Author Topic: Dragon Fruit thread.  (Read 940105 times)

Luisport

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #525 on: April 10, 2014, 09:50:10 AM »
Olá amigo! It's good to know more Portuguese people here! Congratulations and good luck! ;D

gunnar429

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #526 on: April 10, 2014, 10:43:47 AM »
what a resilient/forgiving plant that can be so yellow and soggy and then bounce back so nicely! 
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Juanita

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #527 on: April 28, 2014, 01:00:26 AM »
Hello everyone, just introducing myself.  I will be lurking and learning while waiting for my cuttings to arrive.

I live in the low desert of Mohave, similar climate to Phoenix.  This is a small town and there are no dragon fruit plants at the local nursery, so I am ordering cuttings from a vendor on ebay.  I have lemons, limes, and orange trees in the yard and I assumed that if limes grow here, dragon fruit should grow as well. 

Thanks to all of you for sharing your knowledge here, I am learning much.

 

Viking Guy

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Re: Tried dragonfruit for the first time
« Reply #528 on: April 28, 2014, 05:28:36 AM »
Definitely try American Beauty.  It's a night and day difference.

What does it taste like? 

Any one know of a place where I can mail order the fruit in.  Don't want to waste my time on something we might not like.

Sorry Mark, I missed your question.

I would suggest contacting tropicalfruitgrowers.com.  They will ship you many varieties of tropical fruit for you to try.

Dezperado

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #529 on: May 02, 2014, 03:01:50 PM »
A few days ago I started noticing what I think it could be a flower bud on a cutting. I planted this in January. Is this possible???











Dezperado

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #530 on: May 02, 2014, 03:09:34 PM »
One more




Luisport

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #531 on: May 02, 2014, 04:06:44 PM »
One more



How lucky!!! Sortudo!!!  ;D

thao

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #532 on: May 02, 2014, 06:11:55 PM »
A few days ago I started noticing what I think it could be a flower bud on a cutting. I planted this in January. Is this possible???






Yes, very possible for a newly rooted cutting to have a flower bud. Just don't have your hopes too high ;D One of mine Purple Haze cutting, was like that too, but the flower bud never develop and dried/dropped off. I'm guessing, since, not enough root system has develop  to support a fruit/flower yet. As it had just been rooted not too long ago and develop a strong root system for supporting such energy consuming growth yet. Though, I have seen online  pictures of some cuttings with a fully mature fruit developing from it.

The reason for cuttings to develop such as that, is mainly due to being older mature cuttings, it came from. Either your cutting cam from a long branch that had previous fruit on it or is going to develop a flower bud, but was trimmed off.

BTW, that is a flower bud,  congrats, hope it makes it to maturity and not dried and drop off  :)

Dezperado

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #533 on: May 02, 2014, 06:39:13 PM »
A few days ago I started noticing what I think it could be a flower bud on a cutting. I planted this in January. Is this possible???






Yes, very possible for a newly rooted cutting to have a flower bud. Just don't have your hopes too high ;D One of mine Purple Haze cutting, was like that too, but the flower bud never develop and dried/dropped off. I'm guessing, since, not enough root system has develop  to support a fruit/flower yet. As it had just been rooted not too long ago and develop a strong root system for supporting such energy consuming growth yet. Though, I have seen online  pictures of some cuttings with a fully mature fruit developing from it.

The reason for cuttings to develop such as that, is mainly due to being older mature cuttings, it came from. Either your cutting cam from a long branch that had previous fruit on it or is going to develop a flower bud, but was trimmed off.

BTW, that is a flower bud,  congrats, hope it makes it to maturity and not dried and drop off  :)


Thanks :-)   If it dries off I now know it is normal and there are reasons for doing so.  Thanks once again!

ben mango

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #534 on: May 02, 2014, 06:46:33 PM »
Wow didnt know there's so many varieties. Which is encouraging because the big ones I've had here are not that sweet. Except the small yellow and pink/ red ones.  They are juicy and sweet.  Unfortunately people here just call them by their color and not an actual name ...

ricshaw

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #535 on: May 02, 2014, 11:24:40 PM »
It was on the Big Island Hawaii where I discovered Dragon Fruit at a local farmer's market.

Like thao said, it is not uncommon for cuttings from an older mature stem to produce flowers.

I even got fruit once last Fall.





And it tasted very good!   ;D

LEOOEL

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #536 on: May 13, 2014, 12:07:32 AM »
Hi everyone! How much time a cutting nead to fruit?

I got my first bunch (7 total) of cuttings in Aug 2011, the all looked pretty much like this in February 2012.

A month later in August 2013, Dark Star looked like this.


I got fruit from all 7 this year. So from cuttings in Aug 2011 to fruit harvesting 2 years later in Aug 2013.
And not all had as much growth as the Dark Star, here is my Vietnamese Jaina with flowers from Sept this year.

 
DM

OK, great, now I realized where I went wrong. I should have picked a squared width pole for my dragonfruit and not a circular width pole. So, back to square one, I may have to figure out a new 'crown' configuration for the top of my round-width 'David Bowie' Dragon Fruit pole. And, I've got no time to waste, the 'Dragon' has climbed the pole and surpassed it by two feet already.
'Virtue' should be taught, learned and propagated, in order to save others and oneself.

LEOOEL

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #537 on: May 14, 2014, 11:46:19 PM »
I think I've figured out how to properly install the wood 'crown,' that appears in the above picture, on top of my round peg post.

At the top of the post, I'll cut out some indentations, about the width of the 2''X4'' wood, perpendicular to and on opposite sides at the top of the pole. The whole thing will then be secured by a standard screw-lug on each side of the top of the pole, just as shown in the pictures above. In this way, after the 'crown' is secured by the two screws, the indentations will hold the crown in place, and prevent the weight of future dragon fruit tentacles, to collapse the 'wood crown' towards one side or the other.
'Virtue' should be taught, learned and propagated, in order to save others and oneself.

ricshaw

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #538 on: May 15, 2014, 12:18:31 AM »
I think I've figured out how to properly install the wood 'crown,' that appears in the above picture, on top of my round peg post.
At the top of the post, I'll cut out some indentations, about the width of the 2''X4'' wood, perpendicular to and on opposite sides at the top of the pole. The whole thing will then be secured by a standard screw-lug on each side of the top of the pole, just as shown in the pictures above. In this way, after the 'crown' is secured by the two screws, the indentations will hold the crown in place, and prevent the weight of future dragon fruit tentacles, to collapse the 'wood crown' towards one side or the other.

You could always drill two holes, at right angle, near the top and insert 1/2" rebar making a four-spoke support for 6" x 6" heavy wire mesh like they did at the UC Irvine test field.



« Last Edit: May 15, 2014, 12:25:44 AM by ricshaw »

Yorgos

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #539 on: May 15, 2014, 01:50:53 PM »
I have an AmericanBeauty in the ground going on three years.  No production yet.  It was hammered this winter and i did not protect it at all. 
Very Darwinian of me, but it has lived.  Its in a raised bed and gets good sun (6 hours/day or so).  I wonder if the Houston humidity affects it?  I have it
on a south facing 7 foot fence. No pictures at this tme since it looks very ragged.  My neighbor keeps wacking at the branches that grow over or through
the fence on her side.
Near NRG Stadium, Houston Texas. USDA zone 9a

ricshaw

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #540 on: May 15, 2014, 02:52:12 PM »
I have an AmericanBeauty in the ground going on three years.  No production yet.  It was hammered this winter and i did not protect it at all. 
Very Darwinian of me, but it has lived.  Its in a raised bed and gets good sun (6 hours/day or so).  I wonder if the Houston humidity affects it?  I have it
on a south facing 7 foot fence. No pictures at this tme since it looks very ragged.  My neighbor keeps wacking at the branches that grow over or through
the fence on her side.

I use to tell people to expect fruit in about three years when growing from a cutting.

Recently I have been told that a Dragon Fruit plant needs a certain amount of weight (total foliage) to produce fruit.


fyliu

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #541 on: May 15, 2014, 05:58:28 PM »
10 hours of sun is the trigger. Moderately yellow branches with some green is a good thing as long as it doesn't burn. No more nitrogen fertilizer. Maybe add some potassium and just keep waiting. They do like to flower at the end of hanging branches so if that's what your neighbor whacked off, it's not good but at least she didn't whack off the fruits. Maybe you should be the one cutting it back a Few inches from the fence and let it flower.

LEOOEL

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #542 on: May 15, 2014, 08:59:13 PM »
I think I've figured out how to properly install the wood 'crown,' that appears in the above picture, on top of my round peg post.
At the top of the post, I'll cut out some indentations, about the width of the 2''X4'' wood, perpendicular to and on opposite sides at the top of the pole. The whole thing will then be secured by a standard screw-lug on each side of the top of the pole, just as shown in the pictures above. In this way, after the 'crown' is secured by the two screws, the indentations will hold the crown in place, and prevent the weight of future dragon fruit tentacles, to collapse the 'wood crown' towards one side or the other.

You could always drill two holes, at right angle, near the top and insert 1/2" rebar making a four-spoke support for 6" x 6" heavy wire mesh like they did at the UC Irvine test field.

 

Thanks for your suggestion. And, yes, although the wire mesh method is another valid option that I've seen at nurseries, I regard it to be somewhat industrious looking. I prefer the wood 'crown' method because it appears to me as somewhat more domestic. Nevertheless, I'm planning on using pressure treated wood, the same as the pole. Now that everything seems to be planned out, it's time for action. I'll report back when its all said and done.
'Virtue' should be taught, learned and propagated, in order to save others and oneself.

fyliu

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #543 on: May 15, 2014, 09:10:46 PM »
Is the crown attached to the plant post?

I'm doing a different thing where there's a wide wooden frame that stands on it's own. 10ft x 5ft. Then there are lets say 20 plants under the frame that are trained to go up and over it. This way I can remove varieties that aren't tasty and I don't have to make a frame for each plant or set of plants. My frame has good support since there's a lot of weight on it.

ricshaw

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #544 on: May 15, 2014, 10:53:02 PM »
Thanks for your suggestion. And, yes, although the wire mesh method is another valid option that I've seen at nurseries, I regard it to be somewhat industrious looking. I prefer the wood 'crown' method because it appears to me as somewhat more domestic. Nevertheless, I'm planning on using pressure treated wood, the same as the pole. Now that everything seems to be planned out, it's time for action. I'll report back when its all said and done.

I agree that the rebar and wire mesh method is not the best looking method.

For me...  I like the permanence of 'concrete'.

NathanC

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #545 on: May 17, 2014, 01:35:29 AM »
Hmm ... I used to have a passion for dragonfruit, but now that I just started my yard, there doesn't seem to be enough room. I don't know, but it seems that dragonfruit is nor as popular and received by the public as citrus, mostly because of a bad experience with a store bought one. I'm mostly thinking mangoes, citrus and passionfruit. I seems like dragonfruit is simply just super sweet and 'refreshing', but citrus covers that. The super sweet factor made me change my mind of figs as well. Can someone remind me why dragonfruit is worth growing?  :-\

LEOOEL

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #546 on: May 17, 2014, 01:36:36 AM »
Yes, the wood 'crown' is attached to the DF pole.

I too like the permanence of quality concrete, but what does this have to do with Dragon Fruit? Are you saying that DF can thrive climbing concrete?
'Virtue' should be taught, learned and propagated, in order to save others and oneself.

gunnar429

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #547 on: May 17, 2014, 08:05:27 PM »
i think it looks cool when fully grown on the pole.  Plus, some of the purple types are not bland.  Definitely not top tier though.  But who else in your area is growing DF?  I bet lots of ppl are growing citrus. 
~Jeff

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #548 on: May 18, 2014, 09:58:11 PM »
Hmm ... I used to have a passion for dragonfruit, but now that I just started my yard, there doesn't seem to be enough room. I don't know, but it seems that dragonfruit is nor as popular and received by the public as citrus, mostly because of a bad experience with a store bought one. I'm mostly thinking mangoes, citrus and passionfruit. I seems like dragonfruit is simply just super sweet and 'refreshing', but citrus covers that. The super sweet factor made me change my mind of figs as well. Can someone remind me why dragonfruit is worth growing:-\

For me, its refreshing, pleasantly, but not overly sweet......has some sub-acidity in most of the ones I grow....the plants grow virtually maintenance free.....the flowers are spectacular.......and the fuschia fleshed ones are so vibrantly colored that the sheer beauty of them makes them interesting.  Other than that.....there's no resaon to bother.
Harry
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nullzero

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #549 on: May 18, 2014, 10:03:12 PM »
Dragonfruit's drought tolerance and a good reason to grow it. DF can produce large excellent tasting fruits, that are visually appealing.
Grow mainly fruits, vegetables, and herbs.