Q:How can you tell when jackfruit are ready to be picked?

S.C., Opa-locka

A: Harvest jackfruit when it starts to have a strong odor. It will continue to ripen off the tree. It's ripe when it's slightly soft when pressed or sometimes when the bumps on its skin become more rounded.

Cut off the stem end first to see if it is producing a lot of latex. If so, rub vegetable oil on your hands before taking the fruit apart.

Eat the flesh that surrounds the seeds. It will have a slightly strong flavor of a banana or pineapple.

Jackfruit can be grown from seeds and can produce fruit four to five years after planting. It is also well suited for small yards because it can be kept manageable by pruning. To learn more about growing jackfruit, read this UF fact sheet: http://edis.

ifas.ufl.edu/document_mg370.

Q: My gumbo limbo tree is covered in black soot. Everything below it is sticky and covered in soot too. What's going on and how do I fix it?

L.W., Coral Gables

A: The black soot is called sooty mold and it grows on the honeydew excreted by insects such as scales, aphids and mealybugs. To key to controlling sooty mold is to control the insects.

A new scale called croton scale is infesting gumbo limbo, crotons and many other plants. It doesn't appear to be a serious pest for most plants, although if the scale populations get too high, action needs to be taken. The good news is that there are beneficial insects already here that are keeping this scale under control, but it takes time.

Croton scale produces honeydew (the sticky stuff), therefore the insect needs to be controlled. Once under control, the honeydew will dissipate and the sooty mold will weather off. It can be washed off small plants. For a large tree, use a soil-applied systemic such as Bayer Advanced Garden Tree & Shrub Insect Control or Spectracide Tree & Shrub Insect Control. These products are available at garden centers and hardware stores. The insecticides are very long-lasting (nine to 12 months) so only apply it once this year. Follow the label directions. Infested shrubs and small plants can be treated with an oil spray or insecticidal soap spray once a week for three weeks.

You will find information on South Florida pests at http://

miami-dade.ifas.ufl.edu.

Adrian Hunsberger is an entomologist/horticulturist with the UF/IFAS Miami-Dade Extension office. Write to Plant Clinic, 18710 SW 288th St., Homestead, FL 33030; e-mail aghu@

ifas.ufl.edu

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