It has a relatively fast growth rate, and new trees can produce fruit within three years.
Its best planted in the spring.
Some fruits have grown to 80 pounds and up.
The Spruce / Gyscha Rendy
They prefer well-drained soil with a pH of between 6 and 7.
Choose your site well and stick with it.
If a young tree’s roots have been cramped, they might never grow normally.
The Spruce / Gyscha Rendy
Plant the nursery sapling in a hole two feet deep by two feet wide.
Mound up the soil around the stem.
Jackfruit Tree Care
Jackfruit trees are fairly easy to care for in the appropriate climate.
The Spruce / Gyscha Rendy
They require ample light and warmth.
Light
This tree needsfull sunlightto grow well and produce fruit.
That means it should get at least six hours of direct sun on most days.
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A tree grown in conditions that are too shady might never bear fruit.
Soil
Jackfruit trees prefer nutrient-rich soil with excellent drainage.
They are not overly picky about soil pH, though they grow best inslightly acidic soil.
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Keeping the soil moist is key, especially for young trees as they establish their roots.
Water
Astropical plants, jackfruit trees like consistently moist soil year-round.
Water them whenever your soil begins to dry out due to a lack of rainfall or extreme heat.
However, be sure the tree roots aren’t sitting in pooling water.
This can inhibit fruit production and ultimately kill the tree.
Mulch around the tree can help suppress weeds and retain soil moisture.
Plus, it can keep the roots warm if the temperatures dip.
Temperature and Humidity
These trees like warm temperatures and are very heat tolerant.
Jackfruit trees prefer humid conditions and dont tend to thrive in dry climates.
Mixing compost into the soil around the tree can also be beneficial annually.
Pollination
Jackfruit trees are monoecious, having male and female flowers on the tree.
The tree is insect- and wind-pollinated.
Usually, jackfruit has a bubble gum smell; however, to some, it smells like rotting onions.
Durian is considerably smaller, getting up to 7 pounds on the hefty end, and has spiky skin.
Harvesting Jackfruit
The fruit turns from green to yellowish-green when it is ready for harvesting.
Simply cut it off by its stem with loppers.
When ripe, it has a fibrous texture similar to mango or pineapple.
Its edible seeds have a flavor similar to macadamia or Brazil nuts and can be boiled or roasted.
Leave jackfruit on the counter to ripen.
When ripe, it should be slightly softer to the touch.
Once cut open, refrigerate it for up to seven days or freeze it for up to two months.
This will encourage more lateral growth rather than vertical growth.
Don’t remove more than a third of the overall branches.
Wait until after your fruit harvest to prune the tree.
Regularly weed around your jackfruit tree to prevent other plants from competing for nutrients and moisture in the soil.
Grafting
Select healthy, vigorously growing rootstock seedlings.
Side veneer grafting is the most common.
A common fungal infection that may strike jackfruit isRhizopusrot.
If affected, it can cause the tree to lose all its fruit that season.
To prevent it from spreading, verify the fruit skin remains intact.
The fungus infects the fruit through a break in the skin.
Refrigeration also kills fungal spores, containing the spread.
Common Problems
Jackfruit trees are fairly easy-going when planted in the proper conditions.
Keep an eye out for root rot and potential limb decline from heavy fruit.
Over-watering or excess moisture from flooding can lead to root rot.
Plant in well-draining soil and be mindful not to overwater during times of heavy precipitation.
Limb Decline
Excessive amounts of fruit on tree limbs can lead to decline and to stunted growth.
Jackfruit trees can’t be grown in the ground outside southern Florida and Hawaii.
If you might manufacture ambient humidity in a greenhouse, you might plant this tree anywhere.
Then, it will continue to produce fruit for decades.
If you want fruit earlier, you’re able to purchase an already-mature tree.
Ripe jackfruit has a sweet taste like a combination of banana, apple, mango, or pineapple.
Jackfruit is not toxic when eaten raw.
you’re free to safely eat jackfruit without cooking it, if you wish.
Jackfruit Growing in the Florida Home Landscape.
University of Florida Extension.
