How to Grow Durian: Durian Planting Methods and Precautions

SummarySowing: sowing and planting should preferably be done in spring. Fertilizing: bud-emergence fertilizer in spring, topdressing during summer fruit enlargement and before harvest, and one deep application of organic fertilizer after harvest. Planting out: plant out when seedlings are 30-40 cm tall, and at the same time apply organic fertilizer, farmyard manure and an appropriate amount of lime as base fertilizer. Pruning: prune promptly 1-2 years after planting. Harvesting: the durian fruit can be harvested when it turns orange-yellow or orange-red.

Durian, known as the king of fruits, is a very large fruit that is also not cheap. Although eating durian has become very common, not many people actually know how to grow it, so it is no surprise that some people, seeing how popular durian is on the market, start thinking about growing it themselves.

I. How to Grow Durian

1. Sowing: a large tree by its biological characteristics, 15-20 m tall, with a distinct trunk and brittle branches that are easily damaged by strong winds. The leaves are alternate, leathery, oblong, smooth and blue-green on the upper surface, with silvery-white fine scaly hairs on the underside, and entire margins. The flowers are large. Sowing can be done every year, but spring is best.

2. Fertilizing: bearing trees should receive 1 key fertilization each year, namely bud-emergence fertilizer in spring, fruit-enlargement fertilizer in summer and pre-harvest fertilizer, with particular attention to applying the fruit-enlargement fertilizer well. After harvest, apply one deep application of organic fertilizer.

3. Planting out: seedlings can be planted out when 30-40 cm tall, with a spacing of 3 m x 5 m being suitable, and organic fertilizer, farmyard manure and an appropriate amount of lime worked in as base fertilizer. Planting out can be done throughout the year, and planting with the soil ball attached is best.

II. Durian Planting Methods and Precautions

1. Sowing

Durian can be sown every year, but spring is best. A sowing spacing of 20 cm x 20 cm is suitable. During the seedling growth period, attention should be paid to weeding, combined with fertilizing, to promote seedling growth. Superior mother plants can be propagated by air layering, which roots very easily; from girdling to a finished seedling takes only 60-70 days.

2. Planting Out of Seedlings

When seedlings are 30-40 cm tall they can be planted out, with a spacing of 3 m x 5 m being suitable; work in organic fertilizer, farmyard manure and an appropriate amount of lime as base fertilizer. Planting out can be done throughout the year, and planting with the soil ball attached is best.

3. Fertilizer Management

Durian trees should receive 1 key fertilization each year, namely bud-emergence fertilizer in spring, fruit-enlargement fertilizer in summer and pre-harvest fertilizer, with particular attention to applying the fruit-enlargement fertilizer well. After harvest, apply one deep application of organic fertilizer.

4. Shaping and Pruning

Because durian trees have very strong sprouting ability, attention should be paid to shaping 1-2 years after planting, and pruning should be done promptly after harvest to maintain a good tree form.

5. Harvesting the Fruit

When the durian fruit turns orange-yellow or orange-red it is ripe and can be harvested. After harvest the fruit cannot be eaten fresh directly; it needs 4-7 days of after-ripening until the flesh becomes soft before it can be eaten.

III. Main Producing Areas of Durian

1. The durian is native to Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia. Some people also believe it is native to the Philippines.

2. Durian growing areas are found throughout Southeast Asia, mainly in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and elsewhere. Other places where durian is grown include Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, India, Sri Lanka, the West Indies, Florida, Hawaii, Papua New Guinea, the Polynesian islands, Madagascar, northern Australia and Singapore. It is cultivated in Guangdong and Hainan in China.

IV. Growth Habits of Durian

1. Durian is a purely tropical crop; its phenological characteristics require an average daily temperature of above 22°C in the place where it grows.

2. Durian is a plant of the family Bombacaceae (now included in Malvaceae), and is the tallest fruit tree of the tropics, with a trunk reaching 25 to 40 m tall. One tree can produce 80 durians per year. After being picked from the tree, durian ripens in 10 days.

3. Thailand has 200 durian varieties, but 60 to 80 are commonly grown. Among them the three most famous are:

(1) Light varieties include Monthong, Kradum Thong, Chanthaburi, and Chanee; they bear fruit after four or five years.

(2) Medium varieties include Long Stem and Khao; they bear fruit after six to eight years.

(3) Heavy varieties include Kampan and Ina; they bear fruit after eight years. They bear fruit once a year, with ripening times differing by one or two months.

The first and most important factor in growing durian is the climatic conditions. The main reason durian is expensive is that it is difficult to grow in other regions, so before deciding to grow a plant we must adapt to local conditions and confirm that the local environment is indeed suitable for the growth of that plant.