Dragon Fruit

[Dangermouse01]

Groovy....

I'm thinking about planting mine in the ground:}

How cold does it get in NE Florida?

I'm afraid I would loose them if it gets as cold as last year if I did:[

I am actually in NE Palm Bay in coastal central Florida. This last winter I think I only saw a few hours between 30-32F, with some frost. Got a little frost damage to the Yellow, but I also have papaya & bananas inter spaced to provide a little overhead frost protection that helps.

Opening tonight:
Dark Star 23
Halley Comet 1
Physical Graffiti 6
Purple Haze 16

DM

[Snookie]

I am actually in NE Palm Bay in coastal central Florida. This last winter I think I only saw a few hours between 30-32F, with some frost. Got a little frost damage to the Yellow, but I also have papaya & bananas inter spaced to provide a little overhead frost protection that helps.

Opening tonight:
Dark Star 23
Halley Comet 1
Physical Graffiti 6
Purple Haze 16

DM

Thanks for the reply, good idea on overhead protection:}

What you figure the minimum sun hours daily for them to produce?

I have Pine Trees dat could give great overhead protection:}

[Richard]

The natural ground environment for Dragon Fruit is in a loose mixture of soil, bark, and leaves. They are a tropical cactus that climb trees in sparse forests. The ground level root system is very shallow. Above ground, cactus pods put out roots to attach and collect nutrients from the bark of the host tree. A 15 gallon container is sufficient for a large plant - and in my opinion a better choice than directly in the ground for cultivation. Notice that DangerMouse puts nutrients into the both the soil and the burlap-coated support. Foliar application of a copper spray a few times a year is recommended if you have problems with bacterial spot disease.

[merce3]

Spotted this guy under a banana leaf... i wonder if it will bloom tonight.
http://i.imgur.com/8SWaRNIl.jpg

[Funkthulhu]

Okay, so the significant other bought a couple of those little colorful catci (Red, Yellow, Orange) that are grafted on the green stem. One of them fell off and now the green stem that remains is still trucking. It looks an awful lot like a Dragon Fruit plant. Does anybody have any idea what they use as root-stock on those color-cacti grafts?

I'm hoping this is my in to growing some fruit!

[Richard]

Okay, so the significant other bought a couple of those little colorful catci (Red, Yellow, Orange) that are grafted on the green stem. One of them fell off and now the green stem that remains is still trucking. It looks an awful lot like a Dragon Fruit plant. Does anybody have any idea what they use as root-stock on those color-cacti grafts?

I'm hoping this is my in to growing some fruit!

Could be Cereus or Hylocereus.

[merce3]

Okay, so the significant other bought a couple of those little colorful catci (Red, Yellow, Orange) that are grafted on the green stem. One of them fell off and now the green stem that remains is still trucking. It looks an awful lot like a Dragon Fruit plant. Does anybody have any idea what they use as root-stock on those color-cacti grafts?

I'm hoping this is my in to growing some fruit!

you're better off choosing a variety that's tried and true. the darker red the better imo

[I_GROWER]

I must say I got inspired by dangermouse setup and try my hand at it

http://i.imgur.com/OYO7Hyh.jpg


Now we wait

[merce3]

bloomed last night:
http://i.imgur.com/8E0qeFg.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/gyTt6hi.jpg

[Richard]

bloomed last night ...

:woohoonaner:

you're better off choosing a variety that's tried and true. the darker red the better imo

The red-fleshed one's are generally better tasting, for example H. ocamponis and H. guatemalensis. A commercially available cultivar of the latter is sold as American Beauty. As a counter-example H. polyrhizus is not so flavorful when grown here in the San Diego area.

As I've said elsewhere, if you have room and can grow Dragon Fruit outdoors year-round then I think H. ocamponis is worth growing. It grows large pods that have serious spines in comparison to other Dragon Fruit; it is a sparse bearer; but the flower sepals are very colorful and the taste beats any I've ever tried.

[merce3]

:woohoonaner:



The red-fleshed one's are generally better tasting, for example H. ocamponis and H. guatemalensis. A commercially available cultivar of the latter is sold as American Beauty. As a counter-example H. polyrhizus is not so flavorful when grown here in the San Diego area.

As I've said elsewhere, if you have room and can grow Dragon Fruit outdoors year-round then I think H. ocamponis is worth growing. It grows large pods that have serious spines in comparison to other Dragon Fruit; it is a sparse bearer; but the flower sepals are very colorful and the taste beats any I've ever tried.

i have mostly reds (phoenix red, houghton, bloody mary, maria rosa, american beauty, hailey's comet, physical graffiti) and have a killer idea for a trellis in a pot. i want to grow four different varieties in each pot and try to keep them distinguished from one another.

[kubali]

i have mostly reds (phoenix red, houghton, bloody mary, maria rosa, american beauty, hailey's comet, physical graffiti) and have a killer idea for a trellis in a pot. i want to grow four different varieties in each pot and try to keep them distinguished from one another.

I can't wait till I see a flower. I got 3 ab,hc,and yellow. All hanging over trellis just have no flowers yet, this is second year growing. So they are about 18 months old............how long did it take to get a bloom merce?

[merce3]

I can't wait till I see a flower. I got 3 ab,hc,and yellow. All hanging over trellis just have no flowers yet, this is second year growing. So they are about 18 months old............how long did it take to get a bloom merce?

took until the end of the second year (around fall). i had one flower and i didn't catch it until the morning after it bloomed so i got poor pollination and the fruit was really small--not even enough to taste. i hand pollinated mine last night and have three more buds forming, so hopefully i get better luck.

i'm not sure if yours are self-pollinating, but i would hand pollinate at night. it's supposed to give you bigger fruit with diminishing returns after 12 and 24 hours.

[Richard]

i have mostly reds (phoenix red, houghton, bloody mary, maria rosa, american beauty, hailey's comet, physical graffiti) and have a killer idea for a trellis in a pot. i want to grow four different varieties in each pot and try to keep them distinguished from one another.

Mostly what you have are named selections of H. undatus X polyrhizos -- with the exception of American Beauty.

A selection of H. ocamponis that is more productive: now that would be killer.

... i'm not sure if yours are self-pollinating, but i would hand pollinate at night. it's supposed to give you bigger fruit with diminishing returns after 12 and 24 hours.

Hand pollination will help with pollination when no other pollinator is present. But the idea that it will give you bigger Dragon Fruit - that is unfounded gossip.

[merce3]

Mostly what you have are named selections of H. undatus X polyrhizos -- with the exception of American Beauty.

A selection of H. ocamponis that is more productive: now that would be killer.



Hand pollination will help with pollination when no other pollinator is present. But the idea that it will give you bigger Dragon Fruit - that is unfounded gossip.

nuts... didn't you say the polyrhizos aren't that flavorful? what about undatus? sorry, i guess i could google the answers.

[merce3]

Regarding fruit size, here is a table that shows the relationship between pollination time, fruit set and fruit weight:
http://i.imgur.com/FMghStV.png

http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/content/29/12/1487.full.pdf
"Flowering Behavior and Pollination Requirements in Climbing Cacti with Fruit Crop Potential" (Weiss, Nerd, Mizrahi 1994:1491)

[Richard]

Regarding fruit size, here is a table that shows the relationship between pollination time, fruit set and fruit weight:
http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/content/29/12/1487.full.pdf
"Flowering Behavior and Pollination Requirements in Climbing Cacti with Fruit Crop Potential" (Weiss, Nerd, Mizrahi 1994:1491)

I think this study has merit with regard to lack of pollinators. Further, I think it is a well designed study and well written report. Also, you should note that the stated weight is an average and thus it is not that individual weights have increased but instead the total weight of the crop; i.e., there were more fruits formed in the hand-pollinated group. To the authors this is totally reasonable because total weight is what farmers care about most.

Otherwise, the paper is not relevant to your environment or mine. Nor is it relevant to Hylocereus species of interest to cultivation in my garden.

As a contra-positive, I will also state that I have always attempted to hand pollinate my Hylocereus fruits when observation or circumstances permit.

[merce3]

I think this study has merit with regard to lack of pollinators. Further, I think it is a well designed study and well written report. Also, you should note that the stated weight is an average and thus it is not that individual weights have increased but instead the total weight of the crop; i.e., there were more fruits formed in the hand-pollinated group. To the authors this is totally reasonable because total weight is what farmers care about most.

Otherwise, the paper is not relevant to your environment or mine. Nor is it relevant to Hylocereus species of interest to cultivation in my garden.

As a contra-positive, I will also state that I have always attempted to hand pollinate my Hylocereus fruits when observation or circumstances permit.

i don't think it has anything to do with the total weight of the crop. the way i read it, the weight of each individual fruit increased on average meaning that if you pick a fruit from a 12hr and a fruit from 24hr hand pollinated flower there will be an average difference of 92g (for polyrhizus).

although the environment is completely different (arid vs humid) and so are the cultivars, i would expect to see a similar trend across climbing cacti to a certain degree.

[Dangermouse01]

First wave of flowering is over. Had 117 flowers opened, from American Beauty, Purple Haze, Physical Graffiti, Halley's Comet (just 1) and Dark Star, only 5 turned yellow and fell off. American Beauty and Physical Graffiti both still have 1 or 2 buds still to open in a week or so.
Vietnamese Jaina, Halley's Comet and unknown (planted on one side of my driveway last year) all have a good number of buds showing, probably at least 2 weeks before they will be opening.
Yellow still has 4 flower buds yet to open.
Dark Star, Physical Graffiti and Purple Haze are starting to show tiny buds, looks like a second wave of flowers from them is coming.

DM

[Richard]

First wave of flowering is over. ...

More like a tidal wave.

[Dangermouse01]

Getting close, maybe a week before the first are ready. Maybe a couple ready for the fourth of July.
Purple Haze today.
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n200/dangermouse2006/flowers%20and%20plants/Dragon%20Fruit/PH_07-01-2014_zpsfa88fa90.jpg

Physical Graffiti today.
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n200/dangermouse2006/flowers%20and%20plants/Dragon%20Fruit/PG_07-01-2014_zps74a72d59.jpg


From July, 2013:

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n200/dangermouse2006/flowers%20and%20plants/Dragon%20Fruit/df1_07-13-13_zps18e02e36.jpg


1 year later, has about a dozen buds.
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n200/dangermouse2006/flowers%20and%20plants/Dragon%20Fruit/UNKN1_07-01-2014_zpse1d5b6fb.jpg

DM

[merce3]

here's a trellis i put together yesterday and today. i got the concept from the web somewhere.
http://i.imgur.com/iOEZBWN.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/2tzl8AO.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/14ZJcS0.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/PkOrWfw.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/DxWB2iL.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/NVLS0IX.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/obX5dwN.jpg

also built this out of a spare piece of fence i had
http://i.imgur.com/tecuk9v.jpg

[Worm_Farmer]

Does the size/height of the trellis matter? Will it take longer to flower if my trellis is 6ft vs 4ft tall?

Danger Mouse, Did you harvest any fruits yet? Please, please please if you have any extra fruit to spare I would LOVE! to buy some!!!! I have only been able to find the White flesh type at our local supermarket.

[Richard]

Does the size/height of the trellis matter? Will it take longer to flower if my trellis is 6ft vs 4ft tall? ...

The height of the trellis should be shoulder height of the person(s) harvesting. For the first year or so of growth on the trellis your emphasis will be on training. In the years that follow, the emphasis will be on pruning; i.e., controlling the growth to a manageable quantity. Flowering is dictated by the age of the pods in extremities, water, climate, and availability of mineral nutrients. For some varieties, pollination is also a concern. Most of the types that are viable in portions of the subtropical U.S. are either native or derived from natives in non-rainforest areas of Central America.

[Hammocked Banana]

Ok I got another DF question. My american beauty flopped over in the move and took some damage in the narrow connection between segments. It kind of cracked halfway through this narrow section, and I am worried it isn't sending enough nutrients to the segments up top. Here is a pic of the whole plant and a close-up of the damage. Please ignore all the tying tape, I'm training the limbs so I will have a manageable structure long term. The damage is at the top of the segment which is planted in the pot. It has recently been sending out a lot of new growth below the damage so I feel like it might be telling me its connection to the upper portion has been interrupted. The top pods are still growing but I'm not sure if this is because of reserves stored in the pods, it doesn't have that many aerial roots yet. What should I do?
http://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/s548/Hammocked_Banana/Mobile%20Uploads/20140904_185409_zpsiqtq9fdo.jpg (http://s1305.photobucket.com/user/Hammocked_Banana/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20140904_185409_zpsiqtq9fdo.jpg.html)
http://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/s548/Hammocked_Banana/Mobile%20Uploads/20140904_185424_zps5dwyyko8.jpg (http://s1305.photobucket.com/user/Hammocked_Banana/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20140904_185424_zps5dwyyko8.jpg.html)

[harveyc]

I have had something like that happen a couple of times (usually because something sipped while I was tying up a section, etc.) and I just put it back in place as well as I could and it seemed to heal up okay. It looks like you can leave it go for a while to see how it does. I would probably see which one of the new shoots is strongest and then thin out the others and then use that strongest one as a replacement after the growing season is over this year.

[Richard]

Ok I got another DF question ...

I'm watching you go through a learning process. I think you are making good choices.
:nanadrink:

[Hammocked Banana]

So you suggest I leave the top as it is and just narrow down the new growths to one, which will serve as a back up, incase things go wrong at the injury?

[Dangermouse01]

Harvested my last 2 Dark Star of the season this morning.
23 and 20.5 ounces.
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n200/dangermouse2006/flowers%20and%20plants/Dragon%20Fruit/DS_11-09-2014_zps506509ba.jpg

DM

[Richard]

So you suggest I leave the top as it is and just narrow down the new growths to one, which will serve as a back up, incase things go wrong at the injury?

Yup.

[amantedelenguaje]

I purchased a grafted moon cactus. The moon died, but the hylocereus lived. I am trying to guess what variety it is. I compared it to my Physical Graffiti, Selenicereus megalanthus, and Delight. This plant looks different, so I ruled those out. A document that I read said white-fleshed pitaya have 3 to 5 spines per areole. Mine has 2 to 3 spines, so I don't think it will be white flesh. Many of the polyrhisus varieties that have not been hybridized seem to be less undulated and the areoles seem to be closer together than mine. The Guatemalensis and Sin Espinas varieties seem to be more undulated and have less spines than mine. I am leaning towards Halley's Comet.

What variety do you think this might be? The pictures are of the same plant. The first picture was taken a few months ago.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-lVJxgc280mo/U8w22GQtCsI/AAAAAAAADl8/yr6sVZjsF_g/s0-Ut/20140720_172926-712015.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-vIRsTNAArWs/VGAGETS8vaI/AAAAAAAADwo/qpOCoEuRCks/s0-Ut/20141109_190029-1-752531.jpg

[Richard]

I purchased a grafted moon cactus. The moon died, but the hylocereus lived. I am trying to guess what variety it is. I compared it to my Physical Graffiti, Selenicereus megalanthus, and Delight.

I doubt that the ornamental plant industry would use an expensive hybrid such as Haley's Comet for grafting. You could also consider the genus Cereus. There are 11 known unique species in Hylocereus, 9 in Cereus, and 8 in Selinicereus. Selenicereus megalanthus has been genetically reclassified as a synonym of Hylocereus megalanthus (http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?410976).

[Dangermouse01]

Dark Star.
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n200/dangermouse2006/flowers%20and%20plants/Dragon%20Fruit/Dark%20Star/DS_07-10-2015_zpsrjenuf4i.jpg

DM

[merce3]

^beautiful pic, but where's the money shot?

[Dangermouse01]

First ever flower on my Cebra dragon fruit opening tonight.

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n200/dangermouse2006/flowers%20and%20plants/Dragon%20Fruit/Cebra/Cebra_07-17-15_zpsthj3xtzr.jpg

DM

[Want Them All]

Several of my DF branches are not as dark green as before (last year). What nutrients are they lacking?
Thanks,

[merce3]

Nitrogen maybe or maybe too much sun... hard to tell without pictures

[Dangermouse01]

First ever flower on my Cebra dragon fruit opening tonight.

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n200/dangermouse2006/flowers%20and%20plants/Dragon%20Fruit/Cebra/Cebra_07-17-15_zpsthj3xtzr.jpg


Today.
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n200/dangermouse2006/flowers%20and%20plants/Dragon%20Fruit/Cebra/Cebra_08-18-15_zpsurxpsmhv.jpg

DM

[xeriscape8321]

I work (volunteer) at a local food bank who receives donations from several of the local markets in the area. Recently we received a donation of some dragon fruits from a local area market. I never considered even trying these fruits as they are very expensive, however i decided to try one of the donated fruits...what a delicacy! Sweet, yet tart, tiny seeds which are palatable without any thought...i really loved this fruit.....it proves to me, that you never know what you will love, until you try it...the cost at the markets is very much on the high side. i may try growing this baby in my own garden.

[Hammocked Banana]

That cebra looks just like the yellow fruits, but with the pink colour still. Looks quite spikey too!

[kubali]

I work (volunteer) at a local food bank who receives donations from several of the local markets in the area. Recently we received a donation of some dragon fruits from a local area market. I never considered even trying these fruits as they are very expensive, however i decided to try one of the donated fruits...what a delicacy! Sweet, yet tart, tiny seeds which are palatable without any thought...i really loved this fruit.....it proves to me, that you never know what you will love, until you try it...the cost at the markets is very much on the high side. i may try growing this baby in my own garden.

They are very easy to grow, and will taste much better than the one you tried I'm sure of it. Just make sure you support it well cause they grow fast.
for your first, may I suggest American beauty (purple)

[Dangermouse01]

That cebra looks just like the yellow fruits, but with the pink colour still. Looks quite spikey too!

Cebra is not spikey at all, no thorns on the fruit what so ever. The fins are flexible.

DM