Fruits Edible

Everything You Need to Know About Jackfruit — Care, Propagation & More

Your complete Filipino gardener’s guide to growing, caring for, and harvesting Langka — from seed to table.

Filipino Langka Scientific Artocarpus heterophyllus
DifficultyEasy
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Days to HarvestGrafted: 2-4 years; seed-grown: 5-8 years. Fruit takes 3-6 months to mature on tree.
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ContainerNo
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SunlightFull sun
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What Can You Eat?

Discover the edible parts and how Filipinos enjoy this plant in everyday cooking.

Edible Parts
🍎 Fruit 🌰 Seed
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How It’s Eaten in Philippine Cuisine

Ripe flesh eaten fresh — sweet and fragrant. Unripe (green) langka cooked as vegetable in ginataang langka and other savory dishes. Seeds boiled or roasted and eaten as snacks. Used in halo-halo and turon.

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Cultural Significance in the Philippines

Langka is the largest tree-borne fruit in the world and deeply embedded in Filipino cuisine. Ginataang langka (green jackfruit in coconut milk) is a beloved ulam. Ripe langka goes into halo-halo, turon, and ice cream. The Philippines is among the top jackfruit producers globally.

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Germination Guide

From seed to sprout — here’s what to expect and how to get started.

10-21 days
Days to Germinate
25-35°C
Ideal Temperature
Seeds
Method
Step-by-Step Timeline
1
Use fresh seeds — viability drops quickly after extraction.
2
Sow seeds 3-5 cm deep with flat side down.
3
Keep soil moist and warm.
4
Seedlings emerge in 2-3 weeks; transplant when 30 cm tall.
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Planting Instructions

Everything you need to prepare — soil, spacing, depth, and the best Philippine planting months.

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Soil Type
Deep, rich, well-drained loamy soil
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Soil pH
6.0-7.5
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Spacing
8-12 m apart (very large tree)
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Sowing Depth
3-5 cm for seeds
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Container Size
Not suitable for containers; needs ground planting
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Best Season (PH)
June to August (rainy season)
Philippine Seasonal Calendar
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
M = recommended planting months
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Propagation Methods

Learn the best ways to multiply your plants — from seeds to cuttings.

Seeds Grafting (Recommended) Air layering
Steps
1
Graft scion from high-yielding mother tree.
2
Use approach or cleft grafting technique.
3
Grafted trees fruit in 2-4 years.
4
Seed-grown trees take 5-8 years to fruit.
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Care Guide

Keep your plant happy and thriving with the right light, water, and nutrients.

🌞 Sunlight

Full sun

💧 Watering

Regular when young; drought-tolerant when mature

🌱 Fertilizer

Organic fertilizer 3 times per year; increase at fruiting age

🌡️ Temperature

25-35°C

💨 Humidity

High; thrives in Philippine climate

🪨 Soil Maintenance

Mulch around base; do not plant too close to structures (large buttress roots).

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Harvest Guide

Know when and how to harvest for the best yield and flavor.

Grafted: 2-4 years; seed-grown: 5-8 years. Fruit takes 3-6 months to mature on tree.
Days to Harvest
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Signs of Readiness

Ripe: strong sweet aroma, skin yellows, hollow sound when tapped. Green: harvest unripe for cooking.

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Storage Tips

Ripe flesh: refrigerate 5-7 days or freeze. Unripe: store at room temp for 1-2 days.

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Common Problems & Solutions

Spot issues early and fix them fast.

Fruit borer

Cause: Insects bore into developing fruits

Solution: Bag young fruits with net or paper; remove infested fruits.

Sticky latex

Cause: White sap from cutting

Solution: Coat knife and hands with cooking oil before cutting.

Massive tree size

Cause: Can grow 10-20+ meters tall

Solution: Not for small lots; plan for space. Can prune to manage height.

Root damage to structures

Cause: Aggressive buttress roots

Solution: Plant at least 10 m from buildings and walls.

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Perfect Plant Partners

Plants that grow well together.