Author Topic: Pitaya issues  (Read 4709 times)

zengarden

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Pitaya issues
« on: July 10, 2014, 04:03:41 PM »
Having some problems with my Pitaya, hopefully someone can give me some info on whats going on with this cacti. The problem is that the cactus looks very dry and almost withered up. Before it looked like this it was growing extremely fast and had just flowered and set two fruit. I thought maybe it was just from flowering and fruiting but had not changed in the past few weeks since the fruit has been harvested. Any help would be appreciated.





tanguy

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Re: Pitaya issues
« Reply #1 on: July 10, 2014, 04:31:19 PM »
Having some problems with my Pitaya, hopefully someone can give me some info on whats going on with this cacti. The problem is that the cactus looks very dry and almost withered up. Before it looked like this it was growing extremely fast and had just flowered and set two fruit. I thought maybe it was just from flowering and fruiting but had not changed in the past few weeks since the fruit has been harvested. Any help would be appreciated.




Hi "zengarden",
Probably it is rotted.  Please check the plant's roots.  You just dig up a little bit of the top soil to see any rotten part of the plant.

zengarden

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Re: Pitaya issues
« Reply #2 on: July 10, 2014, 04:54:43 PM »
Upon further inspection as you had suggested I have found that it is rotten. What is my best course of action to save these pitaya cactus and what may have caused this (cold damage, overwatering)? This particular cactus has looked like this for about 5 months since it was cold outside.


starling1

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Re: Pitaya issues
« Reply #3 on: July 11, 2014, 12:14:37 AM »
Upon further inspection as you had suggested I have found that it is rotten. What is my best course of action to save these pitaya cactus and what may have caused this (cold damage, overwatering)? This particular cactus has looked like this for about 5 months since it was cold outside.


As long as the soil mixture is standing free draining, they can tolerate endless amounts of water.

You need to dig up as much roots as possible, and replant this in a large pot with the bottom cut out. Mix coarse potting mix, compost and sand.

Cit away all the dead flesh, and any that is decaying. This will not hurt the plant, as long as the central 'spine' remains intact, it will be fine.

fyliu

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Re: Pitaya issues
« Reply #4 on: July 11, 2014, 12:31:34 AM »
Same advice as starling1.

Cut out all the rotten parts. Even if the bottom core of the main stem is rotten, you can just cut above that. Then either lower the whole plant or put a bottomless pot with loose soil right there. The pot doesn't have to be real big, since the roots will go down beyond the pot for water.

I don't know what to do if it's raining over there, but here in SoCal we let it callus for a week or 2 before putting it back into soil. Hopefully the fruits will not be affected.

starling1

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Re: Pitaya issues
« Reply #5 on: July 11, 2014, 01:02:30 AM »
I'm guessing that what has happened here is that you have a heavy clay soil, and have dug a large hole and filled this with sand and potting mix. You've had rain or have overwatered and the hole is acting like a pot.

Rannman

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Re: Pitaya issues
« Reply #6 on: July 11, 2014, 05:22:44 AM »
Another way to sort this problem out is to leave the plant exactly where it is on it's post, cut it off above any rot, refill pot with good quality potting mix to just below the cut, and let nature do its thing. It will eventually throw out new roots which will head straight down into the potting mix and all is good. I realised this option when my dog to a liking to fresh dragonfruit stems and ate about 12 inches of stem from one of my 1 year old plants. I did nothing, and the ariel roots kept it going until the chewed off base threw out 3 roots. They grew all the way back to the soil(in the air, not touching the post) and the plant is growing strong. Hope this helps.

zengarden

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Re: Pitaya issues
« Reply #7 on: July 11, 2014, 10:26:29 AM »
Thanks for the help everyone, I guess I am going to cut out the dead and just build up some potting soil to where the cactus is not rotten. I live in sandy soil very close to the beach in Florida so clay is not an issue but I'm betting its the amount of water they got during the winter time that caused all of this. Thanks again!

tanguy

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Re: Pitaya issues
« Reply #8 on: July 11, 2014, 02:31:37 PM »
Upon further inspection as you had suggested I have found that it is rotten. What is my best course of action to save these pitaya cactus and what may have caused this (cold damage, overwatering)? This particular cactus has looked like this for about 5 months since it was cold outside.


Hi zengarden,
Since your plant is almost withered up, it is not good if you keep it on it's post as a big plant like that (after you cut off the rotten part).  It is better if you cut it into several cuttings and plant them in pots.  Place the pots in a good shade area.

michsu

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Re: Pitaya issues
« Reply #9 on: July 11, 2014, 02:58:17 PM »
I have the same issue; my dragon fruit is turning all yellow; Is it due to overwatering or high sun? (out in the sun for about half a day); Thanks;

tanguy

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Re: Pitaya issues
« Reply #10 on: July 11, 2014, 03:43:19 PM »
I have the same issue; my dragon fruit is turning all yellow; Is it due to overwatering or high sun? (out in the sun for about half a day); Thanks;
Hi michsu,

If your plant is turning yellow, it is more likely because of high sun.

michsu

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Re: Pitaya issues
« Reply #11 on: July 11, 2014, 05:18:25 PM »
ok, thank you..  ;D I had watered it once every few days and I let it dry up.. so I wasn't sure if that was it or not.. so once I put it in the shade (for most of the day), it will go back to being green? Thanks; I guess the original post's problem would be the same?

tanguy

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Re: Pitaya issues
« Reply #12 on: July 11, 2014, 08:36:28 PM »
ok, thank you..  ;D I had watered it once every few days and I let it dry up.. so I wasn't sure if that was it or not.. so once I put it in the shade (for most of the day), it will go back to being green? Thanks; I guess the original post's problem would be the same?
Hi michsu,
If you grow it in a small pot with well draining potting soil, and if it is really hot there, you can water it everyday. If you put your plant in the shade, your plant will go back to its green.
The original post is different from yours.  If you read the 2nd post of Zengarden, you will see the rotten plant.  Watering too much will destroy the roots of the plant then the whole plant will be withered up and turned yellow.  In your case, the plant only turned yellow some parts and other parts are still green and not be be withered up.

fyliu

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Re: Pitaya issues
« Reply #13 on: July 11, 2014, 09:21:42 PM »
I think zengarden's plant doesn't need to be cut up to survive. A cutting can be potted up in case the large plant doesn't make it. But a large plant won't that fast. I have large cutting sit on concrete in partial sun without water for 6 months now and they're fine and even grew some roots from the bottom and side.

Michu, do you want a nice dark green plant or a green and yellow plant with fruits? Moderate yellowing in the summer is not a bad sign unless it burns the skin. To me it means the plant is getting enough light to trigger flowering. It flowers when the daylight hours are long.

tanguy

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Re: Pitaya issues
« Reply #14 on: July 12, 2014, 12:40:37 AM »
 zengarden's plant now has no roots so it just like a big cutting. That big cutting will recover slower than a smaller size cutting. Also it is not good if that big cutting sits under full sun. I had seen many cases like this.

LEOOEL

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Re: Pitaya issues
« Reply #15 on: July 14, 2014, 11:34:31 PM »
Make sure you have good drainage.

If the part of the DF that makes contact with the soil is not rotten, I would purchase some quality cactus potting soil and provide it to the DF abundantly and then wait about a month to reasses the situation, good luck.
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