Author Topic: DURIAN  (Read 3577 times)

medic5678

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DURIAN
« on: June 29, 2020, 07:46:31 AM »
Hi everyone.  Putting up a 16 x 44 ft greenhouse, about 12 feet tall at the apex.  Hoping to put a durian tree inside for my Thai wife.  My question is what the lowest temp these trees can tolerate.  Also wondering if I can get a stock root tree and graft from a producing tree on top of that.  The idea is to keep it trained low and not have to wait 10 years for the first fruit.

Also growing lychee, rambutan, pomello and longan in there.  Can get the plants from my wife's family in Thaliand.

bsbullie

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Re: DURIAN
« Reply #1 on: June 29, 2020, 07:53:40 AM »
You do realize NOBODY has ever fruited a durian in the continental United States....and its not because people havent tried (including people with expertise).
- Rob

medic5678

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Re: DURIAN
« Reply #2 on: June 29, 2020, 08:06:45 AM »
I wonder why?  The lattitude here is farther north than in Rayong Thailand, where the best fruits are grown.  Anyone grow them in South America?

Tropheus76

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Re: DURIAN
« Reply #3 on: June 29, 2020, 09:30:07 AM »
Same problem with Rambutan. But by all means, go for it and see if you can make it work. You might end up with some freak tree that likes the conditions enough to fruit. Was it mangostein that was said nobody could fruit in FL until it finally happened?

bsbullie

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Re: DURIAN
« Reply #4 on: June 29, 2020, 09:33:16 AM »
Same problem with Rambutan. But by all means, go for it and see if you can make it work. You might end up with some freak tree that likes the conditions enough to fruit. Was it mangostein that was said nobody could fruit in FL until it finally happened?

Ah yes, Mangostein...the Jewish form of Mangosteen.
- Rob

dwfl

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Re: DURIAN
« Reply #5 on: June 29, 2020, 09:38:48 AM »
Same problem with Rambutan. But by all means, go for it and see if you can make it work. You might end up with some freak tree that likes the conditions enough to fruit. Was it mangostein that was said nobody could fruit in FL until it finally happened?

Same with Mangosteen* in S FL. Like a player scoring 100 points in an NBA game (happened once and never since). Not for lack of trying though!

dwfl

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Re: DURIAN
« Reply #6 on: June 29, 2020, 09:47:28 AM »
Does anybody know if the Durio species that were planted inside the Whitman greenhouse at Fairchild Garden ever produced any fruit while they were in there?

Finca La Isla

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Re: DURIAN
« Reply #7 on: June 29, 2020, 11:02:47 AM »
I think I would try durio kinabalensis.  It works in a cool, cloudy area.
Select durian has proven harder to put in production than mangosteen as you get outside of ideal conditions.
The training/shaping of the tree to produce low would not be a problem.
Peter

Forester

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Re: DURIAN
« Reply #8 on: June 29, 2020, 11:34:49 AM »
medic5678 i hope this article will give you strength and confidence in your endeavor.
https://www.atpress.ne.jp/news/163015
❀ Sergey ❀

medic5678

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Re: DURIAN
« Reply #9 on: June 29, 2020, 11:51:26 AM »
Thanks to all who reply.  Of course, any experimentation has to wait until I actually construct the greenhouse.  Still in the throes of erecting the varmint proof fence on the 2.5 acres I'm fencing in.  That has been an incredibly expensive and difficult job, but I'm closing in on it.  It's deer proof, coyote proof, snake proof, etc.  Nothing is going over, under or through it.  The the greenhouses like the one in this pic.  I think the height is around 12 ft, hoping to train trees to stay underneath.





Budtropicals

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Re: DURIAN
« Reply #10 on: June 29, 2020, 12:02:52 PM »
Nothing like this is impossible, so give it a shot. Who knows you might just be the first.

medic5678

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Re: DURIAN
« Reply #11 on: June 29, 2020, 12:16:14 PM »
Nothing like this is impossible, so give it a shot. Who knows you might just be the first.

I don't think I'll be a lone trail blazer.  The wife works for large Asian grocery and I'm not going to get too fancy if it isn't something that's repeatable and reasonably established.  We have a ready market for whatever we produce.   Was hoping others here had done this because Durian is so prized, but ALL the Asian stuff is premium priced and more worthwhile than your typical American fruits/vegetables.

Anyone done pomelo in Florida?

cbss_daviefl

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Re: DURIAN
« Reply #12 on: June 29, 2020, 12:59:30 PM »
Does anybody know if the Durio species that were planted inside the Whitman greenhouse at Fairchild Garden ever produced any fruit while they were in there?

I was at one of the chocolate festivals 4 - 5  years ago, maybe longer, with my family. We were in the Whitman pavilion looking at the fruit on the mangosteen trees and Dr Campbell approached us as I was pointing up into the canopy. I think he was happy to see that someone noticed and appreciated that the mangosteen were fruiting. I specifically asked about the durians. He stated that they had started flowering a couple years ago and that they had not set fruit. He stated that they were going to attempt to hand pollinate them at night. I don't think it worked out.
Brandon

johnb51

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Re: DURIAN
« Reply #13 on: June 29, 2020, 01:33:34 PM »
Gainesville can get really cold!  Are you sure even a greenhouse would help unless you do supplemental heating during winter cold fronts?
John

Finca La Isla

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Re: DURIAN
« Reply #14 on: June 29, 2020, 01:44:12 PM »
Supplemental heating would be absolutely essential.  I wouldn’t let the temperature go below low 60's for durian.
Peter

brian

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Re: DURIAN
« Reply #15 on: June 29, 2020, 02:01:57 PM »
I don't know a lot about durian but I can't imagine why it couldn't be grown just about anywhere if you have a heated greenhouse with humidity controls.  How big does durian need to be before fruiting, though?  I have similar concerns about some of the seedling tropicals in my greenhouse.  You probably want to insulate the ground it is planted in, or add underground heat pipes to keep the soil warm.  I insulated my greenhouse foundation 2-3ft down into the earth.

BTW there is no way you are going to turn a profit doing this, but it is certainly rewarding in its own way.
« Last Edit: June 29, 2020, 02:05:57 PM by brian »

Finca La Isla

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Re: DURIAN
« Reply #16 on: June 29, 2020, 02:21:29 PM »
Durian can produce with branches trained to grow along a cable some 8’ above the ground.
Duplicating soil, humidity, and heat are easier than duplicating the light you might need for good pollination.
Peter

medic5678

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Re: DURIAN
« Reply #17 on: June 29, 2020, 02:22:56 PM »
Gainesville can get really cold!  Are you sure even a greenhouse would help unless you do supplemental heating during winter cold fronts?

It all depends on what you're trying to get through the night.  We have a canopy of oaks that my wife's potted papaya plants will get through the winter under with covering them a few nights.  So it's possible.  I want to design some passive heat sinks to concentrate heat in during the day to store energy through the nights,perhaps barrels of water or concrete pads.

medic5678

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Re: DURIAN
« Reply #18 on: June 29, 2020, 02:25:08 PM »
Durian can produce with branches trained to grow along a cable some 8’ above the ground.
Duplicating soil, humidity, and heat are easier than duplicating the light you might need for good pollination.
Peter


I've already given up on the durian idea.  It's clearly too difficult for me to even attempt.  Let others get the glory.

brian

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Re: DURIAN
« Reply #19 on: June 29, 2020, 02:39:37 PM »
Hah, oh well.

Uh I’m growing one in Pennsylvania.  I’ll report back in a decade, my seedling is 6in tall.

polux

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Re: DURIAN
« Reply #20 on: June 29, 2020, 04:52:38 PM »
I want to do the same here in EU. Reserve some space for durian seedling I brought last year from Malaysia . Greenhouse conditions are enough for cinnamons, nutmeg, cola so why not durian. Only problem may be the size of the plant... We will see. 8)

FloridaGreenMan

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Re: DURIAN
« Reply #21 on: June 29, 2020, 05:58:59 PM »
I have an 8 foot tall seedling durian growing beautifully in a 20 gal pot growing outdoors in Ft. Lauderdale (zone 10A-10B) but I give myself little to no chance that it will even flower here. We are in the most tropical part of the mainland US and even here, the conditions to frujt Durian are almost zero. They don't like our alkaline soils and they also get fungal root diseases here.   
FloridaGreenMan

johnb51

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Re: DURIAN
« Reply #22 on: June 29, 2020, 06:56:16 PM »
I hope I get to taste one before I die.
John

medic5678

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Re: DURIAN
« Reply #23 on: June 30, 2020, 02:34:17 PM »
As long as you don't plan on growing it, that's a realistic goal.

Kona fruit farm

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Re: DURIAN
« Reply #24 on: June 30, 2020, 02:37:50 PM »
Florida and Rayong Thailand are not even in the same ballpark as far as latitude...  Rayong is 12.6 degrees north of equator..  Florida is 25-27 degrees North of equator.  pretty massive difference. 

Even People in Hawaii can get barely get durian to fruit at 19 degrees north of equator...
With 3 acres of prime real estate for growing tropicals... why not create my own garden of eden?? Work in progress