How to Grow Jackfruit
Artocarpus heterophyllus
Jackfruit is a large tropical evergreen tree that cannot grow outdoors in the UK and requires a heated greenhouse with ample space. It needs consistently warm temperatures above 15°C, high humidity, and bright light. In the UK it is best treated as an exotic curiosity rather than a productive fruit tree, as fruiting requires tropical conditions and many years of growth. Provide rich, well-drained compost and regular feeding during the growing season.
Yearly Lifecycle
Care Essentials
Feed fortnightly with a balanced liquid fertiliser from spring to autumn. Jackfruit is a hungry tree that benefits from consistent feeding during the growing season.
Watch For
- Mealybug
- Scale insects
- Red spider mite
- Root rot from overwatering
- Leaf spot
Track your Jackfruit care schedule — pruning, feeding, and seasonal tasks
Start planning freeCare Requirements
☀️ Light
Brightest position in heated greenhouse
Bright light with some direct sun. Provide the brightest position in a heated greenhouse or conservatory. Supplementary lighting may help in winter.
💧 Watering
Freely in summer, reduced but not dry in winter
Water freely during the growing season, keeping compost evenly moist. Reduce in winter but never let the rootball dry out completely.
🌱 Fertilizing
Balanced liquid feed fortnightly, spring to autumn
Feed regularly with a balanced liquid fertiliser during the growing season. Jackfruit is a hungry tree that benefits from fortnightly feeding from spring to autumn.
✂️ Pruning
Prune to control size, fruit grows on trunk
Prune to control size in a container, as jackfruit grows very large in the wild. Remove dead wood and shape in spring. Fruit grows on the trunk and main branches.
❄️ Overwintering
Heated greenhouse essential, minimum 15°C year-round
Requires a minimum temperature of 15°C year-round, ideally above 20°C. A heated greenhouse is essential. Reduce watering and stop feeding in winter.
Growing Tips
Tropical heat required
Jackfruit needs a minimum temperature of 15°C year-round and ideally above 20°C. A heated greenhouse or large conservatory is essential in the UK.
Space considerations
Jackfruit trees grow very large in the wild. In the UK, container growing limits size, but plan for a substantial plant that needs room and strong support.
Rich feeding
Feed regularly with a balanced liquid fertiliser during the growing season. Jackfruit is a hungry tree that needs fertile, well-drained compost.
Patience for fruit
Even in ideal conditions, jackfruit trees take many years to reach fruiting maturity. In UK greenhouses, fruiting is rare but the foliage is impressive.
Pests & Diseases
Pest Mealybug
Identification: White cottony masses in leaf axils, on stems, and around developing fruit
- Dab with a cotton bud soaked in methylated spirit
- Introduce Cryptolaemus ladybird as biological control under glass
- Spray with fatty acid or plant oil-based insecticide
Pest Scale Insects
Identification: Small brown bumps on stems and leaf undersides, sticky honeydew and sooty mould
- Wipe off with a cloth dipped in soapy water
- Introduce parasitic wasps as biological control
- Spray with plant oil-based insecticide
Pest Red Spider Mite
Identification: Fine webbing on leaf undersides, stippled yellowing leaves, tiny mites visible with a hand lens
- Increase humidity by misting regularly
- Introduce predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis
- Spray with fatty acid-based miticide
Disease Root Rot Phytophthora spp.
Symptoms: Yellowing leaves, wilting despite moist soil, dark mushy roots, plant collapse
Treatment: Remove from pot, trim rotten roots, repot in fresh free-draining compost. Reduce watering
Prevention: Use well-drained compost. Ensure pots have adequate drainage holes
Disease Leaf Spot
Symptoms: Brown or black spots on the large leaves, sometimes with yellow halos, premature leaf drop
Treatment: Remove and destroy affected leaves. Improve air circulation
Prevention: Avoid overhead watering. Ensure good ventilation in the greenhouse
Spacing & Planting
| Plant spacing | 900 cm |
| Row spacing | 1100 cm |
| Mature height | 800 cm |
| Mature spread | 500 cm |
Large evergreen tree producing massive fruit (up to 35kg). Fruit grows on trunk and main branches. Related to breadfruit.
Log Jackfruit in your garden — track growth, care, and harvests year after year
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