Wanted: Durian/Artocarpus grafted seedlings or budwood

[Vlk]

Hi everyone! I have a question please - do you know about any international-shipping source of durio and artocarpus grafted plants or budwood? I searched a lot through internet last couple of days, wrote to many emails, but nothing came up so far. Do you have personally any experience?

Take care!

Vlk

[msk0072]

Wow durio and shipping! Is that compatible? 
My experience says no. Artocarpus maybe but if the plants are bareroot is not easy.

[Vlk]

I have experience with shipping from Germany. I recieved 2 plants of durio z. (unfortunately not grafted) and 1 of artocarpus integer. They arrived in acceptable condition.

[msk0072]

Who sells in Germany durian trees? So far in the north and find durian trees? I thought Europe isn't the best place to buy and grow durian trees.
For grafted plants you might look far away and it isn't an easy operation.
My personal experience: I bought 2 grafted plants when I went back from Thailand to Greece. The trees were packed bare root with vermiculite in plastic bags the day I left and after 2 days I planted in the greenhaus. Both trees dried out

[Vlk]

Who sells in Germany durian trees? So far in the north and find durian trees? I thought Europe isn't the best place to buy and grow durian trees.
For grafted plants you might look far away and it isn't an easy operation.
My personal experience: I bought 2 grafted plants when I went back from Thailand to Greece. The trees were packed bare root with vermiculite in plastic bags the day I left and after 2 days I planted in the greenhaus. Both trees dried out

I found a seller who sells young durian seedlings. I recieved a seedling from him few days ago - it shows sings of drying on the fresh leaves (it experienced some minor coldness during the shipping), so I am quite affraid about it. My friend got a plant as well - it was shipped in one package with mine and it is doing well, only one leaf dropped of it.
Yes, Europe isn't the perfect place, but that is making the growing even more interesting. :-) My friend has two 4 years old trees and they are doing quite fine, so it is possible after all.
I am sorry to hear these two trees didn't make it.. :-(

[msk0072]

Vlk nice to hear that you are growing a durian tree
What are the conditions where you are growing the durian? How old is your tree and what is the growing progress of the tree? Do you know the name of the variety of the seedling?
Can you send me PM with the seller details?

[red durian]

I bought 2 grafted plants when I went back from Thailand to Greece. The trees were packed bare root with vermiculite in plastic bags the day I left and after 2 days I planted in the greenhaus. Both trees dried out

It is good to hear this.  I have been thinking of doing the same from Borneo to Belize, but don't feel too optimistic about it unless the rootstock is D. graveolens.

[fruitlovers]

Barerooted durians = dead durians. Also exposing durian plants to freezing or close to freezing temperatures in route from Germany will also spell certain death. If you can get someone to mail you plants in sterile medium, that is not bare rooted, that would be your best chance of survival. Also you should wait until there are no temperature extremes in route, either extreme cold or heat. Late spring is usually best time.

[Vlk]

Vlk nice to hear that you are growing a durian tree
What are the conditions where you are growing the durian? How old is your tree and what is the growing progress of the tree? Do you know the name of the variety of the seedling?
Can you send me PM with the seller details?

I am growing them home, nothing really special. :-) But my home provides a good conditions, as it is well placed, has many windows and it is not ventilated as well - almost like a greenhouse. :-) I have just half-year old seedling and other one is about 1 year old - that is the one from the Germany. Yes, both of them are Durio Z. Mon Thong variety. I think it is almost impossible to get other cultivar then Mon thong from here. I am affraid the seller won't have more plants - he had just few as he sells loads of exotic plants - grows them by himself from a seed.

[Vlk]

Barerooted durians = dead durians. Also exposing durian plants to freezing or close to freezing temperatures in route from Germany will also spell certain death. If you can get someone to mail you plants in sterile medium, that is not bare rooted, that would be your best chance of survival. Also you should wait until there are no temperature extremes in route, either extreme cold or heat. Late spring is usually best time.

You are right - but we waited for a wave of springy weather and it really was above 12 degrees celsius. The plants were in a pot. My friends plant which was in the same package is just fine. I am currently working to revive the plant I have, so I will see how it will go. I will let you guys know. Some of the leaves dried out, but the rest is doing fine. I hope it will last.

[bangkok]

Here they sell some gelly stuff to grow plants in. It is nothing natural i guess but seems good to use for plant-transport.

I didn't know people in Europe were looking for  ultra-tropicals, maybe i should bring some when i fly again.

[Vlk]

Here they sell some gelly stuff to grow plants in. It is nothing natural i guess but seems good to use for plant-transport.

I didn't know people in Europe were looking for  ultra-tropicals, maybe i should bring some when i fly again.

I can asure you there are many. :-) My friend has a large green houses and he has almost all tropical plants you can think of. He always looks for new ones. :-) I am interested only in durio and artocarpus species. :-)
That gelly kind of thing looks quite interesting, it could be very good for transporting seeds or plants.

[msk0072]

I am in!

[fyliu]

Here they sell some gelly stuff to grow plants in. It is nothing natural i guess but seems good to use for plant-transport.

I didn't know people in Europe were looking for  ultra-tropicals, maybe i should bring some when i fly again.

The gelly stuff might be natural if it's agar agar gel with something like potato starch and nutrients mixed in. It's the normal transport medium for mushroom cultures.
They might be sold as a powder that you mix yourself.

[Vlk]

So the durian seedling that was sent to me from Germany few days ago lost all its leaves - my friend said, that there is no hope for it to grow new ones. That the trunk may stay alive for even a year and then dry off. Is anyone aware of any solution how to fix the seedling? It caught cold during the shipping. Its leaves died, but its roots and trunk are ok. I was thinking about grafting a healthy budwood on that trunk, possibly with small, non developed leaves which would grow up if the graft would be accepted by the seedling. What do you think?

[msk0072]

That is not a good sign. It reminds me to my durian plants 2-3 weeks after they arrived here from Thailand in my greenhouse.

[Vlk]

That is not a good sign. It reminds me to my durian plants 2-3 weeks after they arrived here from Thailand in my greenhouse.

Yes, I know. :-( How long did the trunk survived?

[msk0072]

That is not a good sign. It reminds me to my durian plants 2-3 weeks after they arrived here from Thailand in my greenhouse.

Yes, I know. :-( How long did the trunk survived?

2-3 weeks later everything was dried out. The durian and some more plants I brought with me were packet bareroot in fresh and good quality moist medium. All the other plants survived except durian! 

[fruitlovers]

So the durian seedling that was sent to me from Germany few days ago lost all its leaves - my friend said, that there is no hope for it to grow new ones. That the trunk may stay alive for even a year and then dry off. Is anyone aware of any solution how to fix the seedling? It caught cold during the shipping. Its leaves died, but its roots and trunk are ok. I was thinking about grafting a healthy budwood on that trunk, possibly with small, non developed leaves which would grow up if the graft would be accepted by the seedling. What do you think?

Yes you could graft healthy budwood, but where do you get the budwood? Also grafting onto durian is difficult. Best chance would be approach graft if you have another potted durian?

[Vlk]

So the durian seedling that was sent to me from Germany few days ago lost all its leaves - my friend said, that there is no hope for it to grow new ones. That the trunk may stay alive for even a year and then dry off. Is anyone aware of any solution how to fix the seedling? It caught cold during the shipping. Its leaves died, but its roots and trunk are ok. I was thinking about grafting a healthy budwood on that trunk, possibly with small, non developed leaves which would grow up if the graft would be accepted by the seedling. What do you think?

Yes you could graft healthy budwood, but where do you get the budwood? Also grafting onto durian is difficult. Best chance would be approach graft if you have another potted durian?

I have actually. How would I do that?

[fruitlovers]

So the durian seedling that was sent to me from Germany few days ago lost all its leaves - my friend said, that there is no hope for it to grow new ones. That the trunk may stay alive for even a year and then dry off. Is anyone aware of any solution how to fix the seedling? It caught cold during the shipping. Its leaves died, but its roots and trunk are ok. I was thinking about grafting a healthy budwood on that trunk, possibly with small, non developed leaves which would grow up if the graft would be accepted by the seedling. What do you think?

Yes you could graft healthy budwood, but where do you get the budwood? Also grafting onto durian is difficult. Best chance would be approach graft if you have another potted durian?

I have actually. How would I do that?

Do a google search on approach graft.

[Vlk]

So the durian seedling that was sent to me from Germany few days ago lost all its leaves - my friend said, that there is no hope for it to grow new ones. That the trunk may stay alive for even a year and then dry off. Is anyone aware of any solution how to fix the seedling? It caught cold during the shipping. Its leaves died, but its roots and trunk are ok. I was thinking about grafting a healthy budwood on that trunk, possibly with small, non developed leaves which would grow up if the graft would be accepted by the seedling. What do you think?

Yes you could graft healthy budwood, but where do you get the budwood? Also grafting onto durian is difficult. Best chance would be approach graft if you have another potted durian?

I have actually. How would I do that?

Do a google search on approach graft.

Oh yes, I am familiar with that technique - however, the result would be one healthy seedling, as the other would be destroyed for the sake of the other. As all my seedlings are precious to me, I wouldn't be able to do that. But thank you for suggesting. :-)

[svennagel97]

Hello,
I know it's been a while since the last post, but how is your durian tree? I'm trying to do the same as you. I have a few Durio zibethinus seeds sprouting, which I want to graft on some D99 Scions or other self compatible varieties of durian. Did you find over the years a source for durian scions or grafted plants? Also what is your experience in growing durian in moderate european climate?

[Vlk]

Hello,
I know it's been a while since the last post, but how is your durian tree? I'm trying to do the same as you. I have a few Durio zibethinus seeds sprouting, which I want to graft on some D99 Scions or other self compatible varieties of durian. Did you find over the years a source for durian scions or grafted plants? Also what is your experience in growing durian in moderate european climate?

Hi there! First of all, I was so surprised to see this thread revived. I totally forgot I started it all those years back. I actually had to stop growing a year or two after I started collecting plants and I gave all of my collection of plants to my friend. Unfortunately, the last winter was extreme (I had -27,5 C here) and during those extremes, as luck would have it, my friend's tropical greenhouse got shattered wall because his dogs were fighting overnight and somehow manage to broke the glass. That resulted in the loss of his entire collection, including all of my plants and all the durians that I ever had. I was quite shocked to learn this as just this year, I decided to get back into growing plants, only to find out that I lost everything...

So to your question, I don't have any durian plants at the moment. I was thinking about acquiring some, but I decided not to collect durians again (I started collection Eugenias instead ) as they are way too sensitive to our climate, and making them to produce fruit, even in a greenhouse, seems impossible. I would like to try and grow the mountain durian Durio kinabaluensis though, which I think might have a great potential to grow in our climate since it is used to much higher altitudes and lower temperatures throughout the year. I had it all those years back but lost it last winter with the rest. So maybe at some point, I will be able to acquire it again. I haven't found any source of scions or budwood eventhough I tried back then.

How are your plants doing?

[svennagel97]

Hello, thanks for replying!

That's some bad news, sorry to hear that. But good to hear that you're keeping up with your hobby and started to grow again.

Yes I know durian are not easy ones, it's more of an experiment for me to see what is possible in my climate, with and without greenhouse conditions. Also grafted plants don't grow as vigorous and tall as non grafted ones. Makes it easier for me to keep it under control in the longterm. If I manage to keep them alive and let's say it will flower someday, it would be a shame if it's self incompatible.
So far, the tap roots are digging deep into the soil, there are no signs of leafs yet. If they make it through winter, I will try to get some scions and graft them next year at the end of spring.
But til then I'm trying to find a source for scions. If it's all working as planned, I may will have a grafted plant to spare next year if you're interested.
The D. kinabaluensis seems promising, but seeds aren't that easy to obtain either, right?