Author Topic: Dragon fruit support structure/safety question  (Read 7131 times)

j-grow

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Dragon fruit support structure/safety question
« on: February 12, 2018, 09:33:48 PM »
Is is ok ( safe ) to built dragon fruit trellis's using treated marine dock posts?  I.e. Can or do any of the chemicals used to treat the pilons get into the fruit through the roots attached to the pole?

I know it is treated way more heavily than regular treated lumber ......

Thanks

pineislander

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Re: Dragon fruit support structure/safety question
« Reply #1 on: February 13, 2018, 07:13:35 AM »
What chemical do the posts have on the label? If CCA the plant roots will be in contact with Chromium, copper and arsenic.
Marine piling tags may have a figure of 2.5 lbs of this chemical per cubic foot.
http://www.woodpreservers.com/marine-construction-piling-lumber.php



j-grow

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Re: Dragon fruit support structure/safety question
« Reply #2 on: February 13, 2018, 07:12:16 PM »
I'm not sure ...... it seems like it is not a smart idea ..... I was wanting to use them so they would not rot and was going to wrap them in burlap but as I said ...... the Chemicals worry me. 

That being said regular pressure treated wood has them in it also but to a lesser degree

Baja_Traveler

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Re: Dragon fruit support structure/safety question
« Reply #3 on: February 15, 2018, 09:54:22 PM »
I have wood post rotting issues in my yard as well, so I built these from 4" and 1 1/2" ABS pipe. Cross drilled with a 1 1/2" conduit hole saw and cut down a 1 1/2" PVC cross to fit inside for added support. Very sturdy and should last a long time.




FamilyJ

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Re: Dragon fruit support structure/safety question
« Reply #4 on: February 16, 2018, 06:12:40 PM »
I have wood post rotting issues in my yard as well, so I built these from 4" and 1 1/2" ABS pipe. Cross drilled with a 1 1/2" conduit hole saw and cut down a 1 1/2" PVC cross to fit inside for added support. Very sturdy and should last a long time.




I Like that idea, wonder if if could hold up for long term with wind?
Here's mine


Kada

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Re: Dragon fruit support structure/safety question
« Reply #5 on: February 19, 2018, 02:07:57 AM »
We usedDto do something similar with pipes but we would use it to make concrete posts.  Pipe justTbeing the form.  We would cut it lengthwise to make separatingGit easier.  Stick a price of rebar in there and you ha e a if, water, rot proof post for.decades :)

Most people use that here, but also metal pipe in a triangle shape and tied with another pipe lengthwise every 6 feet or so. 

Excuse the crude example no pics on my phone

/\—————/\——————/\

j-grow

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Re: Dragon fruit support structure/safety question
« Reply #6 on: February 19, 2018, 08:25:29 PM »
Good ideas thanks very much

dmwong93

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Re: Dragon fruit support structure/safety question
« Reply #7 on: February 20, 2018, 02:00:12 AM »
When I erect my post, i'm as well going to wrap the post with burlap and then put dirt in-between layers as I wrap. I don't know if do much.

j-grow

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Re: Dragon fruit support structure/safety question
« Reply #8 on: February 20, 2018, 12:04:09 PM »
Family3 will you please post some more detailed pictures and description of your post set up

Thanks

Mvule101

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Re: Dragon fruit support structure/safety question
« Reply #9 on: February 21, 2018, 11:15:06 AM »
Is there a good website on how to build these structures? I know there must be lots of variations on the theme.

FamilyJ

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Re: Dragon fruit support structure/safety question
« Reply #10 on: February 21, 2018, 12:03:07 PM »
Is there a good website on how to build these structures? I know there must be lots of variations on the theme.
If you find one let me know

Capt Ram

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Re: Dragon fruit support structure/safety question
« Reply #11 on: February 24, 2018, 05:26:31 AM »
Why not make cement posts, cost is less than $15 for 7 ft long 4x4..and will last 50 years and can handle just about anything..and fast and easy to build




Www.sailing-charters.org

j-grow

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Re: Dragon fruit support structure/safety question
« Reply #12 on: February 24, 2018, 06:54:15 AM »
That's probably the route I will go .......... I like the texture of the concrete  ( you could even create more in the mold ) it gives the burlap and the roots something to grip and the concrete can hold some moisture

bradflorida

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Re: Dragon fruit support structure/safety question
« Reply #13 on: February 24, 2018, 07:37:51 AM »
I made concrete posts.   They work very well. The roots adhere to the concrete very well. No burlap needed.   I tried to make my posts not have something on top but realized that they needed something on top for support as the plants cascaded down. So I put a long piece of rebar inside the concrete as I made it and had that rebar protrude up through the top middle of the concrete which gave me an attachment point for  A pressure-treated wooden post which I drove rebar through and put hog wire on the rebar.

Brad





« Last Edit: February 24, 2018, 07:40:44 AM by bradflorida »
Brad

FamilyJ

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Re: Dragon fruit support structure/safety question
« Reply #14 on: February 24, 2018, 09:17:52 AM »
It Survived Hurricane Irma





pineislander

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Re: Dragon fruit support structure/safety question
« Reply #15 on: February 24, 2018, 12:31:05 PM »
I made concrete posts.   They work very well. The roots adhere to the concrete very well. No burlap needed.   I tried to make my posts not have something on top but realized that they needed something on top for support as the plants cascaded down. So I put a long piece of rebar inside the concrete as I made it and had that rebar protrude up through the top middle of the concrete which gave me an attachment point for  A pressure-treated wooden post which I drove rebar through and put hog wire on the rebar.
Brad
When casting concrete, you can provide a hole in the concrete for inserting rebars by embedding pieces of pvc pipe with an inner diameter large enough to later pass the rebar through. Before putting the pipes into the wet concrete, just run some tape over the ends to exclude concrete.


roblack

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Re: Dragon fruit support structure/safety question
« Reply #16 on: February 24, 2018, 12:48:49 PM »
I made concrete posts.   They work very well. The roots adhere to the concrete very well. No burlap needed.   I tried to make my posts not have something on top but realized that they needed something on top for support as the plants cascaded down. So I put a long piece of rebar inside the concrete as I made it and had that rebar protrude up through the top middle of the concrete which gave me an attachment point for  A pressure-treated wooden post which I drove rebar through and put hog wire on the rebar.

Brad






You might want to cover the top thin metal wires with something, as they will dig into the vine's flesh once they start to hang over and fruit, making them quite heavy.

Mvule101

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Re: Dragon fruit support structure/safety question
« Reply #17 on: February 24, 2018, 11:17:52 PM »
Hmm so concrete pillars seem to be the way to go. They look about three feet high? How deep into the ground do they need to go?

Thank you for your help!

pineislander

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Re: Dragon fruit support structure/safety question
« Reply #18 on: February 25, 2018, 08:12:10 AM »
Hmm so concrete pillars seem to be the way to go. They look about three feet high? How deep into the ground do they need to go?

Thank you for your help!

The dragonfruit stems hang down ~3 feet so you should set post tops about 5-6 feet above ground. In sandy soil set posts about 2 feet deep, in clay maybe shallower, so total about 8 feet.
Line post forms with plastic sheeting and cure covered for 1-2 weeks. Mix concrete dry as possible to gain strength, sloppy concrete is weaker. Keeping concrete wet and moist after casting promotes concrete strength.
You could cast posts in a trench dug in soil and lined with plastic, no wooden form needed. Use rebar in concrete.

j-grow

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Re: Dragon fruit support structure/safety question
« Reply #19 on: February 25, 2018, 10:07:29 AM »
ive got about about 4 weeks of stuff planned ahead of this project but when i do it i will post picks and any thing interesting i run into ....... im glad you pointed out that dry crete is strong crete ...... i thought it was the oposite.   do they sell the concrete with fiberglass fibers in it in bags or is that only from the big companies delivering premix? ....... seems like that would help with the brittlenes .....

pineislander

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Re: Dragon fruit support structure/safety question
« Reply #20 on: February 25, 2018, 07:28:18 PM »
This was my setup with a simple form to make 5 posts at a time.


j-grow

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Re: Dragon fruit support structure/safety question
« Reply #21 on: February 25, 2018, 07:53:10 PM »
Did they get a " lean "  during Irma?   I'm thinking I might go 3' in the ground and make them 9'

The multi mold 5 at a time is very smart btw

pineislander

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Re: Dragon fruit support structure/safety question
« Reply #22 on: February 26, 2018, 07:16:47 AM »
Did they get a " lean "  during Irma?   I'm thinking I might go 3' in the ground and make them 9'

The multi mold 5 at a time is very smart btw
I put the posts in after the hurricane, buried them 2 feet in packed sandy soil then built a 1 ft bed up around them so the posts are 3 feet deep and 6 ft above ground level. I might consider pruning back in preparation for a hurricane. I'm also a little sketchy about a pruning schedule for dragon fruit in general. I have 4 plants on each post as they do in Asia. Several have reached the top of the posts since being planted in October, in only 5 months. The one I tipped has six shoots coming out, so this first year I could expect 32 branches hanging down. I will thin to one fruit per branch as I have seen done in Taiwan. Beyond that, I will have to decide how many branches the post can support and maintain that number by pruning. Given 32 branches if I let each of those grow 4 branches after pruning it would make 128 branches. At some point I will have to be selective.

j-grow

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Re: Dragon fruit support structure/safety question
« Reply #23 on: February 26, 2018, 02:33:56 PM »
man thats amazing they are growing that fast!