Author Topic: Turning a Deteriorating Tiki Hut Into a Large Dragon Fruit Orchard?  (Read 3425 times)

Tropicalgrower89

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The more I learn about dragon fruit, the more I'm becoming interested in it. My tiki hut is falling apart, but the wood polls and main structure is still sturdy and intact. The wood doesn't look like pressure treated wood and some the secondary polls that hold-up the dead palm fronds are splitting apart and rotting. Some even have old mushrooms on them. I was thinking about adding some 2x4 non-treated wood planks to the structure and making a huge dragon fruit orchard out of it. I can plant up to two or three types of dragon fruit under the tiki hut skeleton.  :) Is this a good idea?
Alexi

FloridaGreenMan

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Re: Turning a Deteriorating Tiki Hut Into a Large Dragon Fruit Orchard?
« Reply #1 on: September 10, 2012, 09:07:24 PM »
Sounds like a great idea...go for it !
FloridaGreenMan

cbss_daviefl

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Re: Turning a Deteriorating Tiki Hut Into a Large Dragon Fruit Orchard?
« Reply #2 on: September 11, 2012, 08:45:28 AM »
If you have ever seen the way the commercial guys do it, they put there support stuctures around 4 to 5 feet from the ground.  Harvesting the fruit at the height of the roof structure will not be fun.  If you need to rework the structure, I would recommend taking the lumber from the roof and lowering it to within easy reach, if that is feasible.
Brandon

Tropicalgrower89

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Re: Turning a Deteriorating Tiki Hut Into a Large Dragon Fruit Orchard?
« Reply #3 on: September 11, 2012, 10:28:55 AM »
Thanks guys.^ My parents want to put a screened-in enclosure there, so I can't do what I was planning to do. And, like cbss_daviefl mentioned, it will be a pain in the butt to get the fruits at roof level. It is high. What I'm planning to do is wait till this spring (now saving $$$)  and build a 5 foot dragon fruit support structure out of non-treated wood and burlap like the commercial guys.
Alexi

cbss_daviefl

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Re: Turning a Deteriorating Tiki Hut Into a Large Dragon Fruit Orchard?
« Reply #4 on: September 11, 2012, 11:58:34 AM »
On the drive to Fruit & Spice Park, on 248st, there is a commerial guy using metal fencing posts typically used for chain link fencing.  I am thinking of going that route in my next house.  The setup used three parallel horizontal bars, the central bar about a foot higher than the outer bars, maybe 18 inches between them.  Hard to tell going 40MPH. 
Brandon

davidgarcia899

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Re: Turning a Deteriorating Tiki Hut Into a Large Dragon Fruit Orchard?
« Reply #5 on: September 11, 2012, 12:26:46 PM »
I recommend putting it on a tree. I used to grow it on a gumbo limbo tree that was planted in front of my old house. Now I have some planted along my fence on the posts. It may not give as much as those commercial set ups but it gives me plenty and cost me nothing.
- David Antonio Garcia

tabbydan

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Re: Turning a Deteriorating Tiki Hut Into a Large Dragon Fruit Orchard?
« Reply #6 on: September 11, 2012, 02:17:09 PM »
Dragonfruit is probably the prettiest fruit out there, but it kind of lacks flavor....

So I'd recommend also having (to go along with a very pretty H. undatus):
-Selenicereus megalanthus (if you insist on having "a dragonfruit" since it also has that common name applied to it, as it is called "yellow dragonfruit), it has a lot more flavor than the red or white (both H. undatus)
-various Cereus species
-various Epiphyllum species / varieties (these have VERY showy flowers and the fruits are tastier than H. undatus (not as wild looking though)
-various Opuntia

The Epiphyllum like H. undatus will require supports (or hanging pots, or...) as it is a floppy character.  The others I think are all self supporting.

Good luck
What's that got to do with Jose Andres $10 brussel sprouts?

Tropicalgrower89

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Re: Turning a Deteriorating Tiki Hut Into a Large Dragon Fruit Orchard?
« Reply #7 on: September 11, 2012, 03:42:30 PM »
^Thanks for the advice and your opinions.  :)

David, unfortunately I don't have a tree to grow dragon fruit on.
Alexi

Tim

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Re: Turning a Deteriorating Tiki Hut Into a Large Dragon Fruit Orchard?
« Reply #8 on: September 11, 2012, 04:08:24 PM »
Alexi -it's so easy to build a support post that will work with your preferred picking/maintenance height. It may cost you less than $20 to build and wrap with burlap.
Tim