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Dragon Fruit

billyboy said:
Its all starting to fire up here with lots of new growth on all my plants, Sun has a bit more bite in it!! I must get some pix up for you. synclinorium have you tried the Yellow type very sweet though not as large fruit super easy to grow.

The Dragon Fruits Rule :woohoo: !!!!!!!
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I haven't been able to find affordable cuttings anywhere, so no. I don't think I have space at this point... but maybe next year, if I can get these to survive the winter. Don't think it's worth starting new cuttings at this point since it's quickly cooling down here.
 
So, like I said, I kind of went overboard on the cuttings. Most haven't put on new growth yet, but all of them have finally rooted. I'll see which do best and repot the rest (as I imagine there are too many in the pot currently...)

The fat one the bottom left is Natural Mystic, tall one is Vietnamese Red, the two stubby ones are Lake Atitlan and that's a sickly looking Guyute on the right side (though it has been fattening up, so there's hope)
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Opposite side is the Guyute again on the left, American Beauty, and a couple Purple Haze.
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Out of curiosity... what's the minimum amount of light these guys will need over winter to survive? I'm going to need to buy some artificial lighting regardless due to the odd shape, but I don't want to go overboard when I also need lighting for my citrus...
 
Now the fun begins. I've moved the very awkward structure inside, which is currently wedged inside my closet next to the rest of the plants (a scraggly-looking Meyer lemon in the background). I bought another light fixture which is now hanging on the closet door. Should be at least enough light to keep them alive, if not thriving.

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Good luck... i have a hailes comet, and 2 wilds i can trade next spring to share the love. These are tugh plants, they don't need a lot when it's cold... they just shut down as long as they don't freeze and rupture the cells... :beer:
 
Yeah, if they keep growing at their current rate I'll have a few cuttings to spare come spring... I can't guarantee that they are what they say they are, as several of them are ebay purchases, but allegedly I'm growing Purple Haze, American Beauty, Vietnamese Red, Natural Mystic, and Lake Atitlan (I was trying Guyute, but those just ended up molding up on me and I eventually pulled them).

Anyway, a few updated photos:

American Beauty and Purple Haze:
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Natural Mystic and Lake Atitlan
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Vietnamese Red is the most ambitious of the bunch...
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Oh, and I should probably mention that my Kaffir Lime has grown about a foot since I brought it inside a few weeks ago. I'll try to remember to take my camera to the office one of these days so I can snap a few photos...

I made a coconut butternut soup a few weeks ago using the leaves. Delicious...
 
Shockingly, the Dragon Fruit are still hanging in there, and then some.

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Apparently the American Beauty has grown 70 cm since I brought it inside 2 months ago. Hmm.
 
Nice, I cut a few pieces of mine due to the weather man who was wrong again!!! I just wanted to be sure I had some spares. I wouldn't mind a trade for one of yours, there lookin good. I have a Halie's Comet.
 
Don't have that one. I wouldn't mind a trade if I have cuttings to spare, which is going to be likely since some are going to completely outgrow my lights soon. Right now the most likely candidates are the American Beauty, the Lake Atitlan, or the Purple Haze.

Granted, some of these are ebay purchases so I can't be sure they're actually the varieties advertised.
 
what's the difference with the names...? i just thought they were diffΘrent because of thΘ fruit...? i have yellow, red and white flesh dragon fruit cuttings... but they aren't growing... i have to move them to a sunnier spot and change the soil... i didn't know what i was doing until now... LOL...
 
They're just different cultivars. I selected varieties primary based on their ability to self-pollinate, as many varieties need to cross pollinate with another plant to produce fruit (though even with the self-pollinators, I think better quality fruit is supposed to result from cross-pollination).

It's like breeding any plant; with the red/purple/white/yellow varieties there are several cultivars that were bred and selected for various qualities. Some produce better, some have better flavor, etc.

http://www.tropicalfruitnursery.com/dragon/
 
synclinorium said:
They're just different cultivars. I selected varieties primary based on their ability to self-pollinate, as many varieties need to cross pollinate with another plant to produce fruit (though even with the self-pollinators, I think better quality fruit is supposed to result from cross-pollination).

It's like breeding any plant; with the red/purple/white/yellow varieties there are several cultivars that were bred and selected for various qualities. Some produce better, some have better flavor, etc.

http://www.tropicalf...ery.com/dragon/
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WUT!!!...?

man, that's nuts... i had no clue... i want physical graffiti... how much do clippings go for shipped...? this is like hibiscus plants... i started collecting them as well before the peppers...
 
i ate some very delicious dragon fruit in hawaii. ive seen some plants for sale in the area, im definitely considering growing my own!

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gumbii said:
WUT!!!...?

man, that's nuts... i had no clue... i want physical graffiti... how much do clippings go for shipped...? this is like hibiscus plants... i started collecting them as well before the peppers...
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Most places seem to charge 5-15 dollars apiece for a cutting, depending on the type. Like I said, I got most of mine on ebay.

This place has a good selection, although I can't say I've bought anything from him. He only has a few reviews on the garden watchdog, but they're all positive. Whether you want to pay 10-15 dollars for a cutting, well, that's up to you. If you're looking for a specific variety it helps to be somewhere you can buy them locally, otherwise you might end up paying an arm and a leg... if anyone knows of a better source, feel free to jump in.

souf said:
i ate some very delicious dragon fruit in hawaii. ive seen some plants for sale in the area, im definitely considering growing my own!
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They're a lot of fun. I wish I lived somewhere I could plant them outside, as they're the sort of plant that will go nuts in the right climate. They grow like crazy once they get established. If you want to try growing them, make sure you have some long term support in mind- they will grow up whatever is available, but until they start forming epiphytic roots you'll want to tie them in place, as they can't support their own weight.

Speaking of roots...

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Ive become very interested in this "Dragon Fruit" lately, How easy is it to start from seed or do you suggest cuttings?

Thanks for any info on these :)
 
The main advantage to using cuttings is that they're relatively foolproof (I left one of mine sitting on a countertop for over a month and it started forming roots on its own), and starting from a mature stock you'll have less of a wait 'til the plant is large enough to produce fruit, in theory. I've never tried growing from seed for this reason, but I know people do it.
 
Do you bring yours outside in summer time? I live in central north Tx so im curious if i can keep it alive indoors during winter then bring it out during summer. Or on days when its 80 outside in Jan like it has been lately lol.
 
Dibs said:
Do you bring yours outside in summer time? I live in central north Tx so im curious if i can keep it alive indoors during winter then bring it out during summer. Or on days when its 80 outside in Jan like it has been lately lol.
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Yep, they love the summer weather here. Granted, I've only been growing them since last spring... supposedly they can burn in too much sun, but I think this tends to happen more in low-humidity environments. I don't know what your climate is like but it's something to consider. I've never had a problem.

They prefer to have more water than most cacti in my experience, so you should probably keep an eye on them in the summer months if you decide to put them out. However, the are other people on the forums that grow their dragon fruit outside year-round, so you might want to consult with them...
 
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