Growing Durian Fruit In Backyard - At Home

Growing Durian Fruit in Backyard

Hello gardeners, today we are here with a new article that is growing durian fruit in the backyard. We also discuss the related topics in this article.

Introduction to Growing Durian Fruit in Backyard

Durian is named in some regions as the “king of fruits”, the durian is very distinctive for its large size, strong odour, and thorn-covered rind. The durian fruit can grow as large as 30 centimetres or 12 inches long and 15 cm or 6 inches in diameter, and it also weighs 1 to 3 kilograms or 2 to 7 pounds per fruit. The fruit shape ranges from oblong to round and the colour of it is husk green to brown, and its flesh is a pale yellow to red, depending on the species you choose or select.

A Step By Step Guide for Growing Durian Fruit in Backyard

Durian belongs to the Malvaceae family. Durian trees are very large, they grow up to 25–50 meters or 80–165 feet in height depending on the species you choose or select. It has many health benefits. This includes the ability to boost your immune system. It prevents cancer and inhibits free radical activity in the body and improves digestion, strengthens bones, improves signs of anaemia, prevents premature aging, lowers blood pressure, and protect against cardiovascular diseases and many other.

Types/Varieties for Growing Durian Fruit in Backyard

D101 – It tastes mildly sweet, buttery
D13 – It tastes fragrant, sweet, sticky
Tekka – It tastes sweet, floral
D24 – It tastes sultan Bittersweet, creamy
Golden Phoenix – It tastes sharp, bitter
D1 – It tastes mildly sweet
Black Pearl – It tastes slightly bitter, creamy
Black Thorn – It tastes intense, bitter
D17 – It tastes fairly bitter, soft
Hor Lor – It tastes mildly sweet
Red Prawn – It tastes sweet

Suitable Soil for Growing Durian Fruit in Backyard

Durian trees grow very well in rich, deep, well-drained sandy clay or in loamy clay that means deep alluvial or loamy soil and which is high in organic matter, a pH range of 6 – 7. Heavy clay soils are not so supportive of good durian tree growth and for its good health, as they do not drain very well.

Suitable Site or Area for Growing Durian Fruit in Backyard

Plant your durian tree in an area with full shade.

Young and small durian trees can easily wither with too much sunlight. Find a spot or place where your durian tree can receive high temperatures without high sunlight. So, better consider planting the tree in the shadow of other trees.

Durian Plant Care before Planning in Backyard

Measure or test the pH level of the soil before planting. To successfully grow durian, you must measure that the soil under the tree is not too alkaline or too acidic. You need to perform a soil test to check your soil’s pH balance in the soil.

If the soil’s pH balance is below 6.0, then add a cup of dolomite or quick lime to improve pH, then test it again.

If the soil’s pH balance is above 7.0, then add a cup of peat moss or compost, then test it again.

Propagation for Growing Durian Fruit in Backyard

Propagation of durian can be done in two methods. They are listed below:

Seeds or seedlings
budding or grafting onto a rootstock

How to Plant Durian Seeds in Backyard?

Dig a hole of 1.5 ft. or 46 cm and then combine the soil with compost. Dig up the soil to extend where you want to plant your durian seed at least 1.5 ft. or 46 cm down and across the ground. Then combine 1 part soil with 1 part organic compost and refill the hole with the mixture.

This can ensure that your durian tree has well-draining organic soil to grow from.

Set the seeds directly from the fruit on the top of the soil. Without burying it place the seed on top of the soil. Then simply push the seed down a little with the help of your finger; the majority of the seed should still be seen on top of the soil.

Seeds from the durian fruit should be planted outside immediately after taking them out of the fruit, with no germination period required.

The seed should sprout out and attach itself to the soil after a day or 2 days.

How To Plant Durian By Using Budding Or Grafting Method?

Durian trees are commonly propagated by budding or grafting onto a rootstock. They are budded nearly about 5-10 cm from the soil level. Budding and grafting are only different means to an equivalent end. In both cases, a bit of a spread to be grown as a replacement tree is taken from a tree of the specified variety and is joined to a rootstock where it unites and grows. For budding, one bud is taken, while for grafting a shoot with several buds is taken. Rootstocks from 7 weeks old seedlings are suitable for grafting and 4 months old seedlings are suitable for budding.

Another, less popular method of grafting is that the union technique. The union technique requires the rootstock to be brought on the brink of the shoot as illustrated within the figure below. Similar cuts are made on the scion and therefore the rootstock. The 2 cut parts are fused with strong tape. Support is important to tend to the shoot seedling. After 3-4 weeks, the shoots from the rootstock are removed and therefore the shoot from the specified variety is separated from the mother plants below the fusion point. The seedlings are ready for planting after 3 months.

How to Germinate Seeds of Durian in a Paper Towel?

Durian Fruit Seed Germination (Image credit: Pixabay)

Put your seeds in a plastic bag or cover with a soaked paper towel and seal the bag. This will allow the bag or cover to develop condensation, which will keep the seeds moist and more likely to germinate fast.

Place the plastic bag in an area or location that gets 4-6 hours of direct sun. Try to keep near a windowsill or outside: the point is to get heat into the plastic bag so that the water in the paper towel will evaporate soon, creating a water cycle that will nourish the seed well to germinate.

If you’re not able to keep your seeds on a windowsill or outside, try to keep them under a grow light.

Then check for roots after 4-5 days. After 4-5 days, the durian seeds will be growing roots. You need to look and wait for small yellow or brown tendrils coming out of the seeds and then plant them when the roots are longer than the seed itself.

Temperature Requirement for Growing Durian Fruit in Backyard

You need to keep the temperature around 24–29°C. A durian tree’s native environment temperature stays around 24–29°C, so if you want your plant to survive well, you should mimic that environment. Remember one thing that durian plants can wither and die in temperatures below 7°C.

Keep Weeds Away From Your Durian Plant in Backyard

You should weed around your durian tree once a day. Check for small weeds every day around your durian tree, because weeds will compete with the durian tree for water and nutrients and even for other requirements. Pull out the weeds with your hands, since more invasive techniques might scrape or damage the durian tree’s delicate roots.

Water and Pruning Requirement for Growing Durian Fruit in Backyard

Ample water at about 6-8 litres per day per plant is necessary during the stage of fruit development. Excess water can also encourage vegetative growth which may result in premature fruit drop or fall from the tree. Pruning should be done a year after planting the plant. Most durian clones bear fruit on primary and secondary branches only.

Fertilizer Requirement for Growing Durian Fruit in Backyard

You need to apply fertilizers to nourish the fruits/leaves of the durian plant. The fertilizer ratio should be like 12:12:17:2 or 4:16:24:4 at 2-3 kg/tree at 60 days after the flowering open on the tree. Apply 50% of potassium sulphate at a rate of 0.5 kg/tree at 30-45 days before the fruit ripens on the tree.

Pests and Diseases of Durian Tree

The durian diseases are listed below:

Durian patch canker is also known as root rot, foot rot, and leaf blight. This is one of the most dreaded diseases that affect the durian tree. The disease is very common in the wet season
Durian leaf spot disease
Durian root disease
Durian leaf blight
Phytophthora botryose

The durian pests are listed below:

Bark beetles
Fruit borers
Stem borers
Thrips and scale insects

Harvesting Durian Fruits in Backyard

To harvest durian fruits, the stem should be cut from 3 to 4 cm or more above the abscission layer. The stem is commonly needed to cut with a sharp knife or a pair of secateurs. For tall branches, a long pole is fitted with a cutting device is used. Fruits can also be harvested by climbing the trees also.

Commonly Asked Questions for Growing Durian Fruit in Backyard

In case if you miss this: Growing Mulberries Indoors.

How long does it take for a durian tree to bear fruit out?

Durian trees that grow from seed begin to bear fruit at 8-10 years. Grafted trees will begin to bear fruit out at 4-6 years. It takes about 110-120 days from flowering to harvest that is a complete process.

How many fruits does one durian tree produce?

One durian tree can produce nearly 50durian fruits.

What fertilizer makes durian fruit bigger?

Potassium is the key or main thing of fruit size and alongside nitrogen is much required in large quantities throughout the fruit development and growth. However, an excessive or more amount of nitrogen at a late growth stage can restrict fruit size; therefore a balanced nutrient application is very crucial to this plant. Even phosphorus can restrict fruit growth too.

How to stimulate durian to flower?

For induction of late flowering, the following treatments were applied: applying 16-16-16 ratio fertilizer in the dry time or dry period continued watering over the in-season flowering period until physiological mature leaves were produced.

How to take care of a durian tree?

The root system of a durian tree is very sensitive to standing water, and good drainage is much essential to this plant, which is well taken care of by such sloping situations. Durian trees grow very well in a rich, deep, well-drained sandy clay or a clay loam that means deep alluvial or loamy soil, and need high in organic matter, pH range should be from 6 to 7.

How to prune a durian tree?

Step 1: Prune wood around the trunk area and near the ground so that you have the best visibility of the tree.

Step 2: Remove all the water-shoots around the trunk.

Step 3: You need to remove all branches that hang too close or touches the ground. Prune them out at the supporting limb.

How big does a durian tree get?

It grows up to 90 to 130 ft. in height.

The durian tree reaches 90 to 130 ft. or 27-40 m tall in tropical areas. It’s usually erect with short, straight, rough, peeling trunk to 4 ft. or 1.2 m in diameter, and an irregular dense or open crown of rough branches, and thin branch lets coated with coppery or grey scales when young.

What time does durian drop?

Durians usually harvest from July to August also as of October to November. During its harvesting season, durians tend to ripe and drop more in the dark. This is often because the temperature is high at noontime, hence when already dark arrives, the sudden natural process will increase the probabilities of durians dropping.

Are Jackfruit and durian the same?

No, Durian and Jackfruit are not related they are different.

Botanically, durian may be a part of the Malvaceae, whereas jackfruit belongs to the Moraceae. Overall, the jackfruits are more popular and documented than durians, and you’ll more commonly mistake durian to be jackfruit but not the opposite way around.

Growing Durian Fruit In Backyard – At Home

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