially during flowering and fruiting), and prune to shape after harvest.
FERTILISE
Feed in early spring, summer, and late summer with organic citrus fertiliser or worm juice + compost.
PESTS
Watch for citrus gall wasp, aphids, scale, leaf miners, and fruit fly. Encourage beneficial insects and prune affected areas.
HARVEST
Pick when fully yellow for peak sweetness. Or slightly green for more tartness and flavour.
REPRODUCE
Usually grown from grafted trees.
Why Grow Your Own Lemonade?
Here are some of the many reasons to grow Lemonade.
Naturally sweet fruit – no sugar needed!
One ingredient Lemonade!
Great fresh eating
Low-acid – gentle on the stomach and kid-approved
Perfect for small spaces or large pots
Highly productive from an early age
Great pollinator and companion tree for citrus guilds
Versatile in the kitchen – from juice to marmalade, even baking
Temperature & Climate Conditions
Lemonade Trees grow best in subtropical to warm temperate zones, but they’re more cold-hardy than many tropical fruits. With the right care, they can thrive in most areas of Australia:
Ideal temperatures: 15–30°C
Can tolerate down to: -2°C (brief frost OK with protection)
Best zones: 2–4 (Subtropical to Warm Temperate)
Plant in a sunny, sheltered location, preferably near thermal mass (like a wall or paved area) to keep roots warm in winter.
In colder regions: grow in large pots and move to a sunny porch or greenhouse in winter.
TOP TIPS TO GROW LEMONADE
Choose a warm sunny location
Prepare the soil with plenty of compost
Free draining is key!
Choose a sunny spot with great drainage
Protect from frost in the first 1–2 years
Mulch thickly but keep away from the trunk
Feed regularly and deep water in dry months
Remove gall wasp galls before spring
Net for fruit fly
Keep weed-free and well-mulched
Growing Lemonades in Pots or Small Spaces
Great for renters, balconies, or frost-prone areas (can be moved to shelter). Plant in their final position early to minimise root disturbance. Use a large pot (at least 50L) with premium potting mix + added compost. Ensure good drainage. Feed more often, as potted citrus use up nutrients faster.
How to Care for Lemonade Trees
Care/ Maintenance
Lemonade trees are heavy feeders due to the amount of fruit they produce! Add plenty of compost and mulch often to keep them well fed. Always ensure the mulch is pulled away from the trunk. Keep an eye on suckers and remove any growth from below the graft line. Add frost cloth during sudden cold snaps. Place young trees near north-facing walls or thermal mass.
When to Feed Lemonade Trees
Citrus trees are hungry feeders, especially during their active growing and fruiting seasons. Feed them three times a year, timed with key growth phases:
1. Early Spring (August–September)
Just as new growth starts and flowering begins
Encourages healthy leaves, blossoms, and strong fruit set
2. Early Summer (November–December)
Helps fuel fruit development and maintain strong leaf growth
Important for trees already holding fruit
3. Late Summer / Early Autumn (February–March)
Boosts energy before fruit harvest and supports next season’s buds
Prepares the tree to handle cooler months with stronger roots and reserves
Bonus Feeding Tips:
Avoid feeding in winter when growth slows, especially in cooler areas.
Use organic citrus fertiliser, compost, worm juice, or seaweed tonic.
Apply after watering, then water again to avoid burning roots.
Mulch well, but keep it away from the trunk
Watering
Citrus trees like the Lemonade Tree need consistent watering, but they don’t like soggy feet! The key is to keep the soil evenly moist, not wet, not bone dry. Excess watering or inconsistent watering near ripening can cause fruit to split.
How Often to Water:
Young trees: Water 2–3 times per week, depending on weather
Established trees (in-ground): Deep water once a week in mild weather, 2–3 times a week in summer or heatwaves
Potted trees: Water more frequently—every 1–2 days in summer, but always check the soil first
Best Watering Tips:
Water early morning or late afternoon to reduce evaporation
Mulch thickly (with compost, straw, or bark) to keep moisture in, but keep mulch clear of the trunk
Signs of Over or Underwatering:
Yellow, curling leaves: Could be either! Check if the soil is too wet or too dry.
Dry, crispy leaves or fruit drop: Not enough water
Drooping, dark green leaves or root rot: Too much water or poor drainage
Pro Tip: Use your finger! Stick it about 5 cm into the soil—if it feels dry, it’s time to water.
When to Harvest Lemonades
Lemonade trees are early-season producers. They can start to ripen in late Autumn to early winter. Pick when fully yellow. Fruit doesn’t ripen much off the tree, so taste test before harvesting large batches. Or slightly green for more tartness and flavour. Lemonades can lose some flavour when over-ripe.
Pruning & Care Tips
Prune after fruiting to maintain shape and airflow.
Remove any inward-facing or crossing branches
Cut off any suckers or growth below the graft
Keep well-mulched and weed-free at the base
Pests / Disease
Slugs, slaters, and snails can also be damaging to young plants. Watch for fruit fly, root rot (in soggy soil), and mealybugs. Net fruit if needed. Birds, rats and fruit bats will also enjoy your fruit.
Cooking and Using Lemonades
Lemonades are great because you can enjoy them straight off the tree! However, once your tree gets bigger, you will have an abundance! It can be too much to eat fresh, even after giving some away. Below are some ideas to use and preserve your Lemonade harvests.
Dehydrate slices for teas, cocktails, or cake decoration
Freeze juice
Preserve in Jams, Marmalade or Chutney
Lemonade FAQs
Do lemonade trees have thorns? Yes, most do have thorns.
Are Lemonades a hybrid fruit? Yes, they are a cross between a lemon and a Mandarin
Are Lemonades sweeter than Meyer lemons? Yes, and even less acidic
Do they grow true from seed? Very Unlikely. This is a hybrid cross, and can be cross-pollinated again, so seedlings will be surprising results.
How long until they fruit? Grafted fruit trees will likely try to fruit in year 1. Due to the size of the tree it can be better to remove the fruit until year 2-3.
Where did Lemonade trees come from? Thought to have originated from New Zealand in the early 1980s from a chance hybrid seedling.
Learn how to grow Papaya (Carica papaya) at home from seed and what to make with your abundant Papaya crops! Papayas are a must-grow plant if you live in a warm climate and want abundant, quick harvests, vertical shade, and tropical vibes in your food forest or backyard. They grow fast, produce generous fruit, and are surprisingly easy to start from seed, making them perfect for urban permaculture gardens!
I have 6 Papaya plants that I’ve grown from seed and love how they act as an umbrella for my hot gardens, plus offer so much fruit! The amazing thing about Papaya is that you can harvest it green and use it like a vegetable, or wait for it to tree ripen and develop a sweet tropical flavour. They have quickly become one of my top picks for a low-maintenance, productive fruit tree that fits beautifully into even small gardens.
What parts of Papaya are edible?
Fruit (Ripe Papaya) – Edible
The orange to reddish flesh of ripe papaya is sweet, soft, and full of enzymes.
Commonly eaten fresh, in smoothies, salads, salsas, or desserts.
High in vitamin C, A, and papain (a digestive enzyme).
Seeds – Edible (in moderation)
Have a peppery, slightly bitter flavour—can be eaten fresh or dried and ground as a pepper substitute.
Rich in enzymes and antimicrobial properties, but best in small amounts (they can be too potent or slightly toxic in excess).
Green (Unripe) Fruit – Edible when cooked
Used as a vegetable in curries, stir-fries, or grated into salads (like Thai green papaya salad).
Contains more papain, which breaks down proteins—great for tenderising meat.
Must be cooked or prepared properly, especially for those sensitive to latex.
Flowers – Edible (especially male flowers)
Sometimes used in traditional dishes in Asia and the Pacific Islands.
Have a mild bitter flavor; usually sautéed or boiled before eating.
⚠️ Parts NOT Recommended to Eat Raw:
Stem, latex, and roots: Contain milky sap (latex), which may cause irritation or be mildly toxic.
Unripe parts (fruit or leaves) should be cooked if consumed, especially for people with latex sensitivity.
Quick Tips on How to Grow Papaya at Home
PLANT
Sow seeds in spring to early summer for best results.
SOIL
Free-draining compost-rich soil.Mounded above ground in clay soil.
LOCATION
Full sun. Choose a warm, sheltered spot protected from wind and frost.
CARE
Water deeply but allow the soil to dry slightly between watering. Mulch thickly. Prune lower leaves as they yellow.
FERTILISE
Feed monthly with compost tea, worm juice, or organic fertiliser high in potassium.
PESTS
Watch for fruit fly, root rot (in soggy soil), and mealybugs. Net fruit if needed.
HARVEST
Pick when the fruit starts to yellow and softens slightly. Let it ripen further indoors.
REPRODUCE
Grow from seed, but know your plant’s sex! See below for more info on male, female, and bisexual types.
Why Grow Your Own Papaya?
Here are some of the many reasons to grow Papaya.
Super fast-growing fruit tree
Suitable for pots or small spaces
Vertical growth = space saver
Produces fruit in under a year
Can grow tall to act as a shade umbrella
Perfect for syntropic and food forest layering
It can be used as a fruit or a vegetable
Versatile uses in the kitchen
How to tell Papaya Plant Sex: Male, Female & Bisexual
Male
Mainly just produces flowers with many on long shoots. Sometimes they will produce fruit also at the end of the long stem. Males are often the quickest to start flowering. Keep one if you want to pollinate females, but usually not needed if you grow bisexual types.
Female
Produces the largest flowers with mini Papayas tucked under their unfurling white petals. They fruit better if pollinated by a male or bisexual plant. Fruit is rounder and often larger than bisexual fruits. Female fruits sometimes have fewer seeds inside and even none when they haven’t been pollinated.
Bisexual (Hermaphrodite)
Produces small flowers in clusters close to the main stem (unlike the male, which clusters on long stems). Self-pollinating and highly productive. The fruit is usually more elongated with plenty of seeds inside. Ideal for small gardens as you only need one plant.
When can you tell what sex a Papaya is?
You won’t know the sex until flowers appear, usually a few months in, when the plants are about 0.5 – 1m tall. This is why it is a good idea to grow your own from seed and plant multiple seedlings (5–6) and remove males later, unless needed for pollination. Some nurseries will falsely sell Papaya plants as Bisexual, but because they are all grown from seed, there is still a chance of getting a male or female plant.
Popular Papaya Varieties
Red Army- Large, firm red-fleshed fruit with excellent flavour and good shelf life.Bred for disease resistance and improved productivity in Australian conditions.
Pink Lady – Deep pink flesh, sweet flavour, smooth texture. Performs well in warm, humid climates and responds well to regular feeding.
Southern Red – Sweet, deep red-orange flesh, medium-sized fruit. Australia’s most commonly grown red papaya variety. Productive and widely available.
Solo Sunrise – Small, sweet, pear-shaped fruit with orange-red flesh. Compact plant, good for pots or smaller gardens.
TOP TIPS TO GROW PAPAYA
Choose a warm sunny location
Prepare the soil with plenty of compost
Free draining is key!
Papayas hate wet feet and can rot easily. In clay soils – mound up above the ground rather than planting down in a hole
Do not disturb roots when removing from the pot.
Protect from frosts and high winds
Keep the trunk clean and clear with good airflow.
Remove older yellowing leaves
Keep weed-free and well-mulched
How to Grow Papaya from Seed
You can grow papayas from shop-bought or homegrown fruit. Ideally, source locally grown fruit as supermarket-imported fruit is often treated and has fewer viable seeds. Here’s how:
Step-by-Step:
Scoop out fresh papaya seeds and rinse off pulp.
Gently squeeze the seed to pop the casing off and reveal the bumpy seed.
Plant 2–3 seeds per hole in a sunny seed-raising tray or directly into a garden bed.
Thin out to the strongest seedling once sprouted.
Keep at least 5-6 plants, either in pots or the ground and wait until they start to flower to determine sex.
💡 Tip: Papayas don’t like transplanting or having their roots disturbed. Plant in their final position early to minimise root disturbance.
Temperature & Climate Conditions for Growing Papaya
Papayas (Carica papaya) love the heat and grow best in tropical to warm subtropical climates. They’re fast-growing but sensitive to cold, so choosing the right spot and protecting young plants is key.
Frost-sensitive: Frost can damage or kill papaya trees, especially young ones.
If you’re in a warm coastal or inland area with mild winters (like parts of WA, QLD, NT, or northern NSW), papayas will thrive year-round. In cooler zones, they’ll need protection from cold, wind, and frost—especially during their first 1–2 years.
Tips for Growing Papaya in Cooler Zones:
Plant in full sun, ideally with a north-facing wall, fence or thermal mass to reflect warmth
Use a frost cloth or a mini greenhouse in winter if needed
Grow in large pots and move under cover during cold snaps
Apply thick mulch and avoid planting in frost-prone low spots
Want to Grow Papaya in Cooler Climates? Try These Alternatives:
If your garden gets frost or struggles to stay warm through winter, papaya might not be the easiest option. But there are a few cold-tolerant cousins and lookalikes worth trying!
Mountain Papaya (Vasconcellea pubescens)
Native to the Andes, this papaya relative handles much cooler temps—even light frosts! This one is popular back home in New Zealand. I haven’t been able to find a plant here in Western Australia…yet.
Grows well in temperate zones with protection.
Fruit is smaller, ripens to yellow and is pear-shaped
Champagne-like flavour and you can eat the seeds as well.
Bonus: It’s often grown for its enzyme-rich latex, like papain.
Babaco (Vasconcellea × heilbornii)
A natural hybrid related to mountain papaya.
Alaos called the Champagne fruit due to the flavour.
Grows in cool subtropical to mild temperate zones—tolerates down to around -2°C with protection.
Produces seedless, tangy-sweet fruit that tastes like a mix of pineapple, pawpaw, and lemon.
Compact, attractive tree perfect for pots or small backyards.
Needs pruning to keep productive, and doesn’t tolerate root disturbance.
North American Pawpaw (Asimina triloba)
Not related to papaya, but often confused due to the name.
Native to eastern North America and thrives in cold temperate zones.
Deciduous tree with custard-like fruit that tastes like banana, mango, and vanilla.
Needs chill hours and two trees for pollination, but a great option for truly cold climates.
Best grown in full sun with rich, moist soil.
North American PawpawNorth American Pawpaw
How to Care for Papaya Plants
Care/ Maintenance
Papayas are heavy feeders, so compost and mulch often to keep them well fed. Always ensure the mulch is pulled away from the trunk, as papaya stems are susceptible to rot.
Feeding
Feed monthly with compost tea, chop and drop mulch, worm juice, or organic fertiliser high in potassium.
Watering
Water deeply but allow the soil to dry slightly between waterings.
Harvesting
Fruit takes 5–8 months to mature from a flower.
Harvest when the skin starts to turn yellow.
Clip off with secateurs. Ripen further indoors.
Use green if preferred for savoury dishes (salads, curries, stir-fries).
Can you Prune Papaya Plants?
Yes! Some Papaya plants can get very tall, which is great for shade, and as the canopy is overhead, they take up less room in the garden. However, this can make it very hard to pick ripe fruit. Pinching the top of the Papaya plant can force it to stop growing taller and branch out. If your papaya does get too tall, you can cut the main stem, which will also force it to branch out. Stems can be hollow, so you may need to cover the cut to stop rain from getting down in the stem and causing rot. An upside-down container can work well. Prune off the older yellowing leaves by gently pulling down on the stem. This will help to divert energy back to the plant.
Pests / Disease
Slugs, slaters, and snails can also be damaging to young plants. Watch for fruit fly, root rot (in soggy soil), and mealybugs. Net fruit if needed. Birds, rats and fruit bats will also enjoy your fruit. It is best to pick fruit at the first sign of yellow and allow it to ripen inside to avoid attracting more pests.
ReproducingPapaya
Scoop seeds from ripe fruit.
Rinse and dry thoroughly.
Store in a paper envelope in a cool, dry spot.
For better odds of getting bisexual plants, save seeds from bisexual fruits only.
Cooking and Using Papaya
Papaya is delicious raw or cooked as well as ripe or unripe. Making it a great staple food to grow in the garden.
Welcome to my urban food forest garden in Perth, Australia. It’s currently the end of autumn, the mornings are finally starting to feel cooler, but we still haven’t had much rain….not since last year before the summer, so the garden is just hanging in there. Today, I want to share an update on my urban food forest progress and the wide range of fruit I’m growing in a small space!
🎥 Watch the full Urban Food Forest Garden Tour
Starting a Productive Urban Food Forest on Less Than 1/5 Acre
My garden is high-density, featuring over 200 types of fruit trees, as well as herbs and annual vegetables, all within a property of less than 1/5 of an acre in total. My goal is to have small amounts of many different types of fruit and be able to harvest fruit 365 days a year. This means I’ve said goodbye to spacing rules, utilised dwarf fruit trees, vertical gardening, learnt to multi-graft, and I keep my trees pruned to not only let light in but also create more green material to chop and drop and feed my soil.
I first became inspired by this style of gardening after creating an edible fence screen using food forest style planting in my backyard, which we will take a look at soon, but more recently, I have taken over the front! If you have been a regular YouTube subscriber, you would have seen the process of how we have transformed my front yard from a bare lawn to a mini high-density food forest with lots of tropical fruit trees, raised garden beds to grow annual veggies and a mini wildlife pond home to small fish and frogs. Below is a current update on where we are now!
Tropical Fruits Growing in my Front Yard
I started off this front garden by planting evergreen hardy fruit trees to create an edible screen that could withstand the temperatures out here. I have a lime, feijoa, blood orange, guava, mandarin, more feijoa and a lemonade. I have since gone in and added 3 mangos, an avocado, dwarf grimichama, mulch plants, nitrogen fixing plant and edible ground covers.
I have 4 different custard apples now planted, and I definitely have a passion for collecting new varieties of these. It’s a fruit that was rare back home in NZ, but we could grow the Cherimoya, and I was lucky enough to be introduced to that by a rare fruit grower when I was a kid. Now being in Perth, I am lucky enough to have the heat to grow more varieties, and I have (so far) Africa Pride, Paxton Prolific, Hilary White and a Bullock’s Heart, along with a bunch of seed-grown ones. These tend to lose their leaves a bit in winter, so they let light into my raised bed patch in winter, but in summer, they help keep it cool.
I have two different nashi pears, which are another favourite of mine and fruit well in warmer climates, unlike many other pears.
Some of the other fruit trees I have in the front yard include: Louisa Plum, unknown yellow Plum, multigrafted 4-way Plum (Satsuma, Mariposa, Santa Rosa, unknown), Indian Blood Peach, Lemon Mango, Orange Sherbet Mango, Sweet Tart Mango, Thai Mango, Linda Avocado, Choquette Avocado, Soursop, Starfruit, Lychee and more!
Living Shade: Building a Grape Arbour in Hot Climates
We have also constructed a metal arbour to grow living shade with x4 types of grapes planted. But with such intensely hot and dry summers, the grapes have not done much growing, but I am determined to make my dreams grape arbour happen!
What I’m Growing in my Raised Gardens this Autumn 🌱
I have only just planted out my raised beds (at the end of Autumn) with seedlings and seeds because it’s just been so hot and dry, it didn’t seem worth it. But the cooler mornings and with rain forecast for this weekend, I think we might be ready to start the cool-season crops.
Just like my fruit tree planting, I also densely plant my raised beds. This helps stop any weeds from growing and gives me lush garden beds full of food. Currently, I have planted:
Edible Flowers ( Pansy/viola, Snapdragon, Dianthus and Calendula)
Edible Flowers for Beauty and Biodiversity
Edible flowers are a non-negotiable in my gardens. I love having the added colour as well as providing food for pollinators and beneficial insects. Plus, by choosing edible flowers, you can also use them to brighten up your meals. It’s a win-win.
Wildlife Pond: Attracting Frogs, Pollinators, and Beneficial Insects
The wildlife pond is getting a lot more shade now with the winter sun lower in the sky. The frogs have mostly disappeared as they go to find more sun or hibernate until warmer temperatures. There are still plenty of tadpoles, but I think these will stay like this until spring and summer because I believe they need more sun to transform. The wildlife pond has been one of my favourite projects out here in the front yard. There’s always so much wildlife to see, and it has become the main hub of my gardens to feed and nourish all my pollinators and beneficial insects.
The Driveway Patch: An Urban Food Forest Extension
Now for an update on my driveway patch! This was a new extension, and I have mainly planted deciduous fruit trees in here. This spot gets lots of hot sun during summer, but in winter, it gets a lot of shade. That’s why choosing deciduous fruit trees is a great idea. They go to sleep during winter, so they don’t mind at all.
I have planted a seed, growing papaya, and it is thriving! It has started flowing along with another 5 I have planted throughout the rest of my gardens. Papayas grow well from seed and quickly! In warm climates, you can go from seed to harvesting fruit in just 1 year! In cooler climates, you may have to utilise greenhouses for winter. My plan is that this will get nice and tall to act as a bit of a natural umbrella for summer.
Summer in Perth is relentless, and with many days over 40 degrees, this garden will very much appreciate an umbrella. I have been adding more shade plants like this throughout the garden to try and help cool my summer gardens.
Creating Shade and Microclimates in an Urban Food Forest
Using plants strategically is something I have been doing a lot in my gardens.
Creating shade: I have a miringa planted in the middle of my tropical section to create beautiful dappled shade for my Soursop, Starfruit, Lychee and Avocado. I also have native plants such as Hakea that grow in poor soil and have quickly become the tallest plants in my new garden. They offer shade and wind protection, plus stunning flowers that the bees love.
Creating Mulch:Mulch plants are another thing I have throughout my gardens that I use for shade, wind protection and then I can chop them back to let light in and feed the soil and act as moisture retention. These are plants such as Pigeon Pea and Queensland Arrowroot.
Out the back, my original food forest garden has been getting lots of upgrades. I have just planted another mango, this one is the ‘lemon zest’, I also have the ‘Irwin’ and the ‘dwarf palmer’. My biggest seed-grown papaya is flowering, and I am hanging out to see it start to fruit! With more plants starting to flower, hopefully, I get some pollination happening!
In my last video, we took out the lemon tree that was just getting hammered with gall wasp and planted a giant avocado. It’s already pushing new growth, which is a good sign.
Pomegranates are ripe, and I should have harvested them, but I left it too late, and something else has beaten me to it! This Pomegranate has multiple different varieties grafted on it, but so far, just the main Azerbajani has fruited. These are amazing, like nature’s candy!
My bananas are looking good, and the plantain has shot up! My Pinkerton Avocado is looking nice and bushy, and next to that, another seed-grown papaya that has just started to flower. The rollinia is looking rather sad but has started to push all new growth off the side so fingers crossed! Behind that, we have my golden passionfruit growing vertically along the fence and a small sweet granadilla down below that I am cautiously optimistic about.
In my patio nursery, the shade cloth has come down for winter, and I am trying my best to find homes for as many things as I can in the garden. I want to downsize this a lot! I have lots of seed-grown plants here, like mango and custard apple, that I want to use for grafting practice, plus I have blueberries, finger limes and a lot of other things.
I hope you enjoyed this Autumn update of my urban food forest, and make sure you are subscribed to follow along with the progress!
Links included in this post might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my blog so that I can continue to provide you with free content.
