Author Topic: Dragon Fruit thread.  (Read 935528 times)

MassSpectrum

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 137
    • Tampa, FL, USA Zone 9B/10A
    • View Profile
Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #650 on: June 30, 2014, 07:48:02 AM »
That's what it looks like in the first page, but I dont see it in the second.

Here it is:
Hylocereus Bronxensis Blue
http://w3flora.com/RealFloraDragonFruit.aspx?submenuheader=7&page=2

"Rare and endangered this three sided segmented climbing cactus is like no other. New growth is lime green soon turning to smoky blue. Flowers have never been seen yet."

Matt's Landscape has it without any photos:
Quote
Species HYLOCEREUS BRONXENSIS- Has an XL white/yellow night blooming flower, the growth is 3-sided and closely resembles Hylocereus Ocamponis in that older growth is greyish-green in color, new growth dark green, but has shorter stem segments, sometimes pendant in growth and more narrow overall. Britton and Rose; originally collected by G. E. Barre in 1902, this variety is rare and endangered in its native habitat. The location collected is offically listed as unknown to protect the few specimens remaining in there native habitat. A rare species,not generally used for fruit production but can be crossed with other varieties. THIS VARIETY WAS GARDEN CULTIVATED FROM AN OLD COLLECTION AND WAS NOT REMOVED FROM ITS NATIVE HABITAT.
http://www.mattslandscape.com/detail/?plant_name=Hylocereus%20Bronxensis#full_desc

And there it is, that whole species-relevant usage of the word "variety". lol. If the word were only used for varieties of a single species it wouldn't have become this odd pet-peeve of mine.

UPDATE:
Quote
Original Description: The Cactaceae 2 p.185 - Britton & Rose (1920)
Joints strongly 3-angled, dull grayish green, 3 to 4 cm broad; ribs strongly undulate, the margins horny and brown; areoles 2 to 3 cm apart; spines about 10, acicular, brown in age, about 6 mm long; flowers 25 cm long; outer perianth-segments broad, ovate, obtuse or rounded; inner perianth-segments oblong, rounded at apex, more or less apiculate, but not long-acuminate; scales on the ovary broad; stigma-lobes (perhaps) bifid

Described from specimens which flowered in the New York Botanical Garden (no. 9722) June 28, 1912. The plant was obtained from G. E. Barre in 1902, but its origin is otherwise unknown. It is related to Hylocereus ocamponis but its flowers are quite different from those of that species.
http://cactiguide.com/cactus/?genus=Hylocereus&species=bronxensis

Matt's cuttings have been out of stock. w3flora rooted price not too bad, but damn they only ship UPS ground and its $13.95. If they switched to Priority Mail it'd be about $6 if they used a regional box and itd be overnight being within the state of FL. I'll have to wait a few days before ordering...
« Last Edit: July 01, 2014, 11:54:25 PM by MassSpectrum »

ricshaw

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1599
    • USA, Southern California, Zone 10b
    • View Profile
    • ricshaw805 YouTube Channel
Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #651 on: June 30, 2014, 08:02:38 PM »
Aerial roots... what are they good for?

http://youtu.be/5ziUKAXr8jE

starling1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 983
    • Queensland, Australia
    • View Profile
Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #652 on: June 30, 2014, 09:19:26 PM »
Aerial roots... what are they good for?

http://youtu.be/5ziUKAXr8jE

The answer is very little.

I trim mine off whenever I see them without incident. While they do absorb a low amount of nutrients, there is no advantage whatsoever to having them when you're growing a dragonfruit plant against a post that is treated wood, concrete or plastic. In fact unless you know what's in the bark of a tree they're growing against, you run the risk of sickening them as there  there might something in this they don't like. They will send aerial roots back down into the soil if you cut them off above ground. Your mix and drainage in the ground is infinitely more important than nourishing aerial roots will ever be.

Also Ric your plants are suffering from fungal rot, hit them with a copper spray and this should fix it temporarily. but because of the amount of shade your plants are getting you're always going to fight it. It probably won't do anything to affect root quality or the abundance of fruit , it is just a cosmetic thing mostly.
« Last Edit: June 30, 2014, 09:23:13 PM by starling1 »

ricshaw

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1599
    • USA, Southern California, Zone 10b
    • View Profile
    • ricshaw805 YouTube Channel
Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #653 on: June 30, 2014, 09:23:03 PM »
Aerial roots... what are they good for?

The answer is very little.

I trim mine off whenever I see them without incident. While they do absorb a low amount of nutrients, there is no advantage whatsoever to having them when you're growing a dragonfruit plant against a post that is treated wood, concrete or plastic. In fact unless you know what's in the bark of a tree they're growing against, you run the risk of sickening them as there  there might something in this they don't like. They will send aerial roots back down into the soil if you cut them off above ground. Your mix and drainage in the ground is infinitely more important than nourishing aerial roots will ever be.

So you don't think there is any advantage to aerial roots going down into the ground?

lajolla

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 80
    • Southern CA
    • View Profile
Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #654 on: July 01, 2014, 12:22:42 PM »
What does everyone use to fertilize to fasten growth or flowering? Anyone had experience with fish emulsion?

starling1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 983
    • Queensland, Australia
    • View Profile
Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #655 on: July 01, 2014, 03:59:40 PM »
What does everyone use to fertilize to fasten growth or flowering? Anyone had experience with fish emulsion?

I had a long conversation with the owner of red fox pitaya yesterday (Australian company) awho told me she uses powerfeed run into her drip lines, which is  what I use also, and is a fish and seaweed liquid fertilizer. She told that it's never a good idea to use citrus fertiliser, and some of her larger plants were killed by an accidental application of this.

MassSpectrum

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 137
    • Tampa, FL, USA Zone 9B/10A
    • View Profile
Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #656 on: July 01, 2014, 10:07:40 PM »
One of my Sword Pear Cactus (Acanthocereus tetragonus) has a bloom right now:


Last week I had a Queen of the Night (photos above) bloom. I 'fingered' the thing and rubbed the pollen all about the pistil tips, but tonight I found it it finally fell off (fail). Last year I had several dragon fruit blooms, and a lot of sword pear blooms, but no fruits despite trying to finger several of them. Conversely, while the many many Peruvian Apple Cactus blooms I see between my neighbors and mine dont always set fruit, many do without any help.

Does the pollen have to make it all the way down the stigma 'tube', or what? I'm about to go try and break one off and shove it deep in there...



This moth seems to have taken some interest:


Any other help with hand pollination would be great.

Also, can it be assumed that most any aforementioned or etc xcereus cacti can make inter-species hybrids?



« Last Edit: July 01, 2014, 10:34:23 PM by MassSpectrum »

starling1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 983
    • Queensland, Australia
    • View Profile
Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #657 on: July 03, 2014, 12:15:18 AM »
Aerial roots... what are they good for?

The answer is very little.

I trim mine off whenever I see them without incident. While they do absorb a low amount of nutrients, there is no advantage whatsoever to having them when you're growing a dragonfruit plant against a post that is treated wood, concrete or plastic. In fact unless you know what's in the bark of a tree they're growing against, you run the risk of sickening them as there  there might something in this they don't like. They will send aerial roots back down into the soil if you cut them off above ground. Your mix and drainage in the ground is infinitely more important than nourishing aerial roots will ever be.

So you don't think there is any advantage to aerial roots going down into the ground?

I guess it would depend. On the one hand, roots sent back to the ground will need extra minerals/nutrients into the plant, but at the same time they could causde drowning and dieback in times of heavy rainfall, especially if you have clay or gluggy soil.

Personally I remove mine and have never had a problem with doing this.

LEOOEL

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1775
    • USA, South Florida, Miami, Temperature Zone 10b
    • View Profile
Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #658 on: July 10, 2014, 09:17:23 PM »
My 'David Bowie' DF has two big & beautiful flowers for the first time ever, I sure hope that fruit(s) follow(s).
'Virtue' should be taught, learned and propagated, in order to save others and oneself.

dmk

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 49
    • Hyderabad, India/ Ormond Beach, FL
    • View Profile
Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #659 on: July 11, 2014, 04:35:27 AM »
Hello everyone,

I bought this dragon fruit plant about a month ago. It was fine until the past 10 days or so when all of a sudden a yellow patch started to appear. Ever since then it has been spreading all over and this is what you see.

It gets about 4 hrs of morning sunlight (8am-12 noon). I have cut down on watering it as I was suspecting it could be due to much water. I only water when the soil is dry, say once in 2-3 days.

What could the probable cause be? And what do you guys recommended?

This is my first pitaya plant and I don't want it to die.  :-[









starling1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 983
    • Queensland, Australia
    • View Profile
Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #660 on: July 11, 2014, 04:41:55 AM »

It's your soil. You've planted it in cactus mix, which is totally wrong for the task of growing dragon fruit.

Dragon fruit are an understory rainforest cactus. They nothing like opuntia or other desert cacti, and require free draining soil that is rich in organic matter. Mix compost, very coarse potting mix, and sand and repot it into this mixture. Add some sheep or cow manure also.
« Last Edit: July 11, 2014, 04:50:15 AM by starling1 »

nickytwo

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 107
    • south Africa kwazulu NATAL. ramsgate
    • View Profile
Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #661 on: July 11, 2014, 07:47:49 AM »
So what I read in this post I must take my seedlings and make compost with them......and to get cuttings in south africa next to impossible.....

stuartdaly88

  • Phytomaniac
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1186
  • Zone 9b/10a
    • South Africa, Gauteng
    • View Profile
Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #662 on: July 11, 2014, 07:58:33 AM »
So what I read in this post I must take my seedlings and make compost with them......and to get cuttings in south africa next to impossible.....
Throwing seeds away is maybe for foreigners who have access to named cultivators but for us it's the only option don't give up plant more seeds and select the best ones:) we are pioneers here for most lesser known fruit it's exciting!!!
Also if you get permit from department(not easy) at least DF has a better chance of surviving transit time than other cuttings or scions would.
Iv got alot of young seedling DF different kinds if any taste decent I can easily ship cutting to you.
If we just give up we get nothing but perservere and maybe something good:)
« Last Edit: July 11, 2014, 08:03:06 AM by stuartdaly88 »
Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau

nickytwo

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 107
    • south Africa kwazulu NATAL. ramsgate
    • View Profile
Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #663 on: July 11, 2014, 08:50:14 AM »
It felt if I am going to commit suicide.......or kill my children.....Stuart how long before they will fruit.. some say up to five year I think it will be more like three years

stuartdaly88

  • Phytomaniac
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1186
  • Zone 9b/10a
    • South Africa, Gauteng
    • View Profile
Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #664 on: July 11, 2014, 09:31:06 AM »
I think that will depend on the species of DF and growing conditions iv read of 3 years from seed but I'm sure these kinds of numbers are very general I'm sure people here would know better than me.
Mine are just over 1 year from seed so still awhile till I know. I have about five each of red,white and golden/yellow from from seed hopefully I get something nice out of 15 but I'm really not that fussy hey, nutritious heavy bearing and home grown is my main priority taste is secondary as I learn to like any taste myself even very bitter I like so blands not to bad long as I have fresh fruit bland can be nice but I won't turn up my nose at sweet one either:)
I will share cutting if I get a nice less bland one if you do the same for me.
And don't stress much better fruit to commit suicide over than DF IMO;)
Just think of it as a genetic roulette you could strike it lucky it's fun! well for me anyway
« Last Edit: July 11, 2014, 09:37:18 AM by stuartdaly88 »
Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau

ricshaw

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1599
    • USA, Southern California, Zone 10b
    • View Profile
    • ricshaw805 YouTube Channel
Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #665 on: July 11, 2014, 04:00:55 PM »
Although I had good luck with sprouting seeds from Dragon Fruit...

I have had BAD luck with getting DF seedlings past the juvenile stage.

I took the following pictures today.

The is an example of a seedling going on 4 YEARS!!



At this rate...  I will never see fruit!


This is a picture of some cuttings going on their second year.
The plant in the foreground I got in March this year.



I usually expect to get fruit from plants grown from cuttings in 3 years. Yes, there are exceptions. I have got fruit on a cutting the first year.

starling1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 983
    • Queensland, Australia
    • View Profile
Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #666 on: July 11, 2014, 05:20:35 PM »
So what I read in this post I must take my seedlings and make compost with them......and to get cuttings in south africa next to impossible.....
Throwing seeds away is maybe for foreigners who have access to named cultivators but for us it's the only option don't give up plant more seeds and select the best ones:) we are pioneers here for most lesser known fruit it's exciting!!!
Also if you get permit from department(not easy) at least DF has a better chance of surviving transit time than other cuttings or scions would.
Iv got alot of young seedling DF different kinds if any taste decent I can easily ship cutting to you.
If we just give up we get nothing but perservere and maybe something good:)

Cuttings will survive two months or more in transit no problem at all. Expecting to wait at least 5 years  for fruit from seed, 3 is overambitious.

ricshaw

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1599
    • USA, Southern California, Zone 10b
    • View Profile
    • ricshaw805 YouTube Channel
Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #667 on: July 11, 2014, 05:57:18 PM »
I had some small cuttings that I left out to callus over and never got around to potting them.

Then http://www.youtube.com/user/ProjectPitaya told me I could root them with the end setting in a little water.

In less than a week I had roots.

fyliu

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3216
    • Burbank/Covina, CA 10a
    • View Profile
Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #668 on: July 11, 2014, 09:28:06 PM »
Too little sunlight on your seedlings Richard.
I too had most seedlings die on me. The lone survivor was one from Edgar but from the looks of the vine it should be a white fleshed fruit. No problem. I can always trash it later or give it to people that like low sugar fruits.

ricshaw

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1599
    • USA, Southern California, Zone 10b
    • View Profile
    • ricshaw805 YouTube Channel
Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #669 on: July 11, 2014, 09:51:41 PM »
Too little sunlight on your seedlings Richard.

The ones I gave more sunlight got fried.  :-[

lajolla

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 80
    • Southern CA
    • View Profile
Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #670 on: July 12, 2014, 02:41:36 AM »
Although I had good luck with sprouting seeds from Dragon Fruit...

I have had BAD luck with getting DF seedlings past the juvenile stage.

I took the following pictures today.

The is an example of a seedling going on 4 YEARS!!



At this rate...  I will never see fruit!


This is a picture of some cuttings going on their second year.
The plant in the foreground I got in March this year.



I usually expect to get fruit from plants grown from cuttings in 3 years. Yes, there are exceptions. I have got fruit on a cutting the first year.

Ric, your seedling looks awesome!

starling1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 983
    • Queensland, Australia
    • View Profile
Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #671 on: July 12, 2014, 03:28:34 AM »
I had some small cuttings that I left out to callus over and never got around to potting them.

Then http://www.youtube.com/user/ProjectPitaya told me I could root them with the end setting in a little water.

In less than a week I had roots.

Again, dragonfruit are a rainforest cactus.

This means that they require very little to no light at all while developing.

In the wild, they would occur as an understory tree, then grow up the trunks of extremely tall trees to branch out over the canopy. Only then would they get full sun.

Don't worry about light exposure for juvenile plants.

ricshaw

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1599
    • USA, Southern California, Zone 10b
    • View Profile
    • ricshaw805 YouTube Channel
Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #672 on: July 12, 2014, 10:42:54 AM »
The is an example of a seedling going on 4 YEARS!!



Ric, your seedling looks awesome!

What is awesome about it?   ???

fyliu

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3216
    • Burbank/Covina, CA 10a
    • View Profile
Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #673 on: July 12, 2014, 11:29:24 AM »
Are you sure they start out from the ground in the wild? I was imagining the fruit being splattered and the seeds germinating on a leaf or any surface in the canopy and then the plants spend their entire lives way above the ground. Rainforest has rain :), and touching the ground is actually a big disadvantage in terms of light availability and chances of rotting.

simon_grow

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6728
  • USA, San Diego, CA, Zone 10a
    • View Profile
Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #674 on: July 12, 2014, 01:34:17 PM »
Since there is not a lot of info on Frankie's Red, here is a picture of a flower before it opens. I have about 7 flowers on my plant so far and I've never tasted the fruit before. I'll take more pictures when the blooms open and also get a weight, brix and also harvest season here in SoCal if any fruit holds. Frankie's Red is flowering after the normal DF varieties and before the Yellow Dragons. My Yellow Dragons have button sized flowers right now. This variety would seem to fill the gap between the normal and Yellow Dragon so that the season is greatly extended. Internets slow, I'll post pics later!
Simon