Suitable container size for long-term growing of starfruit and jackfruit

[SonnyJim]

Hi everyone,

I am planning to repot my starfruits and jackfruit into large containers permanently. I am aware that seed grown trees like starfruit and particularly jackfruit have long tap roots which won't like being constrained by the boundaries of a pot. However due to circumstance I have no choice. Does anyone know a suitable container size for these species? Cheers 

[Tropicaltoba]

I am no expert in either, but I was able to get three starfruit off a plant that was completely ignored in a7 gallon container this summer. I am now taking better care of it. It is currently reflowing and setting more fruit. I’ll let you know how many set.

 As for jackfruit, I was asking the same question a couple of days ago. I searched through all the threads and seems it needs a large container (25gallon) with considerable trunk girth (4”) before it is we’ll established enough to fruit in a pot.

[Daintree]

I have poor luck with jackfruit, but they do bonsai it and cut the taproot. Next time I buy a fruit I am going to experiment with taproot pruning in order to make it do better in a pot.
And yes, my carambola is doing great in a 5 gallon pot, I probably won't go bigger than 10 for it. My biggest pots are 25-35 gallons, and you would probably do fine with jackfruit in that.

[Nick C]

I currently have a jackfruit tree in a pot within that 30 gallon range

[Tropicaltoba]

Nick, how long have u had that tree? Any flowers yet?

[Nick C]

Nick, how long have u had that tree? Any flowers yet?

I believe three years now, purchased as a grafted tree.

Unfortunately no flowers yet

[elouicious]

I believe a 100g pot is recommended for even the dwarf varieties of Jackfruit

[Jaboticaba45]

I even put my jackfruit in ground in greenhouse and it got way too big.
Don't try with jackfruit.
star fruit is easy.

[Tropicaltoba]

It sounds like it seems pointless to try and fruit jackfruit in a container. It’s too bad, it’s such a nice looking tree. I guess it’s next on the chopping block next time I need space.

[brian]

I am optimistic about what can be grown in containers but I don't think jackfruit is viable.  In ground it gets huge fast, long before fruiting.  In containers it seems unhealthy and I suspect it would take forever to fruit.  Maybe try kwai muk?   It seems more compact.

And yeah starfruit is easy in container, my seedling/rootstock one fruited at a very reasonably size.

[elouicious]

It sounds like it seems pointless to try and fruit jackfruit in a container. It’s too bad, it’s such a nice looking tree. I guess it’s next on the chopping block next time I need space.

Lots of people have mused on this, myself included

As much as I would love to have some of the better Jack varieties or some of the more rare Artocarpus this is one genus that I feel is really problematic for container culture- Long taproots, large heights before fruiting, extreme temperature sensitivity, lack of adaptation to pruning etc.

Even assuming you could get one to fruit in a container I would be massively concerned about the tree falling over with fruit on it,

Combine this with the fact that the (admittedly inferior) varieties are available from most asian grocery markets these days and most people decide these are not for them

[Jaboticaba45]

I am optimistic about what can be grown in containers but I don't think jackfruit is viable.  In ground it gets huge fast, long before fruiting.  In containers it seems unhealthy and I suspect it would take forever to fruit.  Maybe try kwai muk?   It seems more compact.

And yeah starfruit is easy in container, my seedling/rootstock one fruited at a very reasonably size.

Brian, how is your in ground artocarpus doing?
You seem right on the cusp of having jackfruit fruit

[Lumi-Ukko]

I would agree on not planting jackfruit to a container. I planted a 2 metre high tree 2 years ago straight to the ground and it is easily 6 metres tall now, even after pruning back 2 metres last summer. It is fruiting for the first time this spring (3 decent sized fruit currently).  I think it would have failed in a pot.

For starfruit, I am at a loss.  I have one in an approx 12 gallon pot at 2 metres tall and it it really doesn't seem happy.  On and off chlorosis (always trying to find a balance), and frequent leaf loss.  I formerly had two trees Starfruit in pots but three months ago put one in the ground and it is doing no better than the potted one.