How to Grow Jackfruit? The Jackfruit is a huge melon-sized oblong fruit native to tropical Asia that is grown in tropical portions of South-East Asia. Its fruits are consumed raw and fresh as well as cooked.
How to Grow Jackfruit?
1. Planting to Grow Jackfruit
Choose a large open place in your garden that gets plenty of suns, clear it of weeds, and dig a hole. Mix 1/3 part compost, sand, perlite, and organic matter into the garden soil to make a rich, permeable potting soil for planting. Plant your healthiest plant in the dug space, water it, and cover it with mulch. When planting a grafted plant, do not cover the bud patch with dirt. Otherwise, it will rot and perish.
2. Watering and Fertilizing to Grow Jackfruit
The jackfruit tree grows in Asia’s hot and humid climates, where excessive rainfall is prevalent. It means you should water it frequently because it prefers moist, well-drained soil, but avoid over-watering, especially during the first two years of growth.
Spread compost or farm manure around the plant once a year, when the growing season begins (in India, this occurs at the beginning of the rainy season in July or August). Feed it twice a year with slow-release, balanced fertiliser. When the plant begins to bloom, feed it with 8-3-9 fertilisers at the amount and pace recommended by the manufacturer.
3. Harvesting
The jack tree begins to flower three to six years after planting, and immature and unripe green-skinned fruits are ready to be plucked as a vegetable two to three months after blossoming. After four to five months of blossoming, mature fruits release a fragrant perfume and their skin transforms from green to yellowish in colour. It grows fruits all year in its native habitat, but the peak harvest season is summer.
4. Pests and Diseases
The jackfruit borer, fruit flies, and birds are the most prevalent pests that attack it. The jackfruit borer attacks all sections of the plant, although organic insecticide is effective in repelling it. Covering the fruits, on the other hand, is a convenient way to protect them from fruit flies and birds.
Jackfruit Tree Care & Tips
- If you live in a cool location, mulch generously around the tree when the temperature drops below 35 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter to protect the roots from cold.
- Pruning should be done on a regular basis to keep the tree’s height around 20 feet. Reduce its main trunk to 8 feet when it reaches 12 feet in height to foster the formation of thick branches.
- After 3-4 years, the jackfruit tree will have established itself. If it produces blooms during this time, clip them off to promote growth.
- Remove weeds around it once a month to clear up the growing area, as weeds leach critical nutrients from healthy soil.
- Mulch it in the summer to save moisture and reduce weed growth.
Jackfruit Tree Size
Some jackfruit kinds can grow to be 100 feet tall, while others, such as black gold, can only grow to be 10-20 feet tall.
Jackfruit Planting Distance
For this fruit crop, a 10m × 10m spacing with 40 plants per acre will suffice. Pits of 1 m x 1 m x 1 m are dug at least 10 days before planting.
Growing Jackfruit in Pots
To prevent water from collecting at the bottom, the pot should contain drainage holes. Even though jackfruit flourishes in moist, humid settings, the developing seeds do not tolerate excessive moisture. Put three seeds in the pot and press them down one inch.
How Many Years For a Jackfruit Tree to Bear Fruit?
The jackfruit tree has a lifespan of more than 100 years. It produces the largest fruits in the world, weighing anything from 10-110 lb.
Also Read: How to Grow Strawberries in Pots?
