Author Topic: Dragon Fruit thread.  (Read 940139 times)

ricshaw

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #1900 on: October 12, 2016, 11:38:02 AM »
I saw and purchased the same at vons. I was not impressed with the Yellow skinned Undatus last time I tried it.  I'll report back with results once I cut this one open.
Simon

Makes me wonder why the Israelis are producing so many yellow skinned Undatus.

I still want to find a Yellow Undatus cutting to grow for the unusual factor.

fyliu

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #1901 on: October 12, 2016, 07:50:02 PM »
Edgar baby the same as Valdivia rojo? How does this compare to sweet dragon?

I am pretty sure they are different. I have one of each and they seem to grow very differently. Not mature yet so I can't compare the fruit.
They're different. Valdivia Roja is not even from Edgar. It's from a farm called Valdivia Ranch in Mexico. Edgar always points that out when talking about it. I like the fruit a lot but it's small and not self fertile.

Edgar's baby is a relatively new variety. You guys know more than I do about it.

ricshaw

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #1902 on: October 12, 2016, 08:58:22 PM »
Edgar baby the same as Valdivia rojo? How does this compare to sweet dragon?

I am pretty sure they are different. I have one of each and they seem to grow very differently. Not mature yet so I can't compare the fruit.
They're different. Valdivia Roja is not even from Edgar. It's from a farm called Valdivia Ranch in Mexico. Edgar always points that out when talking about it. I like the fruit a lot but it's small and not self fertile.

Edgar's baby is a relatively new variety. You guys know more than I do about it.

Edgar Valdivia was positive about Edgar's Baby (named by a nursery which did tissue culture and has produced thousands of clones) and Edgar (a variety he named) and he grows both. I don't think Edgar makes any money from Edgar's Baby.

funlul

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #1903 on: October 13, 2016, 01:24:56 PM »
8.99 /lb...  :o
Looking for scionwoods: loquat, cherimoya, jujube, chocolate perssimon

simon_grow

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #1904 on: October 13, 2016, 02:22:04 PM »
Yes, the yellow skinned Israeli DF go for about 8-9 dollars a lbs.  here it is cut open. It tastes exactly as I remember it, completely bland with no sweetness and no flavor. The Brix was 12% and the fruit tastes like water. People will be turned off if this is the first DF they sample. The DF industry has a huge marketing problem. Yes, people will buy them on the short term but in the long run, they are turning people off this fruit. It's like the Tommy Atkins mango dilemma.

Simon




RobPatterson

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #1905 on: October 13, 2016, 06:22:24 PM »
One thing with the low brix scores on some varieties is that it makes it an ideal fruit for diabetics to 'enjoy'. I first started growing dragonfruit because my mother was having a rough time with her blood sugar and I heard DF was very high in fruity nutrition without having much in the way of sugar, which sounded ideal for her. She's since managed to turn things around, and enjoys more sweet varieties of the fruit, but you cant discount the value of low sugar fruit.
Having said that, it's a very niche argument for producing those, and I do agree, if anyone just wanted to say 'hey, lets try out this exotic looking fruit', they might not come back. Ive heard a lot of people tell me they tried DF before and it wasn't to their liking, mostly flavorless. Ive had to force it on a couple people to get them to change their minds about the whole thing. And yes, that variety isn't doing anyone any favors, especially producers of better fruit, by circulating those. BUT, its still an option and I know a lot of time went into producing that hybrid, and that work continues to improve it.

khoi1976

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #1906 on: October 13, 2016, 06:23:08 PM »
Need expert help with DF cutting . I'm currently planting some cutting . They were growing great and then all the suddenly the base of the cutting turn yellow and the growth stop. So I took a knife and cut off all the yellow  part off the base of cutting . Anyone know what wrong and why the cutting base turn yellow?

Thanks

Jct

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #1907 on: October 13, 2016, 06:36:06 PM »

Makes me wonder why the Israelis are producing so many yellow skinned Undatus.


They have sunk costs in putting in the plant and trellis's necessary to support them, plus farm infrastructure, etc. They're not thinking much about the future, just their return on investment.
LaVerne Manila Mango; Pixie Crunch, Honeycrisp & Gala Apple Trees; Violette De Bordeaux & Black Mission Fig; Santa Rosa Plum & Snow Queen Nectarine; Nagami Kumquat, Pixie Tangerine, Lemon, Australian Finger Lime & Washington Navel Citrus; White & Red Dragon Fruit; Miracle Berry Plant

simon_grow

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #1908 on: October 13, 2016, 09:39:09 PM »
Need expert help with DF cutting . I'm currently planting some cutting . They were growing great and then all the suddenly the base of the cutting turn yellow and the growth stop. So I took a knife and cut off all the yellow  part off the base of cutting . Anyone know what wrong and why the cutting base turn yellow?

Thanks

Do you have pictures? Dry out the ends of cuttings before planting in a fast draining soil. Give it bottom heat to speed up root developement. Weather is turning cold, especially at night so bottom heat  helps a lot.

Simon

khoi1976

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #1909 on: October 14, 2016, 06:14:49 AM »
Need expert help with DF cutting . I'm currently planting some cutting . They were growing great and then all the suddenly the base of the cutting turn yellow and the growth stop. So I took a knife and cut off all the yellow  part off the base of cutting . Anyone know what wrong and why the cutting base turn yellow?

Thanks

Do you have pictures? Dry out the ends of cuttings before planting in a fast draining soil. Give it bottom heat to speed up root developement. Weather is turning cold, especially at night so bottom heat  helps a lot.

Simon
Sorry Simon I didn't take any picture.  The bottom just got mushy and turn yellow.  I'm going to  take it out  and dry it in the sun and repot again .

RobPatterson

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #1910 on: October 14, 2016, 02:25:30 PM »
Actually, until it roots, keep it mostly dry, in sandy or loose Unfertilized soil. Pure sand works well, and if you can someplace where theres concrete and sun, put about 2 inches of sand max in a pot, place that on the concrete (or asphalt) and add some water maybe once a week. The concrete 'bed' will help warm the sand and promote growth. Heat, or more specifically, warmth, is a huge help in getting these plants to start rooting. But, if youre starting over, cut off the yellowed portion of the plant, add some rooting hormone, if you have any, and let the fresh cut 'harden' or dry for at least one week. Then, wet the end again, add rooting hormone to the cut, and place in your pot. You want fully draining, sterile soil until you get your roots. Remember, youre not trying to get a plant to grow, youre trying to get a severed piece of plant to realize it's no longer part of the host organism, and that it needs to develop its own rooting system to survive.

khoi1976

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #1911 on: October 14, 2016, 03:56:57 PM »
Actually, until it roots, keep it mostly dry, in sandy or loose Unfertilized soil. Pure sand works well, and if you can someplace where theres concrete and sun, put about 2 inches of sand max in a pot, place that on the concrete (or asphalt) and add some water maybe once a week. The concrete 'bed' will help warm the sand and promote growth. Heat, or more specifically, warmth, is a huge help in getting these plants to start rooting. But, if youre starting over, cut off the yellowed portion of the plant, add some rooting hormone, if you have any, and let the fresh cut 'harden' or dry for at least one week. Then, wet the end again, add rooting hormone to the cut, and place in your pot. You want fully draining, sterile soil until you get your roots. Remember, youre not trying to get a plant to grow, youre trying to get a severed piece of plant to realize it's no longer part of the host organism, and that it needs to develop its own rooting system to survive.

Great thank you .

CTMIAMI

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #1912 on: October 21, 2016, 09:01:16 PM »
Had this for dessert tonight. Absolutely delicious  :)


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JF

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #1913 on: October 21, 2016, 09:15:39 PM »
Had this pitaya very high brix 18 anyone knows this variety?




simon_grow

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #1914 on: October 21, 2016, 11:14:29 PM »
There's so many crosses out there, it's very difficult to determine the variety. Most of the better DF varieties have Brix in the 18% range and with proper fertilization and water withholding, they can get to 19+%. Hopefully I'll have more ultra high Brix fruit to share at the mango tastings now that I have the rats under control.

Simon

RobPatterson

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #1915 on: October 24, 2016, 12:43:21 AM »
Had this pitaya very high brix 18 anyone knows this variety?



Try and get us some photos of the outside of the plant as well. The organization of the scales, spacing, fruit shape and even the final skin color can tell a lot about the variety. However, based on the size of the seeds compared to the fruit, its either has slightly larger seeds than average OR its possibly Voodoo Child or S8, based on the thin skin and what I can see of the skin color. Was the fruit relatively small, about the size of a goose's egg, and roughtly the same shape, with scales that didn't protrude out but held onto the fruit, like actual reptile scales would?


« Last Edit: October 24, 2016, 12:50:09 AM by RobPatterson »

JF

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #1916 on: October 24, 2016, 02:39:22 PM »
Had this pitaya very high brix 18 anyone knows this variety?



Try and get us some photos of the outside of the plant as well. The organization of the scales, spacing, fruit shape and even the final skin color can tell a lot about the variety. However, based on the size of the seeds compared to the fruit, its either has slightly larger seeds than average OR its possibly Voodoo Child or S8, based on the thin skin and what I can see of the skin color. Was the fruit relatively small, about the size of a goose's egg, and roughtly the same shape, with scales that didn't protrude out but held onto the fruit, like actual reptile scales would?



that's the only pic I have here is my last one on the tree. I had them label but loss tags. I believe I had S7, Frankie, Houghton, Haley's comet and two other I forgot. Here is a pic of last one.



ClayMango

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #1917 on: October 24, 2016, 07:36:21 PM »
Sugar  dragon is  the  sweetest I've  tryed  to date.
Thinking about joining a Fruitaholics anonymous support group...Fruit addiction has taken over my life!

simon_grow

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #1918 on: November 13, 2016, 04:38:04 PM »
Last few of the regular purple dragonfruit. These are my biggest twins of American Beauty. Combined, they weigh 3lbs 3 and 3/4 ounces. These ones were starting to split at the flower end even though I have not been watering them.

For those at the Mango tastings wondering how I get these DF so sweet, I fertilize with Potassium, rock dust and also I withhold watering prior to harvest once the majority of the fruit have reached appropriate size.





Simon

Tomas

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #1919 on: November 15, 2016, 09:46:22 PM »
Does anyone know with certainty that Valdivia Roja is self-pollinating just like American Beauty for example?

Tomas

marklee

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #1920 on: November 15, 2016, 10:08:28 PM »
Does anyone know with certainty that Valdivia Roja is self-pollinating just like American Beauty for example?

Tomas
Valdivia Roja for is not self-fertile or self-pollinating. You've got to use pollen from another variety.

Tomas

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #1921 on: November 15, 2016, 10:13:09 PM »
Hi Mark,

That's really good to know. Thanks!

Tomas

Tomas

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #1922 on: November 16, 2016, 06:33:56 PM »
Hey,

Does anyone know what Hylocereus family or hybrid Arizona Purple belongs to? I can honestly say that I have not found any information about this from my own research.

Tomas

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #1923 on: November 16, 2016, 10:59:58 PM »
Arizona purple is the same as S8 or Sugar Dragon. It is a first class fruit.

JF

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #1924 on: November 16, 2016, 11:20:44 PM »
Arizona purple is the same as S8 or Sugar Dragon. It is a first class fruit.

also known as sweet dragon