Growing Jackfruit from Seed (Panasa) – A Full Guide
A step by step guide to growing Jackfruit at home
Jackfruit, which is the largest fruit in the world is a delicacy of Southeast Asia which has a flavour which is mild and sweet. The lifespan of this fruit will be 100 years. This is a tropical and sub-tropical tree whose origin is India. A seedling of Jackfruit requires a lot of space, warmth, water and proper care in order to flourish into a tree which produces a good number of fruits. Growing a Jackfruit can be a commitment for life, but it is worthwhile as it provides you with a delicious fruit whose weight will be approximately 40 pounds. Continue reading the article below to get information about Jackfruit tree such as growing Jackfruit tree from seed.
Seed germination of Jackfruit:
You will have to take into consideration if you have a good amount of space and climatic conditions to grow a Jackfruit tree. Before you purchase the seeds of Jackfruit, you will have to give a thought about if you have space in your garden to grow the largest fruit in the world. Jackfruit trees will be able to grow up to a height of 100 feet and they can survive in the low-lying areas where the climatic conditions are humid. Though Jackfruit trees adapt to a wide range of climatic conditions, the trees which are still young will be killed when the temperatures are below 0°C.
Jackfruit trees will not be successful at a height of 4000 feet above sea level or more and they will not be able to thrive well in the localities where there is a sustained or high wind.
The Jackfruit tree will be too large to grow in a container. So it must be grown in the outdoor locations.
Buy Jackfruit seeds from a local market or any gardening store in your locality. Most of the markets sell Jackfruit seeds. If your local gardening store or market do not have any seeds, you can also consider purchasing seeds online.
It is also possible to harvest the seeds of Jackfruit from a completely ripe Jackfruit. If the fruit market in your locality sells Jackfruits, you can also consider removing the seeds from the pulp. The seeds which you collect from the fruit have to be rinsed in warm water for removing any stickiness.
If you buy the seeds of Jackfruit online, you can try purchasing them from a reputed gardening centre. The seeds of Jackfruit will work successfully only for up to 4 weeks, so you will have to be very careful who and where you are purchasing them from. Also, take into consideration how much time does the shipping of the seeds takes.
Also make sure that you are buying many Jackfruit seeds, as you will be germinating multiple seeds.
The Jackfruit seeds have to be soaked in water for 24 hours. This has to be done to speed up the process of germination and to help the seedlings to grow more quickly. The seeds have to be placed in a small container consisting of lukewarm water and allow them to soak for at least 24 hours.
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Growing a seedling of Jackfruit:
Make use of a plastic pot with a good number of holes for drainage so that the water can escape easily into the ground. This pot has to be filled with potting soil which is rich and absorbent. The best potting mix would be a mixture of sand, organic compost and perlite. The best soil will be well-drained and light.
When you are making use of the potting mix, always make sure that you are wearing gardening gloves and make sure that you are working in an area with good ventilation.
Commercial potting soil medium can be bought from gardening stores or online. Else, you can also consider preparing organic soil on your own.
You will have to sow a minimum of 3 seeds in the pot which is prepared earlier. The sowing has to be done by placing them in an even manner at the pot’s centre. The seeds have to be covered and after that, tap them in a gentle manner to make the topsoil compact.
You will be required to go with the plantation of a minimum of 3 seeds as 1or 2 seeds will not be successful. You can also consider planting more seeds in the pot, but always remember that more numbers of seeds will lead to more competition for the resources present in the soil.
After the plantation, the seeds have to be watered so that they get settled well into the soil. Watering the seeds has to be continued on a daily basis by making sure that the soil is maintained moist. Also, remember not to overwater the soil as there are chances that it may get saturated.
High amount of water may lead to the rotting of Jackfruit seeds, so make sure that you are being careful not to overwater.
To check if your seeds need watering, touch the soil with your finger. If the soil is not wet, or if you feel it is dry, you can go ahead with the watering of seeds.
The pot has to be placed in the outdoor locations in a place which is warm, sunny and also sheltered. If the climatic conditions are too windy or cold, then consider placing the pot in the indoor locations in a sunny place, such as a windowsill.
The seeds of Jackfruit will undergo good germination in an environment which is humid, like a greenhouse. If it is not possible to grow it in a greenhouse and the climatic conditions in the outdoor location are too cold, the best alternative would be an indoor heat lamp do that your seeds will continue to grow healthy.
The germination of seedlings would take almost 3 to 4 weeks. Select the seedlings which is the tallest and looks to be the strongest and has green leaves which are healthy. The remaining seedlings have to be removed by pulling them out of the soil in a gentle manner.
Make sure that you are not using the seedlings that seem to be weak or have grown at the edge of the pot. A seedling which is grown in the pot’s centre will have a root system which is completely developed.
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Transplantation of your Jackfruit tree:
The young Jackfruit tree has to be transplanted once it has four leaves on it. The leaves which are healthy will look green and large. These will have no ridges and they will be much larger than the seedling leaves.
The seedlings of Jackfruit are very sensitive and they hate to be disturbed. Always ensure that the seedling is strong enough before you go ahead with the transplantation.
Select an area which is sunny, sheltered and spacious and is distant from other trees present in your garden. Make sure that the area which you are selecting for the plantation of your Jackfruit seedling will be at a distance of at least 30 metres from all the other trees. This is because the Jackfruit tree requires a large open space which gets full sun.
Make sure that you are not planting the tree close to your house as the roots will grow out and there are chances that they cause damage.
Choose an area which is sheltered from winds so that the tree would be able to establish and develop in a secure manner.
Once you have selected the site for plantation of your Jackfruit tree, make sure that you are clearing any weeds and debris surrounding the area of plantation. Always make sure that you are removing any old roots and tree stumps for avoiding potential root disease in your plant.
If required, you may also be required to plough the soil first to make sure that it is fertile and soft.
Make use of a shovel for digging a hole at a depth of 2x2x2 feet for your Jackfruit tree, This hole can be dug in the shape of a circle or square.
For checking if the soil is well-drained, make sure you are seeing if it has any clay or sand. If it does not have either of them, you can improve the drainage of your soil by mixing some amount of compost or sand.
For providing your Jackfruit with a very good start with naturally available nutrients, add some amount of compost to the soil.
By keeping one hand around the plant’s base on top of the soil which is potted, tip the pot over by using your other hand so that the soil and plants will slide over together, You can also consider twisting the plant in a gentle manner or you can also tap the pot for loosening the soil from the edges.
Do not try pulling the plant outside, as it may rip out some of its root systems.
If the roots have wrapped themselves around the dirt to match the pot’s shape, make use of your fingers to tease the roots in a gentle manner so that they face outwards. This will help them to grow downwards into the soil which is surrounding the area of plantation.
The Jackfruit plant has to be kept in the hole and make sure that you are creating a mound around the plant’s base. There is no need to bury the Jackfruit, so if your hole is dug at too much depth, you can consider taking a few handfuls of dirt into it to provide it with a base. After that, pat in the loose dirt in a gentle manner around the roots until you see that the hole is completely filled. You can also consider forming a mound around the plant’s base so that the water will be able to run-off into the soil.
Make sure that you are patting the soil until it is solid, but make sure that you are being careful not to pack the soil very lightly.
The Jackfruit plant has to be watered immediately in a thorough manner to help the plant to recover and establish itself in its new environment.
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Caring your Jackfruit tree:
The Jackfruit tree has to be watered on a daily basis, but make sure that you are not over-watering it. Young trees of Jackfruit will require water on a daily basis so that there would be a good establishment of their roots. You can also consider making use of a garden hose or water can for watering the tree, especially at its base. For avoiding over-watering of the plant, ensure that the soil is damp up to a depth of 1.5 inches and not more than that.
These trees are very sensitive to drought, so if your locality is dry, make sure that you are watering your Jackfruit tree two times a day.
Your Jackfruit tree has to be watered even at the times of winter. Jackfruit will not have the dormancy of natural winter, so you will have to keep the growing conditions of the plant bright, humid and warm.
The young Jackfruit plant has to be fed with a fertilizer for every six months. These young plants require fertilizer for survival. Make use of 30 grams of fertilizer which has nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium in the ratios of 8:4:2:1.
In the first two years of growth, make sure that you are doubling the fertilizer amount you use with the same amount of mix.
Once your Jackfruit tree becomes 2 years old, you should provide it with 1 kg of fertilizer which has n:p:k:mg ratio of 4:2:4:1.
Weeds are the ones which absorb the nutrients present in the soil, so make sure that you are pulling them before they grow in large numbers. The tree has to be sprayed with an organic pesticide to remove any bugs which are harmful like the Jackfruit borer.
If you can, consider pulling the weeds out by making use of your hands for avoiding the usage of chemicals which would cause damage to your tree.
You can also buy a natural pesticide from the gardening store in your locality or you can also consider preparing it on your own.
For protecting your Jackfruit from birds and fruit flies, the fruit which is growing has to be covered with paper bags or netting.
Pruning your Jackfruit tree:
For the prevention of your Jackfruit tree from growing so that that it is gives the fruit which is out of your reach, make use of a pair of gardening shears for trimming the tree back to a size which is controllable.
When you see that the tree has grown to a height of 12 feet, then decrease the height of the tree to 4 feet for encouraging the outward growth.
Make sure that you are removing any dead wood for maintaining the health of the tree.
When the Jackfruit tree is in its growing stage, pinch off the flowers which the plant has produced to help in the promotion of growth.
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Harvesting Jackfruit:
If everything goes well, your Jackfruit tree will start developing an edible fruit after the third or fourth year. It will take almost 4 to 5 months again for the young fruit to get ripened. The fruit can be picked once you see a yellow tinge and they come with an odour which is sweet.
You can consume ripe Jackfruit alone or you can also consider using it in the recipes. The fruit’s pulp will smell sweet, like a combination of banana and pineapple.
The Jackfruit which is not ripened can be picked and used as a substitute for meat after two to three months.
In the native climatic conditions, the tree will give fruits all year, but it produces the best in the summer season.
Facts about growing Jackfruit:
The Jackfruit trees which are large, i.e., at a height between 2 feet to 4 feet, establish themselves rapidly and grow better when they are planted in the outdoor locations than the trees which are small.
The seeds of Jackfruit are edible. You can also make use of the seeds in preparing hummus. You can consume Jackfruit while it is raw, unripe and ripe.
The trees of Jackfruit are self-fertile and you will be able to get fruits from one plant itself.
Jackfruit is rich in the content of phytonutrients, antioxidants and flavonoids. The presence of antioxidants will remove toxins which are produced by the body and also the free radicals which are harmful to humans. Both free radicals and toxins are known as the cause of cancer in the body. The main reason behind ageing is the presence of free radicals.
That’s all frolks about growing Jackfruit from Seed. Keep growing fruits.
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