🫡 How to Grow Jackfruit: Practical Guide

• 🍈 Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is a tropical tree that produces the largest fruit in the world, weighing up to 80 pounds and reaching 36 inches in length. The trees thrive in frost-free, humid climates with plenty of sunlight. They require well-draining soil rich in organic matter and regular watering to flourish. Despite their reputation as ultra-tropical, mature Jackfruit trees can tolerate light frost for a few hours without significant damage. Additionally, they can be grown in containers in colder areas with proper care and pruning.
• 🍈 What Climate is Essential for Growing Jackfruit Trees?


Jackfruit trees require a tropical or subtropical climate, with temperatures ideally between 60-95°F. While young trees are frost-sensitive, mature trees can withstand light frost for short periods. However, cold winters can reduce fruit production. Frost-free temperatures are crucial for optimal growth and fruiting.
• 🍈 How Often Do Trees Need Fertilizing, and What is the Best Type of Feed?


Jackfruit trees are heavy feeders. Fertilizing them regularly is key to their health and productivity. During the active growing season (spring to fall), apply a balanced dry fertilizer once a month. Liquid amino-acid-based fertilizers, such as Sunshine Boosters, can be used year-round with every watering. These fertilizers help maintain healthy growth and encourage abundant fruiting. Supplement with organic matter like compost, manure, or peat moss to enrich the soil.
• 🍈 How Important is Pruning, and When is the Right Time to Prune?


Pruning is essential for maintaining a manageable tree size and promoting healthy fruit production. Jackfruit trees produce fruit at the base of the trunk, allowing them to be pruned annually to a height of 7-12 feet. This practice not only makes harvesting easier but also encourages more fruiting. Prune after the fruiting season or in late fall to remove excess growth and shape the tree. Regular pruning also improves air circulation and reduces the risk of disease.
• 🍈 Key Tips for Successful Jackfruit Production

• · Climate: Ensure frost-free temperatures and adequate humidity.
• · Soil: Use well-draining soil enriched with organic matter.
• · Watering: Maintain consistent soil moisture without waterlogging.
• · Pruning: Keep the tree under 7-10 feet for easier management and better yield.
• · Fertilizing: Apply balanced fertilizers and supplements regularly.

🍈 Jackfruit facts

• · The fruit consists of large, edible bulbs of yellow, sweet, banana-pineapple-flavored aromatic flesh.
• · Seedlings start fruiting within 3-4 years, with fruit ripening 4-6 months after flowering.
• · A mature tree can produce up to 200 pounds of fruit annually.
• · For colder regions, growing Jackfruit in containers is an option, provided the tree is regularly pruned and topped.

👍 Jackfruit trees grow fast and fruit abundantly with proper care, making them an exotic addition to tropical fruit collections.

📚 From previous posts:
The largest tree-borne fruit in the world
How to grow the biggest fruit on Earth

🛒 Plant your own Jackfruit

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🥇 What is your favorite Guava fruit for eating fresh?

💛 The sweetest and the most flavorful Cattley Guava variety is Hawaiian Gold (Yellow Pineapple Guava) - Psidium littorale var. Lucidum. This one is our favorite for eating out of hand!

📚 Learn more from previous posts:
Top 10 fast-fruiting trees: #2. Cattley and Tropical guava
How to always have lots of Guava Juice

🛒 Shop Cattley Guava

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🥑 How to make a healthy Avocado Tropical Smoothie - recipe

🤩 Ingredients:

• 
  · 1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
• · 1 cup coconut milk (or any plant-based milk)
• · 1/2 cup fresh pineapple chunks
• · 1/2 banana
• · 1 tablespoon honey or agave syrup (optional)
• · 1/2 cup ice cubes

🤢 Instructions:

• 
  · Combine all the ingredients in a blender.
• · Blend until smooth and creamy.
• · Taste and adjust sweetness with honey or agave if needed.
• · Pour into a glass and serve immediately.

🐸 This smoothie is rich, creamy, and packed with tropical vibes - a refreshing and healthy treat!

🛒 Plant your own Avocado Tree

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🍉 What is your favorite Guava variety?

Our top pick? Tikal Guava!

Okay, we'll admit it - the tree growth habit can be pretty weird: branches grow at some interesting 90-degree angles, giving it a bit of a wild, chaotic vibe. Think Barbados Cherry bush - if you've seen that unruly spectacle! 😰

But let's focus on what really matters: the fruit. Tikal produces the best pink guava, no contest! It is disease-resistant, fast-growing, super sweet, and boasts very few seeds - huge bonus! Plus, Tikal is a reliable producer, making it perfect for beginners or anyone eager for quick, delicious results. 🌟

• 
  🛒 Order Tikal Guava

📚 More about Guavas from previous posts:

• 💋 What Guava variety is the best for Guava Wine
• 💋 How to grow guava tree for Juice
• 💋 The most wanted collectible Honey Moon Guava
• 💋 Top 10 fast-fruiting trees: #2. Guava
• 💋 Top 10 fruit you'll ever need for your health benefits: #1. Guava
• 💋 Costa Rican Cas Guava
• 💋 Guava for Drinking
• 💋 Guava for Juicing
• 💋 Pineapple Guava

🛒 Shop more Guava varieties

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🍍 We ate all pineapples from that ugly corner!

All the Pineapples that we mentioned in our earlier post, have ripened and we already ate them all!
Note that this amazing fruit grows in the most neglected corner of the yard, with NO irrigation, and in pretty hot sunny spot - by the water treatment tank. Yet look how happy the plants are!

📚 Learn more about pineapple plants from previous posts:
The most luscious Hospitality Fruit: Pineapple
Three must-have fruit for every tropical garden

🛒 Select Pineapple varieties

#Food_Forest

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🍨How to harvest and eat Monstera Ice Cream

• 🍀 Monstera deliciosa - Swiss Cheese Plant - is a stunning jungle climber from Mexico and Guatemala celebrated for its dramatic, perforated leaves and delectable tropical fruit.
• 🍀 Known for its large, fenestrated leaves with oblong or oval perforations, giving it the nickname "Swiss Cheese Plant."
• 🍀 In its natural habitat, seedlings grow toward darkness until they locate a tree, then climb toward the light.
• 🍀 Fruits begin appearing about three years after planting. The 9-inch, green, cone-like fruit ripens over a year, its scales separating to reveal sweet, creamy white pulp.
• 🍀 Tastes like a mix of pineapple, sugar apple and ice cream with a strong tropical aroma.
• 🍀 The fruit must be ripe to eat, as unripe pulp contains oxalic acid, which irritates the mouth and throat. To ripen, pick when the base wrinkles slightly, then wrap in a bag. When the scales loosen, it’s ready to eat. Rinse off black specks before eating.
• 🍀 Spectacular variety Thai Constellation is a stunning variegated form with cream-and-green marbled leaves, has become a collector's dream. Specimens can sell for thousands of dollars, making it one of the most sought-after houseplants.

🛒 Shop Monstera plants

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🐵 Monkey Orange or Monkey Ear? 🙉

• 🍊 Besides bizarre Monkey Ear Tree that we mentioned earlier, there is another interesting Monkey Tree -
• 🍊 The Monkey Orange (Strychnos spinosa) is a captivating fruit tree from tropical Africa and Madagascar, known for its vibrant yellow fruits and wide range of uses.
• 🍊This small to medium-sized tree, has glossy leaves and thorny branches that make it visually striking.
• 🍊What does the Monkey Orange taste like?

The fruits, size of an orange, have a hard shell that protects their sweet-tart pulp with interesting pleasant taste somewhat similar to mangosteen. Some people say it tastes like a mix of citrus and pineapple with a hint of fermentation.
• 🍊Rich in vitamin C and B vitamins, the fruit can be enjoyed fresh or transformed into jams, juices, and even wine.
• 🍊Its durable wood is prized for carvings, and its leaves and roots are used in traditional medicine and as natural insecticides.
• 🍊Slow-growing yet resilient, this hardy tree thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, offering beauty, nourishment, and practicality - an excellent choice for tropical or subtropical landscapes.

🐒 Why is it called Monkey Orange?
The "monkey orange" likely gets its name from its appeal to monkeys that eat the fruit and distribute the seeds in their habitat in Africa.

🛒 Plant Monkey Orange

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🌞 What is your favorite Pineapple variety? A Sunshine State Delight: Florida Special!

• 🍍 One of our favorites here in Sunshine State is Pineapple Florida Special
• 🍍 Bred by the Libby fruit company for Florida's unique climate, the Florida Special Pineapple once thrived across 240 acres in Immokalee before Libby sold to Nestle.
• 🍍 This variety produces medium to large, golden-yellow fruits with a perfect balance of sweetness and tang. Known for its resilience, it can withstand temperatures down to the mid-30s without internal damage, making it a great choice for subtropical gardeners.
• 🍍The plant's compact size, reaching 2-3 feet, makes it perfect for containers, patios, or garden beds. Its spiny green leaves form a striking rosette, adding tropical flair to any space. Whether grown for its juicy fruit or ornamental appeal, the Florida Special brings a slice of paradise to your garden!
• 🍍 Enjoy it fresh, in smoothies, or as a tasty addition to tropical dishes.

📚 Learn more about pineapples from previous posts:
Three must-have fruit for every tropical garden
The most luscious Hospitality Fruit

🛒 Order Pineapple Florida Special

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💩 Go Pineapple!

Our Cats love pineapples. They start eating pineapple from the top!

Share your cats in comments!
📸 🐈🐈🐈👇

🐾 More #PeopleCats in our Garden:
PeopleCats.Garden 

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🏆 Three must-have fruit for every tropical garden

🍍Pineapple is a tropical favorite that's incredibly easy to grow, making it a perfect choice for beginners. With minimal care, Pineapples don't take mush space, you can grown them underneath other fruit trees. Plant good varieties, and when you get your crop, plant the tops and you will have your little Pineapple plantation in no time: you'll enjoy sweet, juicy fruit from those little babies in about 18-24 months. Freshly harvested pineapples are delightful in smoothies, salads, or grilled, adding a tropical flair to your garden.

🥭 Mango trees are not only a staple in tropical gardens but are also easy to cultivate. They flourish in sunny spots and well-drained soil, requiring little maintenance once established. These vigorous trees can yield an abundance of juicy, flavorful fruit in just a few years. They are perfect for fresh eating or adding to salsas and chutneys. Condo varieties are dwarf trees and can be grown in containers.

🥑 Avocado trees are fun to grow and add both beauty and nutrition to tropical gardens. Grafted cultivars start yielding fruit within a few months with proper care. The rich, creamy avocados are a culinary favorite, perfect for salads, spreads, and smoothies. With their lush foliage and bountiful harvests, avocado trees are a fantastic choice for gardeners looking for ease and abundance.

📚 Learn more from previous post:

• · The most luscious Hospitality Fruit
• · Mango Rainbow
• · What is the best Avocado variety

🛒 Shop fruit trees

#Food_Forest #Mango #Avocado

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