Durian care before harvest

Meeting the needs for fertilizer and water.

In about 20 days, the 2 hectares of Ri6 durian trees belonging to Ms. Truong Thi Thuy and Mr. Nguyen Quoc Viet in Hamlet 3, Minh Hung Commune, Bu Dang District, will be ready for harvest. Thanks to the success of the first flowering season, the durian fruits are now 90 days old. This is their second year of harvesting, so Ms. Thuy's family only leaves about 80-100 fruits per tree. At this time, the trees need special care to nourish the fruit, and irrigation is a very important factor.

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Viet (far left) from Hamlet 3, Minh Hung Commune, Bu Dang District, along with his workers, are hanging and securing fruit on the trees to prevent strong winds from causing fruit to fall or branches to break.

Ms. Thuy said: “My garden has a gentle slope, so the soil drains quickly. During the fruit development stage, the trees need a lot of water to convert nutrients. Because the sprinkler irrigation system my family invested in a long time ago, the amount of water sprayed around the base of the trees doesn't meet the needs at this time. Therefore, while we continue to irrigate through the sprinkler system, we also use 34mm diameter drums, placed at higher elevations to allow water to flow down to lower areas. To obtain irrigation water, my family dug a pond with about 5 acres of surface area and drilled a well more than 100 meters deep.”

Besides providing adequate irrigation, fertilizing durian trees during the pre-harvest stage plays a crucial role in determining fruit quality. With many years of experience, Ms. Thuy believes that fertilization should follow the "five correct principles": the right type of fertilizer, the right physiological needs of the tree, the right soil conditions, the right time, and the right method to achieve the best results. “At this time, my family uses equal amounts of three-digit fertilizers (16-16-16). On average, each tree receives 1-2 kg, depending on its size. After fertilizing, I water immediately to help the fertilizer dissolve quickly. Each application uses only this amount, but it must be done multiple times to ensure the tree continuously receives sufficient nutrients, preventing fertilizer from being washed away and wasted.”

Mr. Chu Duc Minh in Thuan Phu commune, Dong Phu district (center) is building a water reservoir, ready to meet the needs of his family's durian orchard.

Pest control and fruit setting

Thanks to the successful first harvest, the 5 hectares of DONA and Ri6 durian trees belonging to Mr. Chu Duc Minh's family in Thuan Phu commune, Dong Phu district, are also nearing harvest. Visiting the orchard at this time, many people are amazed by the abundance of fruit on most trees, all of which are round and uniform. Mr. Minh said that round fruits yield more segments, and the percentage of fruits with 4-5 segments in the orchard is very high. Because the trees are 8 years old, Mr. Minh allows an average yield of about 300-350 kg of fruit per tree. At this time, in addition to ensuring adequate watering and fertilization, Mr. Minh also focuses on controlling several harmful pests and diseases such as mealybugs, fruit borers, stem borers, red mites, and even root rot.

"Because the trees are focusing their energy on fruit production, any pests or diseases need to be proactively controlled immediately. Some trees weaken after a period of water stress to promote flowering and fruiting, so we must regularly check and detect problems to address them promptly. When trees suffer from root diseases, lime can be spread around the base to help them resist disease and minimize damage," Minh shared.

At this time, the durians in the orchard weigh an average of 2.5-4kg each. Mr. Minh proactively braced the trees early on to minimize fruit drop and branch breakage in case of strong winds. Mr. Minh said that many traders have come to inspect the orchard and placed deposits to buy his family's durians. However, he has not accepted any offers yet because he is currently focusing on caring for the trees to achieve the highest yield and quality.

On average, each durian tree owned by Mr. Chu Duc Minh yields about 300-350 kg of fruit.