Author Topic: Dragon Fruit thread.  (Read 940086 times)

cos

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #775 on: August 12, 2014, 02:11:49 PM »
the spines do stop rats!!

LEOOEL

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #776 on: August 13, 2014, 12:54:56 AM »
Is "Pitaya" Dragon Fruit or Prickly Pear?

In Southern California many CRFG call Dragon Fruit Pitahaya.

Wikipedia says; A pitaya or pitahaya is the fruit of several cactus species. "Pitaya" usually refers to fruit of the genus Stenocereus, while "Pitahaya" or "Dragonfruit" always refers to fruit of the genus Hylocereus.

The 'Torrance...' Prickly-Pear variety that I got from Nullzero is the sweetest/best tasting fruit cacti that I've ever had, whether DF (Pitaya) or Prickly-Pear. This gives me hope that there are sweeter cacti fruit out there (whether in Mexico ... or the USA) with similar or better quality.

The two flowers that the 'David Bowie' DF had are now gone; waiting to see if fruit follows. For the first time this year, there is flowering action, if no fruit this year, perhaps the next.
« Last Edit: August 14, 2014, 12:01:29 AM by LEOOEL »
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simon_grow

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #777 on: August 13, 2014, 09:14:08 AM »
Hey LEOOEL, did the Torrent prickly pear have hard or soft seeds? I've tasted some excellent and very sweet prickly pear fruit but they always had very hard seeds similar to guava.

Simon

nullzero

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #778 on: August 13, 2014, 11:54:15 AM »
Hey LEOOEL, did the Torrent prickly pear have hard or soft seeds? I've tasted some excellent and very sweet prickly pear fruit but they always had very hard seeds similar to guava.

Simon

Simon,

Torrance PCH#1 is what I call the selection, it has small soft seeds which can be chewed on or swallowed. The seeds count is also on the lower side per fruit. The selection sets excellent large quality fruit in CA and FL. You can read more about it on the following post:

http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=3935.0
Grow mainly fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

fyliu

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #779 on: August 13, 2014, 03:56:43 PM »
I had 2 fruits on it last year but they disappeared :( They looked delicious though.

nullzero

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #780 on: August 13, 2014, 04:07:18 PM »
I had 2 fruits on it last year but they disappeared :( They looked delicious though.

Fang,

Most of had critters that know good fruit  ;), critters don't usually touch prickly pears because of the glochids. However, this selection has a low amount of glochids which drop off over time (due to rain and wind, I was able to pick bare hand in FL with no glochids)

Torrance PCH#1 prickly pears hold ripe fruits on the plant for a good +3 months without decline in fruit quality in CA (I assume this is close to the same even in hot humid FL).

Btw, I have heard that Cereus crosses with Hylocereus and sets viable seeds. Also that some people are already growing some of these crosses out. If you heard any information on this, would love to hear about it. I would love to grow out tasty Dragon Fruits on a columnar cactus in the future (one can dream :) ).
« Last Edit: August 13, 2014, 04:29:42 PM by nullzero »
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ricshaw

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #781 on: August 14, 2014, 12:04:10 AM »


Torrance PCH#1 is what I call the selection, it has small soft seeds which can be chewed on or swallowed. The seeds count is also on the lower side per fruit. The selection sets excellent large quality fruit in CA and FL. You can read more about it on the following post:

http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=3935.0

The next time I am in Torrance, CA I would like to look for Torrance PCH#1.

Is that Pacific Coast Highway or Calle Mayor in the picture above?

LEOOEL

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #782 on: August 14, 2014, 12:18:13 AM »
I had 2 fruits on it last year but they disappeared :( They looked delicious though.

Fang,

Most of had critters that know good fruit  ;), critters don't usually touch prickly pears because of the glochids. However, this selection has a low amount of glochids which drop off over time (due to rain and wind, I was able to pick bare hand in FL with no glochids)

Torrance PCH#1 prickly pears hold ripe fruits on the plant for a good +3 months without decline in fruit quality in CA (I assume this is close to the same even in hot humid FL).

Btw, I have heard that Cereus crosses with Hylocereus and sets viable seeds. Also that some people are already growing some of these crosses out. If you heard any information on this, would love to hear about it. I would love to grow out tasty Dragon Fruits on a columnar cactus in the future (one can dream :) ).

Great, imaginative idea Nullzy, Cereus crosses with Hylocereus, I love it. You're the expert, but I don't see why it can't be done. Currently, I have both, Cereus and Hylocereus cacti (DF), and I think crossing them is worth considering. Or, how about crossing the DF with a thornless and low glochid count cacti (which I also have)? If it works, the use of a wood pole to support the DF may, as a result, be avoided.
« Last Edit: August 14, 2014, 12:20:53 AM by LEOOEL »
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nullzero

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #783 on: August 14, 2014, 12:30:40 AM »


Torrance PCH#1 is what I call the selection, it has small soft seeds which can be chewed on or swallowed. The seeds count is also on the lower side per fruit. The selection sets excellent large quality fruit in CA and FL. You can read more about it on the following post:

http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=3935.0

The next time I am in Torrance, CA I would like to look for Torrance PCH#1.

Is that Pacific Coast Highway or Calle Mayor in the picture above?

It does not look as glorious today, it was hacked back big time about a year ago or so. Its PCH, near Calle Mayor. There is a taco bell down the street. You have to tread up a small trail that goes on the backside of homes fence line. I went in the middle of the day to collect the pads outside the fence line. The area is general city property as far as I know, btw there is a loud dog that will bark most likely if you go on the thin trail which then leads to no trail on top of iceplant.

I can save you the trouble and get a pad out to you, +10 people have it now most likely. This prickly pear is perfect in every way just about (tasty orange size fruit with low seed count and soft seeds), its only minor downside is moderate/low fruit production (which may be boosted with fertilizer regimen). I want to eventually cross it with another Opuntia sp. selection with higher fruit production. Hopefully retaining most of the qualities of this one. Next time I get fruit, I am going to clean off the seeds and send them out to people as well.
Grow mainly fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

dmk

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #784 on: August 15, 2014, 10:57:35 AM »
How to identify df varieties?

Is there any way to distinguish one dragon from the other? The ones we get at grocery stores don't mention the variety on it, neither do the online groceries.

I know there are about 2 dozen varieties but is there any way to identify what variety I am buying?
« Last Edit: August 15, 2014, 11:02:20 AM by dmk »

fyliu

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #785 on: August 15, 2014, 11:46:47 AM »
How to identify df varieties?

Is there any way to distinguish one dragon from the other? The ones we get at grocery stores don't mention the variety on it, neither do the online groceries.

I know there are about 2 dozen varieties but is there any way to identify what variety I am buying?
You can mostly tell the flesh color. Pink outside is white flesh. Orange outside is pink flesh. Round and thick skinned is deep red flesh. Between the same flesh color it's very difficult. DF hybridize easily and many varieties areally not really that different in looks or taste.

ricshaw

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #786 on: August 15, 2014, 12:57:06 PM »
How to identify df varieties?

Is there any way to distinguish one dragon from the other? The ones we get at grocery stores don't mention the variety on it, neither do the online groceries.

I know there are about 2 dozen varieties but is there any way to identify what variety I am buying?

You can't identify 'named' varieties by looking at them.  A true Physical Graffiti clone might look like a Dragon Fruit plant grown from a Physical Graffiti seed...  BUT, they are not the same.

fyliu, Are you going to the Pitahaya Festival Field Day tasting?
« Last Edit: August 15, 2014, 12:59:20 PM by ricshaw »

fyliu

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #787 on: August 15, 2014, 01:21:56 PM »
fyliu, Are you going to the Pitahaya Festival Field Day tasting?
No I'm not going. It's good to learn about the new varieties but most of the information seems to be the same every year.

It's a growers' event so I guess they repeat the information for new growers.

ricshaw

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #788 on: August 15, 2014, 02:26:29 PM »
fyliu, Are you going to the Pitahaya Festival Field Day tasting?
No I'm not going. It's good to learn about the new varieties but most of the information seems to be the same every year.
It's a growers' event so I guess they repeat the information for new growers.

Yes, very true.  It has grown from a "CRFG" growers event to a commercial growers event.

I am going to hang out with friends and to get some cuttings of some 'named' white flesh varieties.

starling1

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #789 on: August 15, 2014, 05:04:51 PM »


Torrance PCH#1 is what I call the selection, it has small soft seeds which can be chewed on or swallowed. The seeds count is also on the lower side per fruit. The selection sets excellent large quality fruit in CA and FL. You can read more about it on the following post:

http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=3935.0

The next time I am in Torrance, CA I would like to look for Torrance PCH#1.

Is that Pacific Coast Highway or Calle Mayor in the picture above?


My guess is that this  is a hybrid of opuntia robusta (silver dollar cactus) and some other opuntia. Pretty sure o. robusta has purple/red fruit.

dmk

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #790 on: August 16, 2014, 02:47:13 AM »
@fyliu, @ricshaw
Thanks. So no easy way to know what variety it is either by looks or taste? I guess the flesh color is all that matters, am I right?

Some day I plan to grow df commercially. Hence the research.  :)

fyliu

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #791 on: August 16, 2014, 11:34:55 AM »
Dmk, most good varieties do not pollinate themselves. They also bloom at night which makes it difficult to pollinate commercially. That's why I always see poor-tasting DF in the markets. I heard they have white and red fleshed fruits sold in China. Maybe labor is cheap enough over there.

The yellow megalanthus will set fruit by itself and is sweet. And simon said there's a larger fruited variety sold in Hong Kong. Maybe you can try to find that and find out if it grows well in your climate.

ricshaw

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #792 on: August 16, 2014, 12:45:10 PM »
@fyliu, @ricshaw
Thanks. So no easy way to know what variety it is either by looks or taste? I guess the flesh color is all that matters, am I right?
Some day I plan to grow df commercially. Hence the research.  :)

Not in my opinion. It is "taste" that really matters.

Flesh color is more of an indication of what species it is; White flesh = Hylocereus undatus, Red flesh = Hylocereus polyrhizus, and "pink" or magenta flesh = hybrid cross of H. undatus x H. polyrthizus.  This is only a very simplistic description and does not include other species like the Yellow skin Selenicereus and exceptions.

ricshaw

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #793 on: August 16, 2014, 01:03:02 PM »
Dmk, most good varieties do not pollinate themselves. They also bloom at night which makes it difficult to pollinate commercially. That's why I always see poor-tasting DF in the markets. I heard they have white and red fleshed fruits sold in China. Maybe labor is cheap enough over there.

The yellow megalanthus will set fruit by itself and is sweet. And simon said there's a larger fruited variety sold in Hong Kong. Maybe you can try to find that and find out if it grows well in your climate.

You have heard that they have white and red flesh Dragon Fruit sold in China? 

Do a Google Image Search with "cây thanh long" to find pictures of serious commercial Dragon Fruit growers in Vietnam.

Not my pictures.






Picture I took of red flesh Dragon Fruit being sold in Saigon central market.



Vietnam growers supply Dragon Fruit to Asia.
« Last Edit: August 16, 2014, 01:36:09 PM by ricshaw »

fyliu

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #794 on: August 17, 2014, 12:26:15 AM »
I have not seen the red fleshed fruits. My dad went one time and said there were both, and told me to stop growing them here because they're so cheap over there. But that was 3 years ago and I still don't see red fleshed fruits coming from any Asian country. I have purchased and eaten yellow megalanthus from Toronto Chinatown. They're from something like Costa rica. Sweet but the seeds are larger and pop when you bite and has this sticky interior. Stuff like that really slow down my eating. I'm the kind of person that needs to pop every sesame seed before swallowing.

ricshaw

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #795 on: August 17, 2014, 01:02:56 PM »
Vietnam Dragon Fruit production:

http://youtu.be/zz9OsjfYziw


Short YouTube slideshow showing Vietnam Red flesh Dragon Fruit farm:

http://youtu.be/zFPNikCrxok?list=UUQYqyXuUMgcuRlBl0kk_vmg

dmk

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #796 on: August 17, 2014, 01:35:15 PM »
Pollination is one of the biggest issues I have stumbled across in my research. Hand pollinating at night brings about an altogether new challenge. Walking acres of land hand pollinating each flower at night not only sounds scary but can prove lethal (snakes, scorpions).

I wonder how farms across the world tackle this? Or do they just don't plant hand pollinating variety commercially?


ricshaw

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #797 on: August 17, 2014, 02:55:54 PM »
Pollination is one of the biggest issues I have stumbled across in my research. Hand pollinating at night brings about an altogether new challenge. Walking acres of land hand pollinating each flower at night not only sounds scary but can prove lethal (snakes, scorpions).

I wonder how farms across the world tackle this? Or do they just don't plant hand pollinating variety commercially?

It is my understanding that most commercial growers avoid varieties that require hand pollination.

It is also important to understand that planting a field with the same Dragon Fruit species is different than planting a field with the same Dragon Fruit clone which might make a difference.
« Last Edit: August 17, 2014, 03:02:40 PM by ricshaw »

LEOOEL

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #798 on: August 17, 2014, 04:36:46 PM »
One of the things that I've now gathered from this Thread is that the production of DF has been mastered in places like Vietnam/Asia and is going at full steam in places like Mexico, Southern parts of the USA... I'd be really surprised if there already isn't a knock your socks off sweet tasting DF variety out there, that is just waiting for DF newbies like myself to taste; the hunt continues.

Also, thank you Nullzero for your efforts in improving the fruit yield of your 'Torrence' prickly-pear, by methods of seed propagation and eventually crossing it with another prominent/productive Opuntia variety. To increase the odds of success, you may want to cross it with 2 or 3 prominent/productive Opuntia varieties. Thank you for considering doing this. I can't wait for the news when it's been done and we would just be waiting for time to show the results; very exciting.
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ricshaw

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #799 on: August 17, 2014, 05:17:31 PM »
Watermelon, that is not knock your socks off sweet tasting, is still a commercially successful and popular product.