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View Full Version : Greetings from southern California


Cyan
01-04-2016, 12:45 AM
Hi Everyone,

So grateful to find a site like this where people are so interested in growing unusual plants and have to say thanks already to Richard who has posted so many ideas to people asking about dragon fruit. I've found it very rewarding to read through the threads here. I have about 100 plants in the ground and am finding that the rodent population loves them as much as people do! We are definitely putting up barn owl boxes! :exercise:

Cyan
01-04-2016, 01:17 AM
Thanks Crazy Banana,
Hope to learn a lot from all of you banana enthusiasts, hadn't thought I could actually grow bananas here, but if our area has warm enough winters I might just try it!

Botanical_Bryce
01-04-2016, 06:03 AM
I grow dragon fruit but I find Cereus fruit far superior. I grow 7 types 3 species. Cereus peruvianus best with Cereus hildemannianus being least favorite. Cereus stenogonus has a dark red flesh. Flavor is sweet and floral but not as juicy as dragon fruit.
https://scontent.ftpa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/t31.0-8/fr/cp0/e15/q65/12045473_1007721452581989_819596428252723890_o.jpg?efg=eyJpIjoid CJ9

luisport
01-04-2016, 06:22 AM
Hi! Thank you for your post! What's the best cereus species i should have for fruit production? Thank you!

HMelendez
01-05-2016, 07:20 AM
Welcome to the banana gang!

Cyan
01-05-2016, 12:21 PM
Botanical Bryce,
Thanks for that great pic! Happy to see the Cereus being grown in a "serious" way. I have a few that I think are the ones you are showing. Do they have small black seeds? Here the sparrows eat the fruit, I think going after the seeds. The color of the outer skin of these are a little more towards the red than yours. They are a bit sweeter than the Dragon fruit.

Snarkie
01-05-2016, 12:39 PM
Hi Ellen-

Welcome to the Banana Express! :nanerwaveytrain:

crazy banana
01-05-2016, 03:58 PM
Thanks Crazy Banana,
Hope to learn a lot from all of you banana enthusiasts, hadn't thought I could actually grow bananas here, but if our area has warm enough winters I might just try it!
You are just 30 minutes North of me...
I know that Valley Center can get some cold winter morning hours, but you should be fine with growing bananas here in SoCal as long as you stay away from the more cold sensitive varieties like Cavendish and so. You cannot go wrong with Namwah.

Botanical_Bryce
01-05-2016, 04:38 PM
Botanical Bryce,
Thanks for that great pic! Happy to see the Cereus being grown in a "serious" way. I have a few that I think are the ones you are showing. Do they have small black seeds? Here the sparrows eat the fruit, I think going after the seeds. The color of the outer skin of these are a little more towards the red than yours. They are a bit sweeter than the Dragon fruit. Yes they do have small black seeds. Cereus can be so variable. I have seen orange and yellow skinned fruits. These have some purple but my monstrose is more red. The one in my hand I think falls more in the commercial quality than my others. I have some nee ones I can't wait to see what they produce.