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How to Grow Jackfruit from Seed to Harvest: Check How this Guide Helps Beginners

Jackfruit is a large fruit that grows on a Jackfruit tree and has popular in cooking as a meat substitute. It is a tropical to subtropical tree that grows well in warm regions. If you’re thinking of growing Jackfruit from seeds, there are a few things you need to know. The Jackfruit tree is a large evergreen tree that gives edible fruit. Its growth rate is relatively fast, and new trees can start bearing fruit within a few years.

How to Grow Jackfruit from Seed to Harvest
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The trunk of the tree grows quite straight and has reddish-brown bark. It extends large branches with bright green leaves about 8 inches long. Its pale-green, kidney-bean-shaped fruits are notoriously huge, ripening on the tree in mid-summer. They average between 4.5 to 18 kg, although some fruits weigh 36 kg or more. 

A seed-grown Jackfruit produces generally acceptable fruit. The first generation of seedlings retains about 90 percent of the parenting characteristics. Seedlings are more vigorous than their grafted counterparts. Seeds should be collected from trees with regular, high yields and good horticultural characteristics, such as pests, disease and nematode resistance, proper fruit size, and excellent pulp quality.

How to grow Jackfruit from seed to harvest

How long does it take Jackfruit to grow from seed?

  • Growing Jackfruit trees are produced within three to four years and can survive up to 100 years, decreasing productivity with age.
  • You can harvest tender Jackfruits for use as vegetables in spring and early summer until the seeds harden. The optimum stage of maturity of the Jackfruit harvest is reported to be 90 to 110 days after the appearance of the spike. At full maturity or the surface of the fruit, the spines become flattened when ripened.
  • Propagation is usually done through seeds. It takes 3 to 8 weeks to germinate, but the seed germination is fastened by soaking them in water for 24 hours. You can expect your Jackfruit tree to produce harvestable fruits in about three or four years of planting.
  • The Jackfruit reaches maturity 150 to 180 days after flowering. The main fruit season is in summer and autumn. Some fruits may ripen at other times, but not usually in winter and early spring.

Does Jackfruit grow true seed?

Jackfruit seeds are cross-pollinated and therefore not true-to-type, so grafting known varieties to rootstock is often done. Sown seedlings can be top worked on (grafted) with selected varieties once they are established. Grafting is the most common means of propagating the desired cultivar.

How do you grow Jackfruit from Jackfruit seeds?

  • Jackfruit can be propagated through seeding, grafting, and cutting. Seed propagation is still used in some areas. Seed-grown Jackfruit can be more precocious than many other fruits, and trees can start production in the third to fourth year. 
  • You can easily start a seed-to-seed tree; you’ll ensure you soak the seeds in water for a full day before planting. This will help them to sprout much faster. Once they are soaked, fill a small pot with loose soil mixed with perlite to allow drainage. Germinating Jackfruit seeds is not difficult, but you need to start with fresh seeds as the seeds dry up and die quickly.
  • Soak the seeds to speed up germination and help your seedlings grow faster. Place the seeds in a small pot with lukewarm water and let them soak for at least the entire day. Then plant in a pot, Jackfruit seeds take 3 to 8 weeks to germinate. You can start the seedlings on the ground or indoors, but remember that you should transplant the Jackfruit seedlings when producing four leaves on it.

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Jackfruit Tree
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How much water does a Jackfruit need?

  • Water your Jackfruit tree daily, but be careful not to get too much water. Young Jackfruit trees need water every day to establish their roots. To avoid excessive water, ensure the soil is 1.5 inches deep, but no more.
  • Water your Jackfruit tree regularly, especially when conditions are dry. Apart from regular watering, placing mulch at the base of the tree can help maintain moisture in the soil.
  • As tropical plants, Jackfruit tree-like consistently moist soil throughout the year. Water them when your soil starts drying up due to lack of rain or extreme heat. However, believe that the tree roots do not sit in pooling water. It can stop fruit production and eventually kill the tree.
  • The Jackfruit needs 0.8 cups of water every nine days when it doesn’t receive direct sunlight and when potted in a 5-inch pot. 

What is the best fertilizer for Jackfruit?

  • You can use chemical and organic fertilizers are recommended. Fertilize your Jackfruit with nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium, which are applied at the age of six months to two years at the ratio of 8:4:2:1 to 30 grams per tree and double every six months. You can use 4:2:4:1 before the tree reaches the two-year mark.
  • Fertilize your tree every six months. Newly planted trees require a different formula than mature trees. For the first two years, you may use a fertilizer with an 8:4:2:1 ratio. You’ll start with 30 grams of fertilizer, but the following three times you apply it, you’ll double the amount you used last time. Therefore, the second application should be 60 grams, the third 120 grams, and the final application 240 grams.

Can we plant Jackfruit tree at home?

  • The Jackfruit tree requires a 3-gallon container. You can start the seedlings on the ground or indoors, but remember that when they produce four leaves on it, you should transplant the Jackfruit seedlings. 
  • If left alone, Jackfruit trees can grow up to 100 feet long, so they need space to develop and grow. Keep your plantation area away from other trees, so they are not competing for resources. Avoid planting trees near your home, as the roots will grow and can cause damage underground.

How much space does a Jackfruit need?

Choose a spacious, sunny, and sheltered area away from other trees. Find an area at least 30 feet away from other trees to keep the Jackfruit plant. Since Jackfruit trees can be up to 100 feet tall if left alone, the tree will need a large open space that receives full sunlight. If little or no pruning is planned, you can plant Jackfruit trees 25 to 30 feet away from other trees and structures in a home landscape. 

In which season Jackfruit is grown?

You should plant Jackfruit in spring. The fruit matures in the rainy season from July to August. The Jackfruit tree cannot withstand frost and drought, yet it is a tough tree that can withstand extreme temperatures. A mature tree can tolerate up to 48°C heat and about 0°C cold temperatures for a short time if consistent.  

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Jackfruit Farming
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How many times a years does Jackfruit bear fruit?

Growing Jackfruit trees are produced within three to four years and can survive up to 100 years, decreasing productivity with age. Throughout the year, Jackfruit produces fruits with a longer production period. A mature jack tree produces about 200 fruits yearly, with old trees bearing up to 500 fruits annually. 

Why is my Jackfruit tree not fruiting?

Some things can cause it. First, Jackfruit trees tend to drop their fruits in the first year, so this may be normal. Second, if the soil lacks potassium, they can drop their fruit. Get the soil tested for potassium deficiency. Young Jackfruit trees require fertilizer to grow and thrive. Use 30 grams of fertilizer with nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium at the ratio of 8:4:2:1. 

How do you increase the yield of Jackfruit?

The Jackfruit can’t withstand the stress of moisture, but the presence of chlorine and lime is somewhat tolerable. Supplementing the soil with organic fertilizers always helps grow the Jackfruit tree. The lands of the nearby river beds are suitable for cultivating Jackfruit. They thrive in rich, deep, and somewhat porous soil. They enjoy a constant source of moisture even though they cannot tolerate wet roots and will even stop bearing fruit or die if kept too moist. 

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Jackfruit
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Can you prune Jackfruit trees?

  • Small Jackfruit trees don’t need much cutting except for the removal of any disease, damage, or dead parts. By cutting selected straight branches annually, you can keep mature trees at a manageable height for fruit harvesting. Pruning encourages more lateral growth rather than vertical growth. Also, remove old branches throughout the tree to improve airflow and ensure sunlight can hit all tree parts. 
  • Non-pruning seedling trees usually produce a strong central stem, preferred for its timber value. However, grafted Jackfruit tree branches very quickly. These branches need to be continuously pruned to achieve a reasonable stem.
  • Prune the tree to encourage good ventilation and replenish the relative moisture in the canopy. Remove diseased fruit from trees and ground and destroy it. 

Why is my Jackfruit tree leaves turning yellow?

  • Young leaves show intravenous chlorosis while veins remain green with stunted growth. In severe cases, the entire leaves turn yellow.
  • With very little water, plants cannot carry the necessary nutrients. The result of yellow leaves. To fix or prevent water problems, start with porous, well-drained soil. If you grow in containers, choose pots with good drainage holes and keep the saucer free of excess water.
  • The yellowing of Jackfruit leaves is due to water problems, lack of sunlight, cold weather, lack of iron and nitrogen, pests, diseases, and transplant shocks.
  • To know the real reason for the yellow leaves on the Jackfruit, you first need to analyze and observe your tree. It is normal to see these types of leaves as it is part of their growth. It is a cycle of leaves growing and then getting old.
  • Young leaves will grow; after a few weeks and months, they will turn yellow, and eventually, the Jackfruit leaves will turn brown. When the time has come, those leaves of age are falling. You can’t stop the natural changes in leaves.

Which soil is best for Jackfruit?

  • For growing Jackfruit trees, you should choose alluvial soil with a deep and open texture. However, due to a wide range of conditions, it can be grown on different soil varieties as long as they are well drained. Jackfruit trees will perform best in sandy or loam soil with high pH. 
  • Jackfruit trees prefer nutrient-rich soil with excellent drainage. Jackfruit trees are not overly picky about soil pH, though they grow best in slightly acidic soils. 
  • Jackfruit trees are highly sensitive to frost and cannot withstand drought. They thrive in rich, deep, and somewhat porous soil.   

How do you protect Jackfruit?

Keeping the soil equally moist, especially for young trees when they establish their roots. In addition, regular weeds around your Jackfruit tree prevent other plants from competing for nutrients and moisture in the soil. Mulch around the tree can both help suppress weeds and maintain soil moisture.

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Jackfruit Farm
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How do you know when to harvest Jackfruit?

  • Check the skin color first when buying a Jackfruit. The Jackfruit with yellowish green skin and some brown spots is ripe instead of dark green skin. Ripen ones give a strong fragrance. 
  • The Jackfruit turns completely yellow when it is ripened and ready to eat. The more yellow it is, the more ripper it is. Sometimes you may have a somewhat greenish tinge left on the yellow Jackfruit. 
  • About 3 to 8 months after flowering, start testing the fruit to ripen. When the fruit matures, it makes a dull hollow noise when tapped. The sound of green fruit will be solid and mature fruit will sound hollow. In addition, the spines of the fruit are well developed and placed and slightly soft.

Why does my Jackfruit have brown spots?

  • Rhizopus can survive in decaying plant litter or soil to initiate new infections. Prune the tree to encourage good ventilation and reduce the relative moisture in the canopy. Remove diseased fruit from trees and ground and destroy it. Clean up rotten organic debris in and around the tree.
  • Rhizopus mold is a common fungal disease of Jackfruit flowers and fruits in the tropics. At first, flowers and fruits produce soft, watery, brown spots.
  • Traditionally, Rhizopus soft rot has been effectively controlled using post-harvest dips in dicloran fungicides; however, the use of these fungicides is now limited due to changes in market preferences.  

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Jackfruit Tree
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Does Jackfruit need full sun?

  • Jackfruit trees require full sun and well-drained soil, although it can be sandy, sandy loam, or rocky, and it will tolerate all these conditions. This tree requires full sunlight to grow well and produce fruit. This means it should get at least six hours of direct sun on most days. In such a situation, a tree grew that is very shady can never bear fruit.
  • These trees love hot temperatures and are very heat tolerant. These trees are quite sensitive to frost (especially young trees), and temperatures below 2°C can easily weaken or kill them. Furthermore, Jackfruit trees prefer wet conditions and do not thrive in dry climates unless you can keep their soil very well-watered.

Can you grow Jackfruit in a greenhouse?

As they age, the Jackfruit can tolerate a bit of frost; otherwise, they’ll need to be brought into a cool to warm greenhouse. They could also live in greenhouses permanently. During the summer, the Jackfruit can be left out. 

Conclusion

The Jackfruit is the largest fruit, and a Jackfruit weighs 22 to 36 kg. Seed is usually the way to propagate trees for production. With more than 100 years of age, Jackfruit seedlings require enough space, water, warmth, and gentle care to thrive in a fruit-bearing tree. Growing a Jackfruit tree can be a lifetime commitment, but one that will reward you with delicious fruit.

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