I pruned just the opposite. I pruned from the top to keep the plant compact with a very strong trunk and to encourage branching low to high.

Dr Campbell has recommended pruning the lower 4 to 5 feet (in addition to the top). His justification is that the jackfruit produces more flowers when pruned like that. There is a video somewhere.

Jeff

Mine flowered for the first time this year...all male of course. All were below 4'. I'd would definitely like to see more on this subject...and the video if you can find it. Now you got me worried if I should lop off the lower branches.

Here's one on pruning..

Here is a link that might be useful: Pruning Jackfruit

Here's part 2 of that video, where he actually does the cutting.

I always like watching Dr Campbell. He's a talented presenter.

Jeff

Definitely glad I watched that second video. Up until now I was just lopping the top off every year. Just finished pruning them this evening pretty much following his instructions. I had to slightly modify them for greenhouse growing. Now I have about 4ft of clear trunk and about 4ft of branching above. Hopefully I'll get a fruit or two from them this season. I have to keep mine shorter than the ten feet Dr Cambell mentioned but I would imagine keeping them at 8 ft won't make much of a difference.

Those two videos were great. Now I want to plant a jackfruit tree in my front yard just so I can keep it pruned nicely like that.

He has another in the group where he cleft grafts a Jackfruit thats thinner than a pencil with nothing more than a piece of parafilm, damn thing probably took perfect!

Here are mine after a good hacking.

Gold Nugget

Grafted bangkok Lemon. This one produced a few male flowers this season so I am hoping it may put out a few females next season.

I'll probably end up cutting down the Gold Nugget once both trees fruit if I like the Bangkok lemon better.

Okay Jeff...I pruned the bottom portion. I'd better be seeing blooms by the end of next week! Remember...I know where you live! LOL!

Seriously...just watched the vids. The only reason for removing the bottom branches is for a more ornamental look. I have a lot of those little whip like branches inside and will remove tomorrow. My biggest problem is that the branches want to hang down. I don't have the natural wind inside the GH to move them around and strengthen them up.

Thanks for sharing the vids guys.

I thought he said pruning the bottom caused more blooming shoots to form around the cuts.

Hi
is bangkok lemom the same as lemon crunch...listed at top..
Thanks
David

Thanks for the links folks, I'm trimming the bottom a bit but since the video clips showed them pruning to 10 feet, I'll let it grow a couple of more feet to say 12' until I prune the top.

Clearly I should have tried a Gold Nugget. I have one of the Mia cultivars (don't remember which one). It took a bit of a hit in the hurricanes, and has languished at about five feet tall ever since.
As far as pruning, I read years ago that leaving the branches on the bottom of the tree helps the trunk grow thicker. Does anyone know if this is true, in general, or with jackfruit in particular?

John...He mentioned in both vids that it was pretty much for ornamental looks. Said that you would be able to see the fruit hanging down the trunk. At the same time...I believe there would be a benefit in removing the branches and exposing more fruiting collars.

Here's a shot of mine with the bottom branches pruned off. The glass in back is approx. 13' up.

This is the tree after pruning the shi$$ out of it. I normally prune this harsh but this time I took out those small, whip branches he mentioned...and any that were hanging down. He hit the nail on the head when he said that they recover and rejuvinate quickly. Mine always bounces back very fast and will be full again in no time. I need to prune the height quite often and need to keep the shape of the plant column-like due to space constraints. Maybe this time there will be some flowers to accompany the new growth!

Wow, Jay...that's quite a haircut you gave. Hope it helps.

Harry

Wow, Jay. That is pretty crazy. Hope you get a fruit this season.

Shave and a haircut...two bits! I might just go to town on some others tomorrow. Got me in the mood. Mango is flowering so I can't be screwing with it. Imbe's are a good candidate. I've pretty much had it with the dragon fruit. Going to get rid of all that mass and remove the big center support. That will free up a lot of room in there for this winter. I'll transplant the yellow DF with the jackfruit. The Am. Beauty and David Bowie will go into pots. The unknown red fleshed variety...that never blooms, will go into the compost bin. Almost excited over this.

Wow, looks like your haircut J! You need to do some serious cleaning to make room for the achachairu and durian farm.

-E

My thoughts exactly Ethan! No better time to plan for their heavy production than now!

Ripped out the dragon fruit lair. Digging that 4x6 post out of the clay buried over 3' down was a lot of fun. Cleared up at least a 10'x10' square area. If it doesn't perform, out it goes! I can now walk thru there without bumping my head on the support or getting DF thorns in the face. I planted the yellow DF with the jackfruit so it can climb on it. The American Beauty and David Bowie went into containers. That non-productive red is currently in a big pile out in the garden.