Durian trees
Durian Grow Log – Attempt #2
Background
This is my second attempt at growing durians. During my first attempt, I sourced around eight trees from various nurseries in Queensland. They arrived over a public holiday weekend and were a little dry on arrival. A few—such as the Red Prawn variety—initially recovered and returned to a normal state, but none survived through the following winter.
Sourcing (Current Attempt)
Recently, I found someone in Sydney selling a small batch he had brought in from overseas (origin unknown). He had four trees available but chose to keep one, believing it was unlikely to survive, so I purchased the remaining three. He wasn’t sure of the variety or origin. I did come across them while searching for Black Thorn durians.
Initial Condition
At pickup, two of the trees were treated with a seaweed mixture, while the third was left untreated.
Week 1 (After Relocation – South Coast)
Within the first week of bringing them home, the two treated trees declined rapidly and entered a near “coma-like” state. The untreated tree remained stable.
Intervention
I transplanted all three into a custom soil mix I had been preparing for some time, aiming to improve drainage and root conditions. The tree now showing signs of regrowth has been placed on a heat mat to help encourage recovery.
Current Status
- One of the previously struggling trees (on the heat mat) is now showing early signs of recovery.
- The untreated tree (approx. 1.5 m tall) is not on a heat mat and has remained strong, continuing to grow well.
- The third tree is still being monitored.
Care Routine
Watering is done using water from a nearby fountain containing a diverse natural ecosystem. So far, the trees appear to be responding well.
Notes
Still early days, but this attempt feels more promising than the last. Recovery has been slow, but encouraging. These trees are showing a fair bit of resilience under the right conditions.