2016 Pitahaya/Dragon Fruit Field Day

[ricshaw]

Santa Paula, California
September 16, 2016

Entrance to Hansen Agriculture Research and Extension Center.




Private Pitahaya grove near Santa Paula, CA




Ramiro Lobo, UCCE Farm Advisor




UC Dragon Fruit Research Field

[ricshaw]

Valdivia Roja Dragon Fruit




Edgar Valdivia holding a Valdivia Roja fruit (Note: No relationship between Edgar and Valdivia Roja)




Valdivia Roja flower (one of the prettiest DF flower)




Sin Espinas (thornless) Dragon Fruit




Sin Espinas fruit (one of the best looking DF fruit, taste good too)

[ricshaw]

A slide from Ramiro's presentation.




Dragon Fruit tasting before lunch.








Participants waiting in line to get free cuttings.




People selecting cuttings.

[LivingParadise]

Wow, that is some serious dragonfruit growing. I have never seen interior flesh like the one pictured labeled "Delight" - thanks for sharing!

[Bush2Beach]

How did you hear this event was happening?

[ricshaw]

How did you hear this event was happening?

First place was the Pitaya And Other Dessert-Fruiting Cacti YahooGroup.

Then on various Facebook Groups like California Rare Fruit Growers.

I am sorry that I did not share on the TFF Dragon Fruit thread like I did the Irvine, CA event.

[Bush2Beach]

Cool, thank you very much.

[simon_grow]

Thanks for sharing, do you remember the top varieties? Do you happen to have Brix readings for the top varieties?  Thanks for any info you can provide.

Simon

[ricshaw]

Thanks for sharing, do you remember the top varieties? Do you happen to have Brix readings for the top varieties?  Thanks for any info you can provide.

Simon

Over and over the two top varieties mentioned are Physical Graffiti and Lisa. These are the two favorite varieties of the research trials at both Irvine, CA and Santa Paula, CA.

The Brix readings have been posted on the  Field Results to Date handouts available at every festival.

[simon_grow]

Thanks ricshaw!

Simon

[ricshaw]

There was plenty of Dragon Fruit cuttings for the participants. I would guess that the average number of cuttings taken by each participants was >10.

In addition, my friend Don Burnett offered to donate (with approval) plenty of Rixford cuttings.




For anybody who is not familiar with Rixford, Rixford (a red flesh variety) is one of the parent Dragon Fruit varieties Paul Thomson used to create; Physical Graffiti (Thomson 1-S), Cosmic Charlie (Thomson 2-S), Delight (Thomson 3-S), Purple Haze (Thomson 5-S), Sugar Dragon (Thomson 8-S), & Dark Star (Thomson 9-S).

[Das Bhut]

Do you have the brix ratings or any information for Vietnamese Jaina and David Bowie?

Also I had to cut up my physical graffiti because the main stem rotted away, have any tips for taking/rooting cuttings? Right now I just cut the healthy looking parts at the joints and stick them in the ground joint first.

[ricshaw]

Do you have the brix ratings or any information for Vietnamese Jaina and David Bowie?

No. I don't know anybody who grows Vietnamese Jaina and David Bowie.

Also I had to cut up my physical graffiti because the main stem rotted away, have any tips for taking/rooting cuttings? Right now I just cut the healthy looking parts at the joints and stick them in the ground joint first.

The first thing after cutting off cacti stems is you have to set them somewhere for a week or so to let the cutting callous before planting. 

Then

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