Help! I accidentally grew papaya plants!

[Hjennings26]

I threw some seeds out and accidentally started Papaya plants, but I don't know anything about them ! I live in the US, and it has started getting cold at night. I don't really have any sunny windows either.

What can I do with these so that they don't die due to the cold weather?

[applestar]

If you want to save them, you will have to dig them up, transplant them in pots and create a growing area in the house including supplemental lights.

But I suspect this is a standard size variety and will eventually get too big. It will be a practice plant and an interesting houseplant in the mean while, but probably not expect to grow fruits. They do have interesting foliage.

[imafan26]

papaya has a tap root so if you dig it up you need to be careful not to break it. Putting papaya in a pot will stunt it. If you do it right you will have a short stature plant that does make papaya. It however does require polination and you won't know what sex your plant is until it flowers at about 5 mos of age.