Author Topic: Dragon Fruit thread.  (Read 940032 times)

ricshaw

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #825 on: August 25, 2014, 07:06:54 PM »
IM SO EXCITED!!!! Matts Landscape/Epic-Cacti Nursery is located right next door to me in Fallbrook... He has several top tier Dragon Fruit cutting that I'm looking at picking up this weekend.. These are my picks as of now based on color of flesh and flavor reviews.

Rosa
Sin Espina
Cebra
and a toss up between Mexican and Delight...both have the pretty pink n white flesh but Delight is much more higher on the Brix lvl.

UC DNA testing has shown that Lisa, Rosa and Cebra could be considered the same.

ClayMango

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #826 on: August 25, 2014, 07:51:21 PM »
IM SO EXCITED!!!! Matts Landscape/Epic-Cacti Nursery is located right next door to me in Fallbrook... He has several top tier Dragon Fruit cutting that I'm looking at picking up this weekend.. These are my picks as of now based on color of flesh and flavor reviews.

Rosa
Sin Espina
Cebra
and a toss up between Mexican and Delight...both have the pretty pink n white flesh but Delight is much more higher on the Brix lvl.

UC DNA testing has shown that Lisa, Rosa and Cebra could be considered the same.


Oh crap..only  getting Cebra then
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LEOOEL

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #827 on: August 29, 2014, 01:01:20 AM »
ricshaw, thanks for the inundation of refreshing DF information/news.

I agree, that informative List should include a column about which DF varieties are self-fertile and self-pollinating. Perhaps they don't include that information because the DF industry is relatively young and they just don't know. This is a very important characteristic to consider before purchasing a DF variety. I'm now wondering whether this is the reason why none of the flowers that have been produced for the first time ever, this year, by my 'David Bowie' DF, have not produced a fruit after the flowers bloom.

It's too bad, as you say, that the DF's that we like the most are most likely not 'self-fertile.' It would surely be a nice, sweet surprise if the DF variety 'Colombiana/Yellow-Dragon' were self-fertile and self-pollinating. That would be the green light to go out and immediatly purchase it by whatever means necessary. Then, we would just need to work on increasing the fruit size.
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ricshaw

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #828 on: August 29, 2014, 01:14:58 AM »


It is my opinion, the only future for the Colombian Yellow Dragon fruit is to use it as a pollinator to create better hybrids. Crossing the Yellow DF with the Red flesh DF could produce a winner.
« Last Edit: August 29, 2014, 01:53:50 AM by ricshaw »

simon_grow

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #829 on: August 29, 2014, 04:23:15 AM »
A yellow crossed with a red would be a Frankie's Red. Mine is fruiting for the first time this year. The fruit appears like it will be small like the Yellow Dragon. I will report back on how it tastes and also get a brix reading after I harvest the fruit.

It seems my Yellow Dragon is self fertile as it has set fruit before when my other varieties were not flowering but it may have been pollinated by other DF plants in the neighborhood.

Simon

ricshaw

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #830 on: August 29, 2014, 11:41:23 AM »
A yellow crossed with a red would be a Frankie's Red. Mine is fruiting for the first time this year. The fruit appears like it will be small like the Yellow Dragon. I will report back on how it tastes and also get a brix reading after I harvest the fruit.
It seems my Yellow Dragon is self fertile as it has set fruit before when my other varieties were not flowering but it may have been pollinated by other DF plants in the neighborhood.
Simon

The next step might be to cross Frankie's Red with something like Condor to improve size (which I am sure is being done).

fyliu

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #831 on: August 29, 2014, 02:52:59 PM »
IM SO EXCITED!!!! Matts Landscape/Epic-Cacti Nursery is located right next door to me in Fallbrook... He has several top tier Dragon Fruit cutting that I'm looking at picking up this weekend.. These are my picks as of now based on color of flesh and flavor reviews.

Rosa
Sin Espina
Cebra
and a toss up between Mexican and Delight...both have the pretty pink n white flesh but Delight is much more higher on the Brix lvl.

UC DNA testing has shown that Lisa, Rosa and Cebra could be considered the same.


Oh crap..only  getting Cebra then
The couple of times I've had them the texture was like watermelon peel, especially the sin espina. Sounds like you like a little sweet but not too much of it. Lisa, Rosa, Cebra have a good amount of acid too, if I remember correctly. Do all the deep red varieties have a lot of acid or are the fruits in Irvine picked too early?

ClayMango

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #832 on: August 29, 2014, 02:53:34 PM »
With my picks Cebra, mexicana, delight, Sin Espana, and maybe condor cause here good things even though not on the top 10 tier list...will i have any issues with polinization?

Picking up Sat...also should i leave these cuttings potted?
« Last Edit: August 29, 2014, 11:31:02 PM by ClayMango »
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fyliu

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #833 on: August 29, 2014, 03:05:22 PM »
Condor definitely needs cross pollination. You can pollinate anything with mexicana I think. That's the white variety with the fast-extending pollen tube? White pollen travels faster than colored ones, so you might get away with pollinating a little later if you use that. There's a paper on it somewhere in the pitayafruit yahoo group.

ricshaw

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #834 on: August 29, 2014, 03:39:20 PM »
With my picks Cebra, mexicana, delight, Sin Espana, and maybe condor cause here good things even though not on the top 10 tier list...will i have any issues with polinization?

Probably yes at first.

ricshaw

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #835 on: August 29, 2014, 03:46:42 PM »
The couple of times I've had them the texture was like watermelon peel, especially the sin espina. Sounds like you like a little sweet but not too much of it. Lisa, Rosa, Cebra have a good amount of acid too, if I remember correctly. Do all the deep red varieties have a lot of acid or are the fruits in Irvine picked too early?

I have not experience the "texture like a watermelon peel", you must of got a bad piece of fruit.

I am not a taste expert, but I think you are right that the red flesh varieties have the acid taste, and in 2011, 2012, & 2014 I did not think the Pitahaya fruit at the festival was picked too early.

fyliu

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #836 on: August 29, 2014, 11:02:31 PM »
Okay, I'll grow out my sin espina and see what it tastes like. I've been keeping it small in the shade every since I got it.

ricshaw

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #837 on: August 29, 2014, 11:15:29 PM »
Okay, I'll grow out my sin espina and see what it tastes like. I've been keeping it small in the shade every since I got it.

One thing I learned at the last festival was growing Pitahaya in the shade is good for producing cuttings, you need to grow Pitahaya in the sun to get good fruit.

fyliu

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #838 on: August 29, 2014, 11:30:15 PM »
Okay, I'll grow out my sin espina and see what it tastes like. I've been keeping it small in the shade every since I got it.

One thing I learned at the last festival was growing Pitahaya in the shade is good for producing cuttings, you need to grow Pitahaya in the sun to get good fruit.
That's very true about sunlight and fruit. I wasn't looking for it but it was a small leftover piece from a plant sale or something and I only wanted it in my collection but not fruit, so I didn't want to let it get big. It's not only in enough shade to not fruit, it's in enough shade to not produce much cuttings. If anyone wants thin cuttings of it I can cut the parts that managed to escape the broken pint pot where the soil washed away some time ago.

Mark in Texas

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #839 on: August 30, 2014, 10:44:31 AM »
Sorry if it's been covered but I just plopped down $7 for a red from Vietnam.  How do you prepare these fruit?

thao

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #840 on: August 30, 2014, 11:01:33 AM »
Sorry if it's been covered but I just plopped down $7 for a red from Vietnam.  How do you prepare these fruit?
Best served chilled, then cut in half and scoop or slice into wedges like oranges with skin on.

Mark in Texas

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #841 on: August 30, 2014, 02:34:02 PM »
Thanks! 

ricshaw

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #842 on: August 30, 2014, 02:53:31 PM »
Sorry if it's been covered but I just plopped down $7 for a red from Vietnam.  How do you prepare these fruit?

Let us know what you think of the taste (plus pictures if possible).

ClayMango

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #843 on: August 30, 2014, 08:16:55 PM »
Stopped by Matts Landscapes/ Epic Cacti Nursery today....really swell guy... picked up a nice 5g Cebra, 5g Condor, 5g Delight, and a 2 foot cutting taken off his mother Orejona plant....


Mexicana is still out of stock...waiting on it.

Can anyone tell me how Condor stacks against the elite  tier Dragon Fruit? I heard good things mentioned here so I grabbed it.
« Last Edit: August 30, 2014, 08:19:35 PM by ClayMango »
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LEOOEL

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #844 on: August 31, 2014, 03:07:23 AM »
A yellow crossed with a red would be a Frankie's Red. Mine is fruiting for the first time this year. The fruit appears like it will be small like the Yellow Dragon. I will report back on how it tastes and also get a brix reading after I harvest the fruit.

It seems my Yellow Dragon is self fertile as it has set fruit before when my other varieties were not flowering but it may have been pollinated by other DF plants in the neighborhood.

Simon

Very interesting, if your 'Frankie's Red' fruit appears to be small like its 'Yellow-Dragon' parent, perhaps it will also be "very very sweet."

I can deal with the small size of the 'Yellow-Dragon' DF, because the fruit is "very very sweet." Putting aside, for the moment, whether the 'Yellow-Dragon' DF is self fertile/pollinated or not, the only thing that I find nasty about it are the thorns.
« Last Edit: September 02, 2014, 12:48:22 AM by LEOOEL »
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JeffDM

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #845 on: August 31, 2014, 06:19:54 PM »
Would it be possible to start a new dragon fruit thread?

ricshaw

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #846 on: August 31, 2014, 06:27:59 PM »
Would it be possible to start a new dragon fruit thread?

Jeff,

I already did:  2014 Pitahaya (Dragon Fruit) Festival
http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=11655.0


Your turn.

starling1

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #847 on: August 31, 2014, 06:55:20 PM »
Stopped by Matts Landscapes/ Epic Cacti Nursery today....really swell guy... picked up a nice 5g Cebra, 5g Condor, 5g Delight, and a 2 foot cutting taken off his mother Orejona plant....


Mexicana is still out of stock...waiting on it.

Can anyone tell me how Condor stacks against the elite  tier Dragon Fruit? I heard good things mentioned here so I grabbed it.

Condor is an elite tier CV, one of the best.

ClayMango

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #848 on: August 31, 2014, 11:26:49 PM »
Are any of the Dragon fruit I purchased that really eye catchy purple/red? I know delight is pink/whiteish, cebre bloodred I think, Orejona not sure, Condor not sure...
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Mark in Texas

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #849 on: September 01, 2014, 08:19:21 AM »
Sorry if it's been covered but I just plopped down $7 for a red from Vietnam.  How do you prepare these fruit?

Let us know what you think of the taste (plus pictures if possible).

Taste was just OK,  which matches the rating at PIN for a typical Vietnamese DF.  http://www.tropicalfruitnursery.com/dragon/pages/V.%20Jaina-%20VW.htm

Gonna try to find some mail order since they're in season now.  Any recommendations for mail order fruit?