How to grow Jackfruit in Australia

Where to plant

Jackfruit prefers a tropical climate with plenty of rain, ideally more than 1,500 mm a year without a long dry season, and lowland coastal conditions. It does not like cold, drought or flooding, though it tolerates moderate wind and some salt. Plant it in full sun in deep, well-drained alluvial, sandy or clay loam soil with a pH between 6 and 7.5.

It becomes a very large tree, so give it plenty of space, at least 6 m and up to 12 m from other trees and buildings.

• North Queensland and Darwin: jackfruit thrives. Plant in the wet season, from September to March. In the NT it fruits from June to April.
• South East Queensland: plant from October to February in a warm, frost-free, sheltered spot. It grows and fruits in Brisbane gardens.
• Northern Rivers: warm coastal gardens only. Hinterland and Lismore basin frosts kill young trees.
• Sydney: marginal. Gardening Australia says it can be done in the warmest north-facing microclimate, sheltered from cool winds, with good drainage. Plant from October to January, and not in frosty western Sydney. Expect it to struggle.
• Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra and Hobart: not suited.

Choosing a variety

There are two main kinds of jackfruit: soft-fleshed and crisp-fleshed. Named varieties such as Black Gold are sold as grafted or propagated trees. Seedlings are difficult to transplant, so buy a tree in a pot and plant it with as little root disturbance as possible.

How to plant

1. Plant in the warm, wet months so the tree establishes quickly.
2. Choose a sunny, sheltered spot with deep, well-drained soil, well away from buildings.
3. Water the tree in its pot, then plant at the same depth, disturbing the roots as little as possible.
4. Water in deeply and mulch widely, keeping the mulch clear of the trunk.
5. Water young trees regularly and deeply while they establish.

Watering and feeding

Keep the soil moist, especially while the tree is young and while fruit develops. Jackfruit dislikes drought, so water through the tropical dry season, but never let the roots sit in waterlogged soil.

Feed with a mixed fertiliser at the young tree stage and again as fruit develops, and mulch well through the warm growing season.

Pruning and care through the year

• Prune lightly to keep the tree to a manageable size, as the fruit forms on the trunk and older branches.
• Cover young developing fruit with a sleeve, such as an old stocking, to protect it from flying foxes, possums and rats.

Harvesting

Jackfruit is ready when its skin changes from pale green to brownish yellow, the spines flatten out, and it gives off its strong, characteristic smell. Tap it with a stick: unripe fruit sounds bright, ripe fruit sounds dull. The change from unripe to ripe can take only hours. Cut the stalk with a sharp knife and lower heavy fruit carefully to the ground.

Fruit picked green can be ripened indoors, which also beats the flying foxes and possums. Keep cut fruit wrapped in the fridge, or freeze the flesh. Whole fruit stored below about 12°C suffers chill damage.

Using it

Jackfruit stems and fruit ooze a sticky, milky latex. Gardening Australia's tip is to coat your hands and knife in sunflower oil before cutting. Cut along the seam, split the fruit and pull out the fleshy pods, each with a seed. Eat the flesh fresh or freeze it for smoothies and ice cream. The seeds can be dry-roasted and eaten. Young, unripe jackfruit is cooked as a vegetable, pickled or canned in brine.