Practical tips growing Cempedak

[DurianLover]

I'd like to grow few acres on commercial basis. Unfortunately there is very little information available on practical growing. Even though elevation is 630 meters, I think climate is not a problem since many ultra-tropicals like durians and mangosteens are right in the area. My biggest concern is adequate rainfall. Publications mention that cempedak likes climate with no true dry season. We have 2200 mm annual rainfall, with monsoon seasons from May to August and October to January. There is a chance of occasional very brief showers in between. Is this going to be enough for good growth and productive crop? Also can cempedak be pruned like some commercial jackfruit plantations 3-4 meters height only?

BTW, I think the best cempedak I've tasted was dark orange meat in Kuching, Sarawak, but that area gets insane 4200 mm annual rainfall. That's the clone I want grow but vast difference in rainfall makes me wonder...Any tips appreciated.

[fruitlovers]

You could probably do it. I would suggest installing a back up watering system for dry periods. Especially when chempadeks are young they can't take long dry spell. Yes you can prune them like jackfruits. I would also suggest experimenting with a few different cultivars at first.. Once you hit on one or more that do well then you plant your whole area to those cultivars.

[Mike T]

DL chempas are thriving in the 4600mm/yr to 1800mm/yr area zones here and the flesh quality is not that different.My friend gets 2300mm/yr and hardly ever waters and his orange fleshed sausage shaped type with smooth skin, and twisted big bulbed yellow just boom.The dry season is very dry and lasts from june until November.If you get the equatorial double they should be doing even better.Your mean temp. will be around 4.5c lower than the adjacent lowlands and chempas are more hardy than mangosteen and will do almost as well as in the lowlands.They vary in many characteristics so it would be best as Oscar says to try a few different good ones.

You can prune the living daylights out of them and keep them to 3m.It is good to let them fruit first and then prune bach the main upright branches rather than giving it a haircut on top.Make the laterals dominate or have a wineglass shape with 5 or so mains.

Most people say Malaysia has the best ones on the island and peninsula.One is called honey,the orange fleshed small sausage ones and twisted yellows are sold for good money in the markets.Vietnam also has good ones.

[fruitlovers]

Some Malaysian cultivar info here:
http://animagro.blogspot.com/2010/12/popular-jackfruit-clones-in-malaysia.html

[Mike T]

That is a great link and some of the types ring bells.

[samuel]

You can prune the living daylights out of them and keep them to 3m.It is good to let them fruit first and then prune bach the main upright branches rather than giving it a haircut on top.Make the laterals dominate or have a wineglass shape with 5 or so mains.

Mike what do you mean by the living daylights? i am getting prepare to manage a few jack and chempedak trees (have been planting the few first ones in these days) and i am wondering how to prune them... when saying to let them fruit first and then prune back do you mean one should not do anything during the 2/3 first years of planting? i would think the shaping/pruning of the trees should be done during this period as it is generally done for any fruit tree...

[Mike T]

Samuel jacks and chempadaks handle and respond to pruning very well and want to grow big.Tipping and taking out thinner weaker stems is fine when young (1 to 3) to get a good shape.If you prune too hard at this time it can delay fruiting.At 4 to 6 when fruiting starts properly you can prune harder and even whip off the main trunk at 2m and they will not skip the following season.If you want to keep them around 2.5m to 3m then you need to prune heavily.

[samuel]

Samuel jacks and chempadaks handle and respond to pruning very well and want to grow big.Tipping and taking out thinner weaker stems is fine when young (1 to 3) to get a good shape.If you prune too hard at this time it can delay fruiting.At 4 to 6 when fruiting starts properly you can prune harder and even whip off the main trunk at 2m and they will not skip the following season.If you want to keep them around 2.5m to 3m then you need to prune heavily.

Thanks for the precisions Mike

[arvind]

I'd like to grow few acres on commercial basis. Unfortunately there is very little information available on practical growing. Even though elevation is 630 meters, I think climate is not a problem since many ultra-tropicals like durians and mangosteens are right in the area. My biggest concern is adequate rainfall. Publications mention that cempedak likes climate with no true dry season. We have 2200 mm annual rainfall, with monsoon seasons from May to August and October to January. There is a chance of occasional very brief showers in between. Is this going to be enough for good growth and productive crop? Also can cempedak be pruned like some commercial jackfruit plantations 3-4 meters height only?

BTW, I think the best cempedak I've tasted was dark orange meat in Kuching, Sarawak, but that area gets insane 4200 mm annual rainfall. That's the clone I want grow but vast difference in rainfall makes me wonder...Any tips appreciated.

Hi there sorry for my late reply.I think the rainfall in your area is adequate to grow cempedak.I know this because cempedak can even be grown in areas with less than 2000mm of rain and with short dry season maybe about 3 months.Those areas are in Java Indonesia and so dont worry about it.Btw how is your cempedak tree doing