Author Topic: Dragon Fruit Trellis idea?  (Read 30561 times)

bradflorida

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Dragon Fruit Trellis idea?
« on: November 09, 2014, 09:00:45 PM »
I Will be making a dragon fruit trellis. 

I have a 4x4 piece of pressure treated lumber that will stick for feet vertically out of the ground. I am debating whether or not I should put a piece of wood perpendicular across the top so the whole thing will look like the letter T. Or should I just leave it alone and have a 4 foot vertical post?

I guess Im having a hard time imagining how the starting  cactus segments run vertically up the post and when they hit the top of the post do they just lean backwards in a horizontal direction off of the post by either training them or by relying on their own little aerial roots to cling on and not fall back?


Or must you train them to go forward and down over the other side of the post in a horizontal direction?

Do the aerial roots support the cactus strong enough or do you have to keep trying the top segments to the top of the post?

Thanks!

Brad
« Last Edit: November 09, 2014, 09:33:24 PM by bradflorida »
Brad

ricshaw

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Re: Dragon Fruit Trellis idea?
« Reply #1 on: November 09, 2014, 11:12:46 PM »
This is the way they do it in the Philippines.



Note that they tie the Dragon Fruit stems to the vertical post.

bradflorida

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Re: Dragon Fruit Trellis idea?
« Reply #2 on: November 10, 2014, 09:43:36 AM »
Good to know.  Looks like zip ties and cloth ties. 

Brad

fyliu

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Re: Dragon Fruit Trellis idea?
« Reply #3 on: November 10, 2014, 01:57:37 PM »
Dragonfruit and orchids grow in roughly the same environment: at the top part of the rainforest canopy. The vines are climbers but the arial roots aren't clinging. They might search along branches and dip into places where water pool up to get a drink. That's how I like to think of it working anyway.

Fiddler

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Re: Dragon Fruit Trellis idea?
« Reply #4 on: November 11, 2014, 03:08:36 AM »
So, let's see if I understand what I'm looking at in the photo.
   Concrete posts with pieces of steel rebar supporting motorcycle tires on top?
    The tires probably would hold rainwater the cacti could use, but they would also provide a place for mosquitoes to breed. Hmmm...
    Say Brad, why didn't you answer my PM? We gonna tour each other's gardens, or what?

gunnar429

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Re: Dragon Fruit Trellis idea?
« Reply #5 on: November 11, 2014, 09:06:35 AM »
i bet they drill holes in teh tires so they don't collect standing water.
~Jeff

"Say you just can't live that negative way, if you know what I mean. Make way for the positive day." - Positive Vibration

yonip69

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Re: Dragon Fruit Trellis idea?
« Reply #6 on: November 11, 2014, 11:39:58 AM »
Philippines rains a lot so they have to drill holes on those old tires due to the nasty dengue fever transmitted from mosquito bites.

 8)

TropicalFruitHunters

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Re: Dragon Fruit Trellis idea?
« Reply #7 on: November 11, 2014, 01:10:25 PM »
Brad...most of the places growing DF in Thailand that we saw no longer bother with something across the top.  Not needed and adds labor/time.  I guess if you have room and want more coverage, the top piece would be beneficial.

gunnar429

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Re: Dragon Fruit Trellis idea?
« Reply #8 on: November 11, 2014, 01:20:59 PM »
Brad...most of the places growing DF in Thailand that we saw no longer bother with something across the top.  Not needed and adds labor/time.  I guess if you have room and want more coverage, the top piece would be beneficial.

So, how do they control the vine-- just tie it to the post every couple feet high, and let the plant hand down?  I would love to avoid this step...I have been "meaning" to put a top on my DF posts, but have never gotten around to it= don't want to do it.

Thanks
~Jeff

"Say you just can't live that negative way, if you know what I mean. Make way for the positive day." - Positive Vibration

ricshaw

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Re: Dragon Fruit Trellis idea?
« Reply #9 on: November 11, 2014, 02:03:01 PM »
So, how do they control the vine-- just tie it to the post every couple feet high, and let the plant hand down?  I would love to avoid this step...I have been "meaning" to put a top on my DF posts, but have never gotten around to it= don't want to do it.
Thanks

There is NOT one BEST way to do it.  It will depend on the grower.  The UCCE is experimenting with a wire trellis system.




I mainly use a two post trellis.






I am also experimenting with just raising a 15 gallon pot a couple feet on concrete blocks and tying the main stock to a 2 foot post and then letting it hanging down.

Jeff, You are going to find out that once the top fountain of the DF plant increases in size and weight, it will need some kind of support.



« Last Edit: November 11, 2014, 02:50:55 PM by ricshaw »

ricshaw

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Re: Dragon Fruit Trellis idea?
« Reply #10 on: November 11, 2014, 05:22:39 PM »
I forgot to mention that some people have used a chain-link fence (myself included) for support.

MVP Farms:


TropicalFruitHunters

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Re: Dragon Fruit Trellis idea?
« Reply #11 on: November 11, 2014, 06:19:54 PM »
they most likely tie it to the post as it grows up and once at the top, starts pruning and lets it branch however it wants at that point.  As pointed out, there are hundreds of ways of doing it.  Comes down to how much time, effort, and expense you want to put into it.  I like all the ones in the previous pics.  I once had a post dug deep into the greenhouse with a huge top support.  Was pretty neat but the plants were taking up way too much room.  Now I have them in a corner growing up some fencing.  I'm getting way too much growth and no blooms.  Starting to piss me off! 

murahilin

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Re: Dragon Fruit Trellis idea?
« Reply #12 on: November 11, 2014, 09:39:28 PM »
they most likely tie it to the post as it grows up and once at the top, starts pruning and lets it branch however it wants at that point.  As pointed out, there are hundreds of ways of doing it.  Comes down to how much time, effort, and expense you want to put into it.  I like all the ones in the previous pics.  I once had a post dug deep into the greenhouse with a huge top support.  Was pretty neat but the plants were taking up way too much room.  Now I have them in a corner growing up some fencing.  I'm getting way too much growth and no blooms.  Starting to piss me off!

How many different varieties are you growing?

bradflorida

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Re: Dragon Fruit Trellis idea?
« Reply #13 on: November 11, 2014, 09:59:15 PM »
Thanks Jeff.  Thanks Ricshaw.  You have both helped me to better understand how the dragon fruit cactus is grown on a trellis. 

I am hoping to construct my trellises tommorow.  Will post pictures. 
Brad

TropicalFruitHunters

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Re: Dragon Fruit Trellis idea?
« Reply #14 on: November 12, 2014, 06:52:34 AM »
Sheehan...I have 4 varieties going.  Just no blooms.

bradflorida

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Re: Dragon Fruit Trellis idea?
« Reply #15 on: November 13, 2014, 09:25:11 PM »










Brad

bradflorida

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Re: Dragon Fruit Trellis idea?
« Reply #16 on: November 13, 2014, 09:37:28 PM »
Finished the trellises this morning. 

I used 4x4 x 6 foot pressure treated (ground contact rated) posts. 

Each trellis is 4' tall with a 3' long horizontal piece on top. 

Posts are sitting on 6" of drainage stones (3/4 to 1" sized stones) and surrounded by these stones, in order to avoid contact between the wood and the dirt. 

Posts are buried 2' in the ground. 

I plan on planting the dragon fruit plants between the two trellises and letting them grow horizontally along the ground until they reach the post and can go vertical up the post. 

I will probably wrap the posts in either burlap or rope wound around the posts, to allow the aerial roots to attach easily.

They are in a location where they have western exposure and will receive maybe 4 hrs of direct sunlight in the afternoon. 

I live in a deed restricted community. Trellises like this probably wouldn't get HOA approval, so I decided to install them under the cover of darkness.  I also strategically planted a new Areca palm in front of the trellises in hopes of blocking the view. 

I will be planting American Beauty, Halleys Comet and Zamorano dragon fruit once they get large enough to plant in the ground. 

« Last Edit: November 13, 2014, 09:39:57 PM by bradflorida »
Brad

Fiddler

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Re: Dragon Fruit Trellis idea?
« Reply #17 on: November 14, 2014, 12:25:15 PM »
I used to wrap my trellis with burlap, but it tends to get all rotten and raggedy. Your HOA would love to see that!
    I ditched the burlap and now I just rough up the post with a hand saw. This creates a bunch of scratches up and down the post the roots can cling to.
     I also gave up trying to grow dragonfruit directly out of the ground. No matter how much I fertilized, the cactus ended up looking all yellowish and enemic. Now I plant them in large flowerpots with good topsoil in them.

ricshaw

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Re: Dragon Fruit Trellis idea?
« Reply #18 on: November 14, 2014, 01:16:38 PM »
Just sharing the following for discussion:

Some Dragon Fruit growers have 'concerns' with using pressure treated lumber.

Some Dragon Fruit growers have questioned if Dragon Fruit aerial roots will attach to pressure treated lumber (a reason to wrap with burlap).

scashaggy

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Re: Dragon Fruit Trellis idea?
« Reply #19 on: November 14, 2014, 03:22:10 PM »
Regarding the PT wood.

I would not personally use it, my 4x4's are cedar. It did take some searching but I found some at a local HD (they cost about 4x as much though).  The cedar posts are rough enough on their own as they are not finish sanded.  I have not topped mine either and will get to this eventually.  I will post some pics later.

 

bradflorida

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Re: Dragon Fruit Trellis idea?
« Reply #20 on: November 14, 2014, 07:17:28 PM »
Has anyone ever wrapped their trellis with rope? 
Brad

franciscu

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Re: Dragon Fruit Trellis idea?
« Reply #21 on: November 14, 2014, 10:12:58 PM »
How about lathering a PT pole with a stucco surface. Then the plant would behave like it was climbing on masonry. I am thinking of trying this approach with 'surface bonding cement'. I'll report on how it works....

ricshaw

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Re: Dragon Fruit Trellis idea?
« Reply #22 on: November 15, 2014, 01:35:15 AM »
How about lathering a PT pole with a stucco surface. Then the plant would behave like it was climbing on masonry. I am thinking of trying this approach with 'surface bonding cement'. I'll report on how it works....

Would it be easier to just make the post solid concrete?


scashaggy

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Re: Dragon Fruit Trellis idea?
« Reply #23 on: November 15, 2014, 12:55:08 PM »
How about lathering a PT pole with a stucco surface. Then the plant would behave like it was climbing on masonry. I am thinking of trying this approach with 'surface bonding cement'. I'll report on how it works....

If you did this (I would think), you would have to screw metal lath to the pole then the stucco.  Maybe that is what you already had in mind.   

starling1

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Re: Dragon Fruit Trellis idea?
« Reply #24 on: November 15, 2014, 05:01:15 PM »
How about lathering a PT pole with a stucco surface. Then the plant would behave like it was climbing on masonry. I am thinking of trying this approach with 'surface bonding cement'. I'll report on how it works....

Would it be easier to just make the post solid concrete?




I did this for m last trellis. Basically I filled stormwater downpipe with rapid set concrete. Turned out not very good because it didn't set inside evenly, but I Think if you could make it work it would be the best design.