Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: New shoot on February 22, 2011, 20:52

Title: Dragon fruit - pic added
Post by: New shoot on February 22, 2011, 20:52
Here's one to test you  :lol:

A very sweet customer brought me a dragon fruit plant they had grown from seeds recovered from a supermarket fruit.  It's like a low sprawling cactus and seems pretty fast growing.  The stems arch down and sprout roots from the ends.
  
Has anyone grown one of these and if so what can I expect  :unsure:
Title: Re: Dragon fruit
Post by: Lardman on February 22, 2011, 20:57
How odd .. but incredibly interesting.

Google shows up some bits including the fact they're not self fertile.  :(
Title: Re: Dragon fruit
Post by: DD. on February 22, 2011, 20:58
Never heard of it, but having Googled, this piccie is  not a recommendation!

(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c182/G4IAR/dragonfruit.jpg)
Title: Re: Dragon fruit
Post by: New shoot on February 22, 2011, 21:18
Never heard of it, but having Googled, this piccie is  not a recommendation!


Oh well  ::)  and not self fertile  ::)  ::)  Will grow it on just to see what it does but may have to purchase a stunt double fruit for bragging rights then  :lol:
Title: Re: Dragon fruit
Post by: DD. on February 22, 2011, 21:20
Don't let it put you off, that's one opinion amongst 1,000's I'm sure!

However, if you don't mind, I'll wait until you report back!
Title: Re: Dragon fruit
Post by: New shoot on February 22, 2011, 21:29
Hey if I manage to grow one it will be the most fantastic tasting fruit EVER (and I'll never admit any different)  :lol:
Title: Re: Dragon fruit
Post by: DD. on February 22, 2011, 21:37
Then when I try it and it fails - I know where you live!
Title: Re: Dragon fruit
Post by: JaK on February 22, 2011, 22:20
Have you got a pick of the plant?
 I ate my way through tons of dragon fruit when I was pregnant, could it be why my daughter has a firey temper I wonder???
Title: Re: Dragon fruit
Post by: New shoot on February 23, 2011, 07:44
Then when I try it and it fails - I know where you live!

 :tongue2:  :lol:

I'll get a piccie on here JaK - it's a really odd little plant  :)

Title: Re: Dragon fruit
Post by: grenhouse on February 23, 2011, 08:46
I tried a few years ago but lost the seedling, that was in my phase of planting a seed from everything I bought, which was fun but not very fruitful!

The dragon fruits I ate when in singapore tasted very different to the watery ones you get from supermarkets now a days, and hell of a lot cheaper!

steve
Title: Re: Dragon fruit - pic added
Post by: New shoot on February 24, 2011, 11:24
Ok - here is the odd little beastie.  Please excuse my grubby windows - they have to put up with a lot of plants growing next to them  :lol:

(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m198/suec_02/001.jpg)

The customer who brought it in is a lovely old lady who comes in 3 times a week at least - more for a chat than anything.  She said the seeds came up like mustard & cress and were very easy and you can root stems and make new plants from them as well  :)
Title: Re: Dragon fruit - pic added
Post by: jonewer on February 24, 2011, 14:39
My parents had a couple of these when they lived in Bulawayo. I thought them quite tasty! Beware that the cactus grew quite big - 20ft or so, I doubt they'll do so well in our climate though, Bulawayo is verging on desert in the dry season.
Title: Re: Dragon fruit - pic added
Post by: Babstreefern on February 24, 2011, 15:26
I absolutely adore dragon fruit :tongue2:.  Its like eating a giant kiwi fruit.  I don't know if you can grow them in our climate though :(
Title: Re: Dragon fruit - pic added
Post by: Trillium on February 24, 2011, 15:38
I'd never heard of dragon fruit before this post. And that foliage makes me wonder who was foolish brave enough to first give it a try. Ouch!
Title: Re: Dragon fruit - pic added
Post by: chimaera on February 24, 2011, 17:52
As far as I can tell it is a true cactus; dragon fruit are (I think) one of the forest cacti you get in Mexico (as is the Christmas cactus) what is naturally an epiphyte growing on branches. It is pollenated by large moths and bats so probably won't set indoors!

Charlie
Title: Re: Dragon fruit - pic added
Post by: asd1 on February 24, 2011, 21:53
I grew about 20 dragon fruit about 3 years ago at the time I googled them they grow very big and do need hot weather mine didn't last long I brought them inside over the winter and I guess they just didn't get enough light or space :(