I'm growing a few varieties of dragon fruit in South Florida, I planted a little over a year ago and they've grown pretty well. Since around May I've had some Zamorano and American Beauty flowers open, and I hand-pollinated. Every single time though, we got a nice Miami rainfall overnight, and I've heard that will typically ruin your chances, and each time the flower has fallen off within a week or so. I'm thinking about putting some kind of tarp over them, but can I do something else like cover the open flowers with garbage bags, or would that cause some damage? Also, does it need to avoid rain the entire time the flower is open for it to stand a chance, or is it only a problem if it rains after it's been pollinated?
Thanks for any info - I've been looking forward to getting some fruit this year and want to do what I can to improve my chances.
Andy