What are the growing conditions for durian? A full breakdown of the latest environmental requirements
Durian is a giant tropical evergreen tree of the genus Durio in the family Malvaceae (kapok family), one of the famous tropical fruits, hailed as the king of fruits, grown in considerable quantities in some Southeast Asian countries, most famously in Thailand, with a pungent odor; those who love it praise its fragrance, those who dislike it complain of its stench, and it is extremely rich in nutrients, giving it very high growing value. Now let us take a look together at the growing conditions for durian!
Growing conditions for durian
Durian is a purely tropical crop. It can be grown in areas where the average daily temperature is above 22°C and there is no frost. Parts of Hainan Province and Yunnan Province in China can develop it, because durian needs year-round high temperatures to grow and bear fruit. Even in equatorial regions at elevations above 600 m, durian cannot be grown or cannot set fruit because of the drop in temperature. It has already been successfully cultivated at the Xinglong Tropical Botanical Garden in Hainan, flowering from April to May and ripening fruit from August to September.
Distribution of durian origins
The durian is native to Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and other places, and some people also believe it originated in the Philippines. Its growing areas are spread throughout Southeast Asia, mainly in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and other places. 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, and it is also grown in Guangdong and Hainan in China.
Durian growing techniques
1. Sowing and propagation: Durian can be sown every year, but spring is best, and a planting spacing of 20 cm x 20 cm is suitable. During the seedling growth period, attention should be paid to weeding and combining this with fertilization to promote seedling growth. Superior mother plants can be propagated by air layering, which roots very easily; from ringing the branch to a finished seedling takes only 60 to 70 days.
2. Transplanting seedlings: When durian seedlings reach 30 to 40 cm in height, they can be transplanted, with a spacing of 3 x 5 m being suitable, and organic fertilizer, farmyard manure and an appropriate amount of lime applied as a base fertilizer. Transplanting can be done throughout the year, and planting with the soil ball attached is best.
3. Fertilizer management: Durian trees should be given 1 key fertilization each year, namely the spring flower-bud fertilizer, the summer fruit-swelling fertilizer and the pre-harvest fertilizer. In particular, the fruit-swelling fertilizer should be applied well, and after harvest a deep application of organic fertilizer should be made once.
4. Shaping and pruning: Durian trees have very strong sprouting ability. After planting, attention should be paid to shaping in the first 1 to 2 years, and timely pruning after harvest, so as to maintain a good tree shape.
5. Harvesting the fruit: The durian fruit is ripe when it turns orange-yellow or orange-red and can then be harvested; after harvest the fruit cannot be eaten fresh directly, and it needs 4 to 7 days of after-ripening until the flesh becomes soft before it can be eaten.