Fruit nerd,
As the tree grows it will automatically terminate some of the lateral branches because they are quite close to each other in the vertical plane.
Tree's do this throughout their life.
So eventually (aprox 20 years) you will have more like 60cm-1m in the vertical plane between laterals (this is dependent of total sun exposure, surrounding tree's etc.). I let the tree terminate laterals itself since the extra leaf area (from small laterals) promotes to thicken the tree girth (while alive) which will make a strong trunk and usually contributes to faster fruiting. It's important to maximize photosynthesis, farmers are photosynthesis managers in one way. Cutting of leaf's reduces photo syn.
It's true that pruning laterals often gives more girth to the remaining laterals since they get more sun exposure but this can cause very vigorous laterals, not to good in windy areas. The girth of laterals and the main trunk should not be similar to each other.
Jim,
In that video he basically takes of laterals that have grown to vigorous in the vertical plane. it would be better to weight them down as you suggest or simply just wait for the pull of the earth to take them closer to ground, fruit load will help that too. Pruning like that will lead to a loot of shoot growth and you just set yourself up for a lot of future pruning. Those laterals should have been corrected earlier when they where younger.
ohip,
Leave the paper on, no worries.
You could even put paper and mound up arborist mulch around the trunk, it will keep it really comfy.
Don't worry about fungus, it won't damage the trunk in normal circumstances. Just take it of when the newspaper is not keeping a barrier between the trunk and the woodchips.
But I doubt this method will work long term.
Placing some black rocks around the tree will increase night time temp around roots and air and if you put a little pond in front of the sun exposure you will have good reflection during the day to increase canopy temp. the pond will also moderate the temp of the air passing through.
A little wind break on the S-SW side would help to reduce wind but not reduce sun to much since it's moving past N.
Cold winds are a main issue.
I have issue here with hot winds so plant gingers on S-SW side (S face). And keeping the N face open to maximum sun exposure. That's when plants are small. When they are big there is usually a inga or other fabace on the S face. On really young durian I have to plant shade on the N face to reduce burning but this get's cut out eventually.
Start measuring brix of your leaf's and try to increase it, it will increase the freezing point of the sap.
If you use plastic you will likely reduce brix levels of the sap since the suns light will be reduces and filtered. But if you put plastic why not pump some Co2 in there, create some Jurassic mega fauna conditions and grow your durian like crazy!
I am still hoping that some Dutch plastic house farmer will grow durian like he does tomatoes!
Finca,
agree low hanging fruit might not have the best conditions. Here there is an issue with the fruit spotting bug and they don't fly to well so low small fruits get stung the most.
Peace