i would go with the second one. its wider. most papaya roots will go out, not down.... unless... you plan on watering from the bottom, then they will grow down and not out, so i would get the deeper one in that case.

use a fast draining soil. maybe cactus soil. or, make you own with sand and compost. papaya seem to like builders sand. its coarse and drains well. pine bark fines work well also,, if you can find them with small particles, not big chunks.

compost / sand / potting soil (or bark fines) (30/30/30) works well, with a bit of perlite and manure.

i dont know the sizes as they relate to gallons ? but... you will need something pretty large for a mature plant. at least 10 gallons minimum. 15-20 is probably more realistic.... papaya will stunt themselves if you keep them in a small container

they love sun. lots of sun and warmth. if the soil is fast-draining, and its hot and they get lots of sun, then, they need lots of water.... water is very dependent on how fast the soil dries out... i always do a finger test an inch deep.... and use wood chips, or something as a mulch on top, even in a container.

they like a lot of fertilizer. organics are best. compost, crab meal, fish, chicken poo, cow manure all work well ( i dilute my urine 1/10 or 1/15 and water them twice a month with it -works great) they are fast growers if you give them the nitrogen. urine is high in N. and also has minerals, micro-nutes.

Thanks greenman62 for the response. I still have few doubts.

1. Looks like the super soil has all three compost, small wood chips and soil.. Should i add little perlite and go with it?

2. Can I use Dr. earth organic fertilizer for fruit trees? After seed sprouts when should i start fertilizing (super soil comes with added fertilizer and the bag says - will feed up to 90- days and so do miracle grow perlite)..

Thanks,

Vidyaa

I grow lots of fruit trees in pots, though not whiskey barrels. I don't like miracle grow or super soil. The best soil in bags I've found is EB Stone Cactus and Citrus mix. It's a little more expensive but worth it. I also use Kellogg Patio Plus from home depot -- it drains really fast as well. If you're set using super soil, get pumice or cactus mix from a smaller nursery and mix it in. Othewise, by the time the papaya is an adult, the compost and peat will have turned to mush and your tree will decline rapidly.

As for fertilizer, I started off with Dr. Earth and other organics, but, to me in my climate, they run out too fast. I've since moved to Osmocote Plus and Vigoro Citrus from Home Depot. The Vigoro is actually a pretty nice fertilizer at a very cheap price. Most fruit trees are heavy feeders so you'll want to be on top of adding more fertilizer as soon as the papaya has set some adult leaves.