dragon fruit cutting is growing roots at the top?

[ClayMango]

Phone is too low on battery...ill post pictures later...

I planted this cutting about 1 week ago and looks like 8 or 9 roots are growing at tge top...was i suppose to plant this upside down?

[cos]

They can & do grow roots any where.

[ClayMango]

what do I do? should I Turn the cutting upside down? or is most likely growing roots in the soil as well?

[merce3]

let it latch onto whatever it's reaching out for--preferably some natural wood. dragon fruit is an epiphyte (sp?) so the roots are a good sign.

[msk0072]

Aerial roots? !
Normal for the dragon fruit cactus

[ricshaw]

what do I do? should I Turn the cutting upside down? or is most likely growing roots in the soil as well?

First...  you have to figure out if YOU planted the cutting upside down.  If not them don't worry, they are only aerial roots.

[MMMMommy]

First...  you have to figure out if YOU planted the cutting upside down.  If not them don't worry, they are only aerial roots.

How do you tell??  the cutting looks exactly the same downside up or upside down *confused*

[fyliu]

Most of the time it's easy to see which side is up. Just post a photo and let others come to a consensus.

[ricshaw]

How do you tell??  the cutting looks exactly the same downside up or upside down *confused*

Being a person who planted his first Dragon Fruit cutting upside down...  the person who I bought it from told me wrong,  I understand how a newby could think they look exactly the same right side up or upside down.  But, with experience, it is very easy to see the difference.  When in doubt...  post a picture.

[ClayMango]

How do you tell??  the cutting looks exactly the same downside up or upside down *confused*

Being a person who planted his first Dragon Fruit cutting upside down...  the person who I bought it from told me wrong,  I understand how a newby could think they look exactly the same right side up or upside down.  But, with experience, it is very easy to see the difference.  When in doubt...  post a picture.

Sorry guys I'm stuck in San Diego for the day, cant post pics...But after reading an impressive Dragon Cutting article and seeing pictures...I have identified these as aerial roots...

The picture shows how to start cuttings by leaving the cutting in shaded/partial  warm area without water on a flat surface and not planted (Crazy right?)...after 2 weeks the photo shows the cutting developed in a full root system ready to be planted...it also shows a picture of what I have growing at the top called "aerial roots"... these roots are used to latch onto a surface to support itself, they also absorb nutrients such as water...The article mentions these roots also suck the water andnutrients out of nearby leaves ( Vampire Dragon ?)

http://www.eschertile.com/garden/cutting.htm

[ricshaw]

Aerial roots? !
Normal for the dragon fruit cactus

Yes, aerial roots.

Below is some cuttings I had left out for weeks without planting (in shaded warm area without water on a flat surface).



On the cutting on the top, the part on the right side was all new growth!


Which end of the cutting goes into the ground test.  Hint: Look at the ribs.

A or B?




C or D?



answers to follow

[ricshaw]

Which end of the cutting goes into the ground test.  Hint: Look at the ribs.

A or B?




C or D?

B and C

[dmk]

How do you identify which side is up?

Do you look at the spikes facing upwards, or is there more to it?

[fyliu]

1. look at which end is obvious younger and narrower -- won't work if both sides are the same width
2. look at the wavy part -- won't work if the wave is not prominent
3. look at how the spines are attached to the vine -- won't work if the cutting is more of a triangle than a star cross-section
4. peel back one spine to look at how its fiber attaches to the vine -- will work always but you damage the cutting. Better make this the last resort and only do it to the spine closest to one end.

[ricshaw]

How do you identify which side is up?

Do you look at the spikes facing upwards, or is there more to it?

Look at the wavy part in the examples above.

If the "waves" were water waves...  they would be "breaking" towards the end that goes up.

[ClayMango]

Anyone know where to get a Mexicana cutting?

[tanguy]

Anyone know where to get a Mexicana cutting?

ClayMango,
I got 2 cuttings on ebay couple of weeks ago.

[ClayMango]

Anyone know where to get a Mexicana cutting?

ClayMango,
I got 2 cuttings on ebay couple of week ago.

That exactly was the place in the World of Google where I was able to find it...I wasnt sure if the seller could be trusted with the real Genuine Article and not some Vietnemese White pass off... I guess i should take the chance?

[FrankDrebinOfFruits]

This may be obvious to some, but maybe not so obvious to other newbs like myself 

When you make the cuttings, use a sharpee marker to draw an arrow pointing up....

[ricshaw]

This may be obvious to some, but maybe not so obvious to other newbs like myself 
When you make the cuttings, use a sharpee marker to draw an arrow pointing up....

Good advice to mark the cuttings.  I don't sell DF cuttings.  Most of the cuttings I have gotten were unmarked.

[TheWaterbug]

If all else fails, cut the cutting in two and plant one each way

By the way, is there a good source for DF cuttings in Los Angeles? I can buy them from amazon, but sometimes that's a crap shoot (though I'm happy with my papayas and banana from that particular seller).

[ricshaw]

By the way, is there a good source for DF cuttings in Los Angeles?

[nullzero]

Cuttings also readily root laying down sideways.

[ClayMango]

By the way, is there a good source for DF cuttings in Los Angeles?

I went to his nursery and picked up 3 5g DF and 1 cutting over  a month ago....sadly he doesnt have Mexicana.

[JeffDM]

Reading all this and realizing that my Dragon Fruit planted from seed was moving along very slowly prompted me to risk a few dollars and buy a pink Dragon Fruit cutting on ebay.
Wish me luck.

[dmk]

Look at the wavy part in the examples above.

If the "waves" were water waves...  they would be "breaking" towards the end that goes up.

Thanks! That is what I looked at and took a guess. Sadly, few of my cuttings were upside down and I wondered why they didn't shoot. 

[yonip69]

Reading all this and realizing that my Dragon Fruit planted from seed was moving along very slowly prompted me to risk a few dollars and buy a pink Dragon Fruit cutting on ebay.
Wish me luck.

JeffDM why not buy it to MattsLandscape, He is a real deal

 

[ClayMango]

Reading all this and realizing that my Dragon Fruit planted from seed was moving along very slowly prompted me to risk a few dollars and buy a pink Dragon Fruit cutting on ebay.
Wish me luck.

JeffDM why not buy it to MattsLandscape, He is a real deal

 

you really need to  make a trip to Fall brook 40 minutes up the road and see Matt and his !!!75!!!! plus varieties of Dragon Fruit...or just order from him....

[JeffDM]

Reading all this and realizing that my Dragon Fruit planted from seed was moving along very slowly prompted me to risk a few dollars and buy a pink Dragon Fruit cutting on ebay.
Wish me luck.

JeffDM why not buy it to MattsLandscape, He is a real deal

 

you really need to  make a trip to Fall brook 40 minutes up the road and see Matt and his !!!75!!!! plus varieties of Dragon Fruit...or just order from him....

Just got my pink Dragon Fruit cuttings (they sent me two) in the mail and was pleased to see that  they marked both with arrows to show which end to plant.  I'll see how everything grows and then pick a spot in the yard for more.

[ricshaw]

By the way, is there a good source for DF cuttings in Los Angeles?

MattsLandscape.com is Epicacti Nursery.

http://www.epicacti.com/

[ClayMango]

By the way, is there a good source for DF cuttings in Los Angeles?

MattsLandscape.com is Epicacti Nursery.

http://www.epicacti.com/

Sorry guys...i was giving directions for Matts Landscape which shows up out of state on the GPS...it is Epi Cacti nursery in Fallbrook if your looking for gps directions..right off of the I-15 Rainbow exit before you hit Temecula.

[ricshaw]

MattsLandscape.com is Epicacti Nursery.

http://www.epicacti.com/

and Epicacti Nursery sells Dragon Fruit on Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_sr_lawn-garden?ie=UTF8&field-brandtextbin=Epicacti+Nursery&node=2972638011

[JeffDM]

Thanks for clearing up the confusion over where the nursery was located and what name it uses.
Looks like it's well worth the drive.  The only problem is the overwhelming variety - I've only got so much room in the yard.
 

[yonip69]

JeffDM
Mat the owner of MattsLandscape have 15 gallons RIXFORD variety dragon fruit in fruiting stage if you what it, but you have to bring you truck to load it up.
  

[yonip69]

JeffDM

Mat the owner of MattsLandscape have 15 gallons RIXFORD variety dragon fruit in fruiting stage if you want it, but you have to bring you truck to load it up.

 

[JeffDM]

So, I'm busy re-reading the comments on this thread this morning when it finally dawns on me that I planted my new Dragon Fruit cuttings upside down.  Both had roots on both ends, but somehow I thought the arrows drawn on them meant stick ↓ this end in the dirt instead of ↑ this end up.   

[gunnar429]

So, I'm busy re-reading the comments on this thread this morning when it finally dawns on me that I planted my new Dragon Fruit cuttings upside down.  Both had roots on both ends, but somehow I thought the arrows drawn on them meant stick ↓ this end in the dirt instead of ↑ this end up. 

Gave me a good laugh!  I always put "top" above the arrow to get the point across accurately

[ricshaw]

So, I'm busy re-reading the comments on this thread this morning when it finally dawns on me that I planted my new Dragon Fruit cuttings upside down.  Both had roots on both ends, but somehow I thought the arrows drawn on them meant stick ↓ this end in the dirt instead of ↑ this end up. 

[gunnar429]

 

So, I'm busy re-reading the comments on this thread this morning when it finally dawns on me that I planted my new Dragon Fruit cuttings upside down.  Both had roots on both ends, but somehow I thought the arrows drawn on them meant stick ↓ this end in the dirt instead of ↑ this end up. 

[fyliu]

So, I'm busy re-reading the comments on this thread this morning when it finally dawns on me that I planted my new Dragon Fruit cuttings upside down.  Both had roots on both ends, but somehow I thought the arrows drawn on them meant stick ↓ this end in the dirt instead of ↑ this end up. 

I thought the same thing when I started with grafting. It was not intuitive to me that the pointy end was supposed to point away from the graft. But it's what people are doing so I got used to it. Usually I can tell by the way the leaf scars are oriented  anyway.