Author Topic: Dragon Fruit thread.  (Read 940723 times)

spaugh

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #3175 on: November 15, 2020, 02:14:16 PM »
My yard is on top of a hill and gets hammered with santa ana wind.  Dragonfruit dont have issues with wind.  Sugar dragon is a good choice though for lots of reasons.  Wind is not a concern.
Brad Spaugh

MorroBay

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #3176 on: November 15, 2020, 02:59:34 PM »
Thanks Brad.  That’s what I needed to know.  We get 50mph offshores here sometimes. 

Rannman

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #3177 on: February 24, 2021, 03:51:51 AM »



I’ve just noticed these aerial roots on a couple of very young seedlings. Only 2 out of 120 are showing signs of aerial root development. Has anyone had any experience with this and do these roots produce any benefits in relation to better growth rates when the aerial roots get into the surrounding soil?
« Last Edit: February 24, 2021, 04:49:56 AM by Rannman »

Plantinyum

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #3178 on: February 24, 2021, 07:41:11 AM »



I’ve just noticed these aerial roots on a couple of very young seedlings. Only 2 out of 120 are showing signs of aerial root development. Has anyone had any experience with this and do these roots produce any benefits in relation to better growth rates when the aerial roots get into the surrounding soil?
I have seen such on several seedlings in the past...I discarded the plants so dont know if this would have been teir benefit compared to others that dont have them aerials. The more vigorous plants I think tend to make them in such young age ....
In an other aspect it can also mean that they have a problem with their roots, so are trying to make new ones upper on the plant, I have seen seedling of plants in general that have a problem with their original roots down, try make new ones on the healthy part of the plant thats closest to the soil , but dragonfruit is an epiphyte so it can mean totally nothing .. ☺

Saone

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #3179 on: March 05, 2021, 09:04:59 AM »
Looks like these palora seedling fruits are self pollinating.  Its been a few weeks and try made it through a crazy heat wave here.



This one is a new one I just tried called "Hana".  Its extra sweet and has a floral aftertaste.  Its pretty good for a white fruit.  Not my favorite but not bad.



are the white fleshed fruit less tasty than the red? Where I live I have had a few good red ones but lots are super bland.

RobPatterson

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #3180 on: March 07, 2021, 01:52:21 AM »
Most of the time, flavor is about the sugar content of the fruit. Red, white, purple fruits all have specific undertone flavors, but its the sweetness that makes that fruit appealing. Think of the difference between lemons and lemonade. Low sugar white varieties tend to taste 'floral', where the very low sugar ones can taste off, like perfume, like eating the flowers themselves. There are a wide range of reds and purples though, many with unique flavors and tones. I grow a wide range of varieties, each with its own use. I eat some, juice others, cook with a few and ice cream for others. Like apples, its all about application and tastes.

spaugh

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #3181 on: March 08, 2021, 04:59:47 PM »
Looks like these palora seedling fruits are self pollinating.  Its been a few weeks and try made it through a crazy heat wave here.



This one is a new one I just tried called "Hana".  Its extra sweet and has a floral aftertaste.  Its pretty good for a white fruit.  Not my favorite but not bad.



are the white fleshed fruit less tasty than the red? Where I live I have had a few good red ones but lots are super bland.

I am not a fan of the white or red flesh.  Purple is where its at.  I agree the dark reds tend to be bland and most of the whites as well. 

Brad Spaugh

marklee

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #3182 on: March 08, 2021, 10:14:46 PM »
I ate a couple of Colombian Yellow today that were a bit over ripe, one had some brown near the top edges of the yellow skin. However, this is the first time I've gotten a "lemon" taste from a dragon fruit. All the other yellow fruits have just had the regular sweetness.

spaugh

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #3183 on: March 08, 2021, 11:20:31 PM »
the megalanthus are the only white ones worth growing personally.
Brad Spaugh

Saone

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #3184 on: March 09, 2021, 09:26:59 AM »
Most of the time, flavor is about the sugar content of the fruit. Red, white, purple fruits all have specific undertone flavors, but its the sweetness that makes that fruit appealing. Think of the difference between lemons and lemonade. Low sugar white varieties tend to taste 'floral', where the very low sugar ones can taste off, like perfume, like eating the flowers themselves. There are a wide range of reds and purples though, many with unique flavors and tones. I grow a wide range of varieties, each with its own use. I eat some, juice others, cook with a few and ice cream for others. Like apples, its all about application and tastes.

Taste good in ice cream? never tried but gonna try and make some. Also whats the difference between red and purples? Juts a dark red color?

RobPatterson

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #3185 on: March 16, 2021, 12:29:53 AM »
I use Sugar Dragon mostly in making ice cream (S-8 variety). Its flavor is very berry-like, has a high enough sugar content for desserts and jams, and the deep purple flesh translates very well visually, giving an appearance between strawberry and raspberry in color. But there can be a VERY definitive difference between purple and red varieties. Orejona, for example, is a true RED flesh, not deep purple, and some of the Costarinensis (Costa Rican) heirloom fruit are downright bloody. Im currently trying to nurse back to health one of my original cross-bred seedlings that produced fruit so deep in red that if you ate a large fruit in a single sitting, enough of the red color would pass through your system unprocessed. Gave me a hell of a fright the first time it happened, and I used to have to warn people who i gave it to that to not panic if their toilets looked a little pink the next day. Costaricensis tends to taste a little "earthy", like beets, instead of floral, and can have a good sugar content. They also have a very good texture to them, more solid, like watermelon, instead of getting mushy under pressure. 

FlMikey

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #3186 on: March 17, 2021, 01:25:56 PM »
I've recently just discovered Golden Dragonfruit from the store (imported from Ecuador with a "Pitahaya" brand name).  Previously, I only had the other red one from the store, which was very bland.  This Golden one has a nice sweet taste - and I'm very interested in growing it.  Is this type of dragonfruit self-pollinating?  I would love to grow it.

Also, because you all are experts, what Dragonfruit varieties are sweeter than that one, self-pollinating, and produces fruit fairly quickly.

Any info is much appreciated, as I'm completely new to to trying to grow it!

spaugh

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #3187 on: March 17, 2021, 03:34:50 PM »
Its palora dragonfruit variety, its self pollinating.  Its pretty much the sweetest type.  Maybe sugar dragon and purple haze will also be good ones for you to grow. 
Brad Spaugh

Rannman

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #3188 on: March 20, 2021, 10:10:20 PM »









Thought I’d share a few pics of my new hybrid that I tasted for the first time this morning. This is a PT#7 x Dark Star, pictured with its parent varieties. The colour was a bit of a surprise, wasn’t expecting colours to be lighter than the parents. Was picked at 42 days and brix was 15. Very tasty.
I’ve got 12 of these, so it will be interesting to see how they all compare next season.
« Last Edit: March 20, 2021, 10:13:19 PM by Rannman »

Mark in Texas

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #3189 on: April 10, 2021, 11:50:43 AM »
Out of about 6 varieties that went thru 21F for about 8 hours the only ones that look great are Thompson Sugar 8-S and Frankie's Red.  Don't those have the cold hardy yeller genes?

This bed was a solid twisted mass, cleaned all the dead stuff  out yesterday.



Plantinyum

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #3190 on: April 10, 2021, 05:01:13 PM »
Out of about 6 varieties that went thru 21F for about 8 hours the only ones that look great are Thompson Sugar 8-S and Frankie's Red.  Don't those have the cold hardy yeller genes?

This bed was a solid twisted mass, cleaned all the dead stuff  out yesterday.


i'm surprised that anything survived such a temp. Do those two varieties did not had any damage ??

Mark in Texas

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #3191 on: April 11, 2021, 09:19:10 AM »
i'm surprised that anything survived such a temp. Do those two varieties did not had any damage ??
[/quote]

Nope. I'll try to remember to get a pic of them today.

Miracles do happen.  For example my 13' Reed avocado tree is pushing new shoots  7' up from the ground!  As usual my mangos took a huge hit.

Mark in Texas

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #3192 on: April 18, 2021, 08:23:10 AM »
Sugar (Thompson 8-S) is doing very well.  Took this shot last week, 2 months after the 21-22F greenhouse temps.  Low outdoors was 17F.



« Last Edit: April 25, 2021, 09:39:20 AM by Mark in Texas »

Galatians522

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #3193 on: April 18, 2021, 03:39:03 PM »
Sugar (Thompson 8-S) is doing very well.  Took this shot last week, 2 months after the 21-22F temps. 




That is awesome Mark! Thanks for posting about this. I now have a new plant on my hit list!

John B

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #3194 on: April 19, 2021, 12:28:14 PM »
Sugar (Thompson 8-S) is doing very well.  Took this shot last week, 2 months after the 21-22F temps. 




That is awesome Mark! Thanks for posting about this. I now have a new plant on my hit list!

This has been my favorite DF for the last 12 years. Even though the fruit are small, they make up for it on production and taste. Plus, they are self-fertile.

Mark in Texas

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #3195 on: April 22, 2021, 10:26:42 AM »
This has been my favorite DF for the last 12 years. Even though the fruit are small, they make up for it on production and taste. Plus, they are self-fertile.

Based on the required inputs and the  meh quality of the fruit, I think growing pitaya is a waste of time.

John B

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #3196 on: April 22, 2021, 10:49:24 AM »
This has been my favorite DF for the last 12 years. Even though the fruit are small, they make up for it on production and taste. Plus, they are self-fertile.

Based on the required inputs and the  meh quality of the fruit, I think growing pitaya is a waste of time.

I would agree that the white flesh and pure reds I've tasted and grown were not worth it. The magenta's will have a place in my garden. If they are not worth it, why are you still growing them?

spaugh

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #3197 on: April 22, 2021, 11:59:16 AM »
This has been my favorite DF for the last 12 years. Even though the fruit are small, they make up for it on production and taste. Plus, they are self-fertile.

Based on the required inputs and the  meh quality of the fruit, I think growing pitaya is a waste of time.

blasphemy!

Seriously, there is good DF that is worth growing.  It doens't seem to take much input either. 

I'm sending you some DF this summer mark.

Brad Spaugh

zephian

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #3198 on: April 22, 2021, 05:09:56 PM »
Brad's dragon fruit are delicious. Way better than stuff I find at the market. Can't wait for my s8 to get a dedicated spot in yard right now they're in small pots but growing like weeds
-Kris

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #3199 on: April 22, 2021, 06:03:43 PM »
Here are mine, its physical graffiti, haleys comet, zamorano and a yellow cutting

As soon as I trained them vertically after building a trellis they took off growing, definitely the way to go