Propagation and Culture
Clonal self-incompatibility has been reported in durian. Some studies showed that selfing can result in more premature fruit abortion and the production of deformed fruit, thus out-crossing is recommended for durian. It would be advisable to have a mixed clonal stand with different clones in separate rows rather than a pure stand. A mixed planting of early, late and medium flowering clones will also extend and enhance productivity (Lim, 1995).

Durio species flower once or twice a year. The bisexual flowers open during the night and are pollinated by moths and other night-flying insects. In Thailand, the honeybee Apis cerana collects nectar early in the morning but no evidence has been obtained that it pollinates the flowers. At least one bat species, Eonycteris spelaea, pollinates D. zibethinus and its near relatives. Production of the durian fruit is seasonal and is prone to alternate bearing. The 2 main ripening seasons in Malaysia are November-February and June-August.

Animals involved in the propagation of Durio zibethinus include civet cat, elephant, tiger, deer, rhinoceros and monkeys. They are attracted by the durian scent and may ingest the seeds while feeding on the arils, thereby dispersing them.

Durian may be propagated by seed or grafting (Subhadrabandhu and Ketsa, 2001).  Durian seeds lose viability quickly, especially if exposed even briefly to sunlight. Even in cool storage they can be kept only 7 days. Viability can be maintained for as long as 32 days if the seeds are surface-sterilized and placed in air-tight containers and held at 20ºC. They germinate in about a week, and are fast growing.  Fresh weight of durian seeds influenced the percentage germination and duration required for germination. The heavier the seeds the higher the germination percentage and longer the duration required for germination.

Common vegetative method of propagation is by budding. In this method the rootstocks from selected seeds of available fruits are first planted in polythene bags. The seedling rootstocks are allowed to reach about half a meter tall with stem size of 1 cm before they are ready for budding. Four month old seedlings are ideal because they permit good scion growth after the union. The highest percentage of grafts was observed when the rootstocks of 10-15 cm height were grafted. Rootstock girth did not affect the success of grafting. Wedge grafting was the most efficient method when the graft at 1 cm above the cotyledons of the rootstock. Neither air-layers nor cuttings will root satisfactorily. Inarching can be accomplished with 50% success but is not a popular method because the grafts must be left on the trees for many months.

Newly budded seedlings are kept under a 75% shade graduating to 50% shade just before replanting. The plants can be set out in the field within 14 to 16 months.

In Indonesia and Malaysia , although several methods for clonal propagation are practiced sometimes it is often propagated by direct sowing of seeds. In commercial orchards, selected cultivars are propagated by grafting onto seedlings of the cultivated species or occasionally on those wild relatives. Durian may be grafted by cleft, side veneer or approach whilst in Malaysia and Singapore, vegetative propagation by etiolation has been successfully done. In Thailand, 'Chanee' is commonly used as a rootstock. Other species, such as Durio malaccensis, Durio mansoni and Durio lowianus are also used as rootstocks in order to impart disease resistance to the root fungus Phytophthora palmivora. In India, the related species Cullenia excelsa is used as a rootstock to promote early fruiting.

Grafted trees begin to bear fruits in 4-5 years, while seedlings can take 15 years or more. In Malaysia, seedlings will bloom in 7 years; grafted trees in 4 years or earlier. Grafted trees never grow as tall as seedlings; they are usually between 8-10 m tall; rarely 12 m. It is reported that, in some countries, seedling durian trees begin to fruit at 5 years of age. In India , generally, they come into bearing 9 to 12 years after planting, but in South India they will not produce fruit until they are 13 to 21 years old.

Planting: In equatorial regions, the most favorable time for planting is winter from November through mid-January (and not during the February-May dry season). In tropical areas far from the equator, early spring is probably best but is likely not too critical.

In Malaysia, planting holes 0.6m in diameter and depth with spacing at about 6-16 m are dug in the field at least two weeks earlier to weather prior to planting. (The Brunei Department of Agriculture recommends 0.5 m deep by 1 meter in diameter.) Organic matter or compost at the rate of about 5-10 kg is added to each hole, also about 200 gm [1/2 pound] of rock phosphate, and the young trees are planted with as little disturbance to the roots as possible. It's advisable to go further than this, and add rock dust (which enhances a plant's health and enriches the flavor of the plant's resulting food harvest) as well as other available organic amendments, and use standard organic tree planting techniques. The durian seedlings are sensitive to sunlight and temporary shading should be provided for 6 months after transplanting. Proper irrigation is essential to reduce plant mortality.

In orchards, durian trees are commonly spaced 6-16 m [apart, aiming for about 156-40 trees/hectare. [T.S. Chang of Bao Sheng Durian Farm in Malaysia recommends 30 trees/hectare]. At closer spacings, thinning will be necessary by the time the trees are 8 to 10 years old to reduce tree density and give remaining trees room for further growth especially the grafted trees may start bearing at age 4-6 years.

Since durian is a native of equatorial rainforests, eventually growing to the high canopy, and is at home amongst a mix of other plants and trees. As the Permaculture approach recommends, other useful plants can be grown among durian trees at ground level and lower levels. These can also provide needed shade during the durian trees' early life, as happens in the rainforest. (The Brunei Department of Agriculture recommends interplanting durians with bananas and/or papayas). The bananas or papayas should be planted 6 months ahead of the durians, at a spacing of 3 x 3 meters [~10 feet]. Eventually the durians will shade out the bananas or papayas, which can be trimmed and used as mulch and will also provide fruit harvest of their own. By the time the durians are fruiting, the banana or papaya plants should be removed, however, as their fruits will draw unwanted pest insects to the area. For trees that will remain interplanted among the durians indefinitely, in Malaysia, rambutan is a favored choice, as is nutmeg and chile pepper plants; but not mangos, mangosteen, citrus, starfruit, jackfruit, champedak, nor many others that can attract pest insects. The Brunei Department of Agriculture also suggests alternative interplanting with fast growing nitrogen-fixing-trees such as Gliricidia, Sesbania, Leucaena, Albizia, Acacia, and others) which will provide shade, nutritious mulch, and soil improvement.