Author Topic: Dragon Fruit thread.  (Read 935530 times)

Sven

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #275 on: November 05, 2013, 02:26:19 PM »
Yep, only two Joyce Greenlund plants still alive and I think I found one cutting of Punch (Paul's 3.5S) that still has some green on it, hoping it will root.

I just got an e-mail asking for info on these two varieties so I thought I would answer it here in case others are interested as well. 

Paul Thomsom's #3.5S is a seedling he grew out and then distributed quite a while after his other seedlings (1S, 2S, 3S…).  A grower here in California named it Punch, I believe because he thought it tasted like fruit punch.  It is a good quality fruit but I found it was not very productive.  I believe the grower I mentioned planted a good amount but also found its production on the shy side.  I’m not sure the parentage of this one and I’m not sure it is listed in Paul’s book.  Also I’m not sure if it is self-fertile.  It did the best at my old place over the last 10 years with water only and no care.  It's a vigorous grower. 

Joyce Greenlund, sometimes called Joyce and sometimes called Greenlund, is a variety that was reportedly self-fertile.  Early on self-fertile varieties were quite rare.  This one set fruit for Joyce at her place near Santa Barbara without hand pollination.  It is white fleshed and quite pretty on the outside but it wasn’t self-fertile for either Paul or I.  Paul heard about it and got cuttings from Joyce and I paid her a visit later on and she graciously gave me a fair number of cuttings and I planted 1/8 of an acre of them.  By the way Joyce made the best lemon scones I have ever eaten!

These are pictures of the original plant at Joyce's



Here are a couple of the fruit





Sven

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #276 on: November 05, 2013, 02:38:30 PM »
I just found this in a old word file.  It's got to be from Paul, it may be from his book or some other source, I'm not sure but I thought I would post it.  I added the newer names.

Paul Thomson’s Hybrid Pitahayas

   The first hybrid seeds were from a cross made of two unknown species ‘Neitzel’ and ‘Rixford’. All seedlings of “Neitzel” X ‘Rixford’ must be cross pollinated to set fruit. The seedlings of “Neitzel” X ‘Rixford’ are:  1-S, 2-S, 3-S, 4-S, 5-S, 6-S, and 9-S. The first seedlings fruited in 1998 and all fruited by 2000.

   Seedlings 7-S and 8-S are from a cross between 'Houghton' and ‘Rixford’, both with red flesh of excellent flavor. `Houghton may not be a Hylocereus but a related genus as the fruit has very small scales each with a sharp spine at its tip, a characteristic not found in fruits of the genus Hylocereus.  Fruit is round and 2” in diameter. It is very frost hardy and has only suffered minor damage by a temperature of 25 degrees F. The 2 seedlings are intermediate in hardiness between the two parents.

   1-S (Physical Graffiti). First fruited in 1998 with two fruits weighing 1 pound 8 ounces and 1 pound 10 ounces. A very attractive fruit, flesh a dark pink, flavor very good.    

   2-S (Cosmic Charlie). First fruited in 2000 with two fruits weighing 1 pound 4 ounces and 1 pound 8 ounces. Flesh a deep red, and flavor very good to excellent.

    3-S.--‘Delight’ -- First fruited in 1998 with two fruits weighing 1 pound 4 ounces and 1 pound 8 ounces. Flesh color was a delicate pink and the flavor was superb. Other people who have eaten it are equally enthusiastic. I can truthfully say the flavor runs a close second to S. megalanthus fruit I have eaten, although they are two different fruits each with its distinctive flavor. I believe flavor wise it is about as good a fruit as we can expect to get from any plant in the genus Hylocereus. The plant bears well, and is a good grower. Two-year-old cuttings have fruited heavily giving it a good bearing potential.

   4-S. Flowered for the first time in 2000 with one fruit. Attractive dark-pink outside with flesh a pale-pink, the most nearly white flesh of any of the hybrids. Weight was 1 pound, flavor very good. The plant appears to be a somewhat dwarf grower, low and spreading with several upright stems in the center..

   5-S (Purple Haze). First flowering in 1999 with 5 fruits weighing from 1 pound to 1 pound 6 ounces. Outside color pinkish-red with flesh a dark-red or magenta. Flavor good to very-good but no improvement over the parent plants. Spines larger than any of the others making it less user friendly and harder to handle.

   6-S. First fruited in 1998 with two fruits weighing 1 pound and 1 pound 8 ounces. Flesh a dark red, flavor good to very good, fruit very attractive in appearance. A very vigorous grower and one of the hardiest. Severely damaged in the 31 Jan 02 freeze and was removed,

   7-S. First fruited in 1999 with 5 fruits weighing 7 to 8 ounces, a dull orange-red outside with very small scales, flesh a dark red, flavor excellent. Severely damaged in the 31 Jan 02 freeze and was removed.

   8-S. First fruited in 1999 with 6 fruits weighing 12 ounces, a deep red outside with very small scales, flesh a very attractive deep, almost fluorescent magenta, flavor excellent.

   9-S (Dark Star). First fruited in 1999 when it produced one beautiful fruit weighing 1 pound 10 ounces, red flesh the same as the ‘Rixford’ parent. with flavor running a close second to ‘Delight’ (3-S). In 2000 it had 8 fruits weighing 14 ounces to 1 pound 4 ounces each. This, too, I believe, has a commercial potential. The flowers of this plant are unique inasmuch as the stigma lobes have split ends or are     bi-fid.
« Last Edit: November 05, 2013, 02:45:10 PM by Sven »

shaneatwell

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #277 on: November 05, 2013, 05:52:18 PM »
Nice.

Any notes on G-2? I got it from Bonita Creek Nursery a few months back and would like to know if it has another common name. Fairly thin stemmed compared to other varieties I've seen.
Shane

Sven

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #278 on: November 05, 2013, 07:48:03 PM »
All I have written down is Guatamalan #2, Self fertile, fair quality.  It should be red fleshed.  I got cuttings of it from both Paul Thomson and Exotica nursery back in the day.  There is also a G-1, or there use to be.  I have some pictures of the bloom but none of the fruit.

Sven

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #279 on: November 06, 2013, 10:27:32 AM »
I should have mentioned that that evaluation isn’t mine and it was probably based on a single or small number of fruits.  I think I only had the G2 bloom once and I don’t recall the fruit or even if it set.  G1 on the other hand fruited for me and is a very good fruit, in fact it’s fruit had the highest brix I saw, so I’d expect G2 to be good quality as well.
« Last Edit: November 07, 2013, 08:48:57 AM by Sven »

Tropicdude

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #280 on: November 06, 2013, 05:07:34 PM »
Sven,  if you could only grow one, which one would you recommend, for taste. and productivity. ?
William
" The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago.....The second best time, is now ! "

shaneatwell

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #281 on: November 06, 2013, 06:16:55 PM »
I should have mentioned that that evaluation isn’t mine and it was probably based on a single or small number of fruits.  I think I only had the G2 bloom once and I don’t recall the fruit or even if it set.  G2 on the other had fruited for me and is a very good fruit, in fact it’s fruit had the highest brix I saw, so I’d expect G1 to be good quality as well.

typo?
Shane

Sven

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #282 on: November 07, 2013, 08:51:33 AM »

typo?

Yes, several of them  :o ::).  Thank you for pointing it out, I've corrected them.

shaneatwell

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #283 on: November 07, 2013, 10:46:03 AM »
Thanks. I was told my G2 it was a good tasting and self-fruitful. That much is consistent at least. Will let you know how it works out in a couple years :)
Shane

fyliu

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #284 on: November 07, 2013, 02:02:39 PM »
G2 fruit for me is on the large side and sweet with thin skin. I pollinated mine so it might be smaller if not not manually pollinated. The plant itself is also thin compared to the dozen others grown in the same location. I got mine from SD as well.

Mike T

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #285 on: November 08, 2013, 01:54:15 AM »


The common commercial yellow is around here in abundance at the moment

Luisport

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #286 on: November 08, 2013, 01:58:48 AM »


The common commercial yellow is around here in abundance at the moment
:P :P :P How lucky!!!

Mike T

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #287 on: November 08, 2013, 04:22:20 AM »
That yellow is just a S.megalanthus but a selection that has good characteristics. My giant self fertile red (1kg+) has many flower buds at the moment. While I have had cuttings of physical graffiti, halleys comet, American beauty and most of the well known American hybrids the ones I have planted are mostly more standard types and others of unknown origin.

Luisport

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #288 on: November 11, 2013, 07:01:22 AM »
Purple Haze

 Arizona Purple

 American Beauty

 Physical Graffiti


Tim

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #289 on: November 11, 2013, 11:18:19 AM »
Luis - the Purple Haze & Physical Graffiti appear to have been planted upside down?
Tim

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #290 on: November 11, 2013, 11:38:27 AM »


The common commercial yellow is around here in abundance at the moment

These dwarf what we have growing here in S. Florida. You say that these are the commercially available yellows.  Where are they grown and by whom? Tough to estimate the weight of these from the picture.  How large do they get? Would love to get my hands on some dragon fruit cuttings for these.  Anyone know where they are obtainable?
Harry
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Luisport

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #291 on: November 11, 2013, 01:04:10 PM »
Luis - the Purple Haze & Physical Graffiti appear to have been planted upside down?
Really? They are cut in the two sides... are you shure? It's my first time to plant DF...  :o

fyliu

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #292 on: November 11, 2013, 01:06:54 PM »
Luis - the Purple Haze & Physical Graffiti appear to have been planted upside down?
Looks upside down to me too.

Luisport

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #293 on: November 11, 2013, 01:08:55 PM »
Luis - the Purple Haze & Physical Graffiti appear to have been planted upside down?
Looks upside down to me too.
Geezzz then i have to replant them... thak you very much!  :-[ :-[ :-[

Luisport

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #294 on: November 11, 2013, 02:09:35 PM »
Just replant them... are they ok now?

 

 

 

 


Tim

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #295 on: November 11, 2013, 02:30:15 PM »
Purple Haze is still upside down
Tim

Luisport

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #296 on: November 11, 2013, 02:40:22 PM »
Purple Haze is still upside down
And now?

 


Luisport

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #297 on: November 11, 2013, 02:41:40 PM »
I'm very very ashamed...  :-[ :-[ :-[

thao

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #298 on: November 11, 2013, 02:58:17 PM »
The purple haze is now planted in the right direction. Also, if you're not sure of any other cuttings, look at the little spine/thorns on the side of the cuttings, they should be pointing upwards and not down.

Luisport

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Re: Dragon Fruit thread.
« Reply #299 on: November 11, 2013, 03:02:23 PM »
The purple haze is now planted in the right direction. Also, if you're not sure of any other cuttings, look at the little spine/thorns on the side of the cuttings, they should be pointing upwards and not down.
Ho ok, now i get it... sorry!  :-X