Dragon Fruit thread.

[Anto989]

Today I applied vermicast to my plants inside greenhouse,by the second half of this month on T° will be always always above +2 (minimun during the coldest nights),right now I have condor,dark star,vodoo child,thai dragon and some other varities starting new growths.

Someone told me to keep them dry until flowering in late may/june.

I have 1 year plants bought in US started from mature cutting and older plants of 3 years,hope they will fruit for the first time this year.

I also cutted the top of each branch as other growers suggested.

Can they absorb the vermicast nutrients even without watering?
Should I put more vermicast?

[ricshaw]

Someone told me to keep them dry until flowering in late may/june.

Not good advice in my opinion.

[FamilyJ]

Dragon fruit Haileys Comet
*Dragon fruit Frankies Red
*Dragon fruit Lisa
Dragon fruit Vietnamese White
*Dragon fruit Kathie
*Dragon fruit Selenicereus megalanthus (Yellow)
*Dragon fruit Hylocereus Sp (Yellow)
*Dragon fruit Giant Hawaiian Gold Dragon-17486
*Zamarano DF
*viet jana DF

and on the way from CA
*Country Road DF
*Orejona DF
*Mr Woo DF
*Ocamponis DF
*Florida Sunset DF
*Condor DF
*Red Jiana DF
*Nicaraguan Red DF
*San Ignacio DF
*El Grullo DF

Pending
*Makizupa 
*purple Haze 
*Rix Ford 
*Physical Graffiti 
*Dark Star 
*Cebra 
*Pepino Dulce 
*Condor 
*Amarilla 
*American Beauty 
*Maria Rosa 
*S8/Sugar Dragon
*Godzilla 
*Armando 
*Connie Mayer 
*Bruni 
*Vodoo Child

[Anto989]

Someone told me to keep them dry until flowering in late may/june.

Not good advice in my opinion.

I'm a newbie, what is a good advice according your experience?

[beicadad]

I have pots with 25 inch diameter, how many cuttings can I grow in each pot? Thanks!

2 - 3

Thanks. It seems that some people put 3-4 even in a smaller pot. I guess I will do 3

[FamilyJ]

Someone told me to keep them dry until flowering in late may/june.

Not good advice in my opinion.

I'm a newbie, what is a good advice according your experience?

Just Remember your in Italy he is in California, Im in Florida, different places have different requirements for same plant

[ricshaw]

Someone told me to keep them dry until flowering in late may/june.

Not good advice in my opinion.

I'm a newbie, what is a good advice according your experience?

I let the soil dry out... then water them.

[dmk]

Hey guys, I'm looking for the biggest white flesh variety there is out there which is self pollinating. Taste, flavour or other factors doesn't matter. I'm in just for the size. Need the variety name which sets the biggest fruit size wise.
Thanks!

[ricshaw]

Hey guys, I'm looking for the biggest white flesh variety there is out there which is self pollinating. Taste, flavour or other factors doesn't matter. I'm in just for the size. Need the variety name which sets the biggest fruit size wise.
Thanks!

Vietnamese Giant?

[FamilyJ]

Hey guys, I'm looking for the biggest white flesh variety there is out there which is self pollinating. Taste, flavour or other factors doesn't matter. I'm in just for the size. Need the variety name which sets the biggest fruit size wise.
Thanks!

Vietnamese Giant?

I Agree that was first Dragonfruit i had from a neighbor and it gives alot of fruit and big with no maintenance here in Florida

[dmk]

Hey guys, I'm looking for the biggest white flesh variety there is out there which is self pollinating. Taste, flavour or other factors doesn't matter. I'm in just for the size. Need the variety name which sets the biggest fruit size wise.
Thanks!

Vietnamese Giant?

I Agree that was first Dragonfruit i had from a neighbor and it gives alot of fruit and big with no maintenance here in Florida

Thank you Richard and FamilyJ. Appreciate your help guys. If there's any other white flesh similar to the size of Vietnamese giant please pour in your suggestions.

[ricshaw]

Thank you Richard and FamilyJ. Appreciate your help guys. If there's any other white flesh similar to the size of Vietnamese giant please pour in your suggestions.

Genetic testing by UC Riverside shows that Vietnamese Giant, Seoul Kitchen, Ben Hoa White, and Mexicana are closely related Hylocereus undatus.
Mexicana and Vietnamese Giant are so closely related that the UC does not keep the cuttings separated now when distributing cuttings at the Dragon Fruit Festivals.

[pineislander]

24 hours before this photo was taken the dragon fruit stem was one inch below the disc, so it is 'flying' upwards at more than 1" per day! That was yesterday morning I expect it to be above the 2" thick disk by this morning.

[spaugh]

24 hours before this photo was taken the dragon fruit stem was one inch below the disc, so it is 'flying' upwards at more than 1" per day! That was yesterday morning I expect it to be above the 2" thick disk by this morning.

Awesome growth.  I really like that post and top.  Did you make those yourself?

[TheWaterbug]

That is just begging for a time lapse camera!

[pineislander]

Yes, I made 10 of these posts and so here is a side-by-side of 24 hours growth.

[Baja_Traveler]

I like the concrete supports, and thought about making my own but decided instead to try making them out of ABS pipe. Wood only lasts 4-5 years in my yard before rotting out or getting eaten by termites so that was out. I drew up a few designs, and settled on this one - 4" ABS main support with 1 1/2" top supports. In order for it to handle the weight (eventually) I cross drilled the top with a 1 1/2" conduit hole cutter and trimmed down a PVC cross to fit. Everything glued together perfectly and appears quite strong. I wrapped the main post in four wraps of burlap using self tapping screws. I'll be wrapping the top supports also to protect it from UV damage.
I got these cuttings from Simon a year and a half ago, and they have barely grown since - they really did not like the shaded sandy location they were in and needed a move. Time will tell and we shall see...

[Frog Valley Farm]

🗯

[FamilyJ]

My Setup

[FamilyJ]

I like the concrete supports, and thought about making my own but decided instead to try making them out of ABS pipe. Wood only lasts 4-5 years in my yard before rotting out or getting eaten by termites so that was out. I drew up a few designs, and settled on this one - 4" ABS main support with 1 1/2" top supports. In order for it to handle the weight (eventually) I cross drilled the top with a 1 1/2" conduit hole cutter and trimmed down a PVC cross to fit. Everything glued together perfectly and appears quite strong. I wrapped the main post in four wraps of burlap using self tapping screws. I'll be wrapping the top supports also to protect it from UV damage.
I got these cuttings from Simon a year and a half ago, and they have barely grown since - they really did not like the shaded sandy location they were in and needed a move. Time will tell and we shall see...

Wasnt as creative as you but i tried before knowing anything about how setup was, survived hurricane Irma though

[Tony714]

Here is my small set up.  I grew these cuts last year about 11 months now.  But there is a rotted and wondering what may cause and cure it?

[simon_grow]

If you start with non rooted cuttings, they root best with heat. If you try to plant non rooted cuttings during cold wet weather or you overwater or your soil retains too much moisture, the non rooted buried end can often start rotting.

Simon

[Tony714]

They were non rooted cuttings.  I found out my gutter drain pipe point to dragon fruit. Im going to direct it to different direction. Thank you Simon

[Charlie]

I started some seeds of DF bought at a market last fall and have left them out in the garage all winter with some other DF rooted cuttings and one light bulb left on over them on the ceiling.  It has gotten pretty cold here but the garage is attached, still did not expect them to survive but they have.  Have not grown any but not dead either.  We'll see how they respond when spring comes and I move them out of the garage.

[spaugh]

I acquired a bunch of free pots from a landscaper and am going to put different DF cuttigs in them along a welded wire fence.  I have a neumatic paint sprayer and already did 16 pots.  Going to put a quick coat on the fence rails.  Otherwise the rails and the pots get super hot in summer. 

I am thinking 1 cutting per 15gal pot.  1 pot every 3ft.  Anything special you guys would do with the materials on hand to make it better?  I have a bunch of old trex 2x2s laying around also. 

For soil, I am going to use decomposed granite local soil mixed with compost and steer manure. 

Input on anything?  Changes?