Durian tree and fruit questions.

[Or1on]

I have a durian tree in my orchard.  It's somewhere around 12 to 15 years old.  Not sure what variety as I understand there's many varieties.  I bought the seedling tree from someone on papaya farms road. (Gayah Yoga?) I think the seller was the coconutist guy that also sold fresh coconuts at the Maku'u market.

It's a beautiful tree.  Maybe close to 35 feet tall now with striking leaves that have a goldish sheen on the underside and medium green on topside.

I'm wondering if anyone else here has a durian tree that produces fruit here in Puna?  What variety?  How old is your tree?  Where are you located?  I'm in the Kurtistown area.

I've had a hard time handling the smell  and been really skeptical in sampling the fruit but couldn't resist trying to grow one.  Hoping I'll get rid of my smell/ taste connection in eating the fruit from a tree grown in my own yard.  Plus isn't it the one with the title of "king of fruits?"  In case you're wondering, "what's queen?"  I read once it's "mangosteen"

Has anyone else been able to get past the "smell-element" and really enjoy it?  Does it take awhile to tolerate or is it more cut-and-dry, love it or hate it kinda thing?

[Iju]

I have two durian trees.  One is a grafted Monthong, 15 years old.  I bought from a couple, Joann and Annan, at Maku'u farmer market.  It started flowering on the 5th year and set one or two fruits the following year.  Since then it produces many fruits every year.  This year I got about a dozen large size fruits, 15-18 fruits last year.  This variety is one of the best from Thailand.


The other one was grown from a seedling, 13 or 14 years ago.  Started flowering after 10 years.  It had only one large size fruit one time. This year ther is one young fruit, not full size yet.

Unfortunately, they both have some kind of decease, that causes rotten bark on some branches.  From what I read on the internet, the cause was some kind of fungus, forgot the name, in the soil.  

I am in lower HPP.

[Or1on]

Thanks for the info Iju.  Hmm my tree is overdue for fruiting.  Yours started at 6 years.   Mine is twice that and still nothing.  I'll have to research ways to induce flowering and fruit.

[Durian Fiend]

Some seedlings will fruit very little, if any. Partly due to genetics and environment. That's true for some grafted varietes too.

Fruiting at 6 years for a seedling is extremely precocious. More like double that to be expected.
Kurtistown is probably near the upper limit for durian trees to fruit. I'm guessing 1,000 ft. will be about maximum, so you should get something.

The primary fungi troubling durian trees are phytophthera and rhizoctonia.