This is my wonderful new dwarf dragon fruit.
Well, I say wonderful, but I am finding it kind of hard to love...
I bought it over the internet, I got excited about all the dwarf fruit tree stock this company had, and I just went wild ordering stuff left, right and centre. I ordered way too many trees, and I really hope that dwarf means dwarf.
If it doesn't, I'm in trouble.
Anyway, like I said, I'm finding it a little hard to love. When I first saw it, I had a little freak out. It looks like a cactus. A funny looking one too. When I asked the guy how to look after it, he told me to plant it in the ground. Thanks a lot for the help garden guru.
I've looked a bit on the net, and they seem to grow up over a structure, and then cascade down over it. It's the downward facing parts that bear the fruit. And the fruit is just beautiful, beautiful looking anyway, I haven't actually tasted any yet. Told you I got excited when I bought it.
So, after my research I'm still not sure what to do with it. It's got roots coming out of the stems all over the place, it's got fat bits growing off thin bits, and most depressingly, it hasn't moved a muscle since I planted it. That was a good few months ago now, and no new growth. I don't know if it likes its spot or not.
It doesn't look like it's dying though... oh well... I'm going to try building it a structure tomorrow. And I'll keep watering and feeding and mulching, and we'll just see how it grows.
5 comments:
We had a well established dragon fruit in our garden when we bought our place. It was by no means a dwarf (well at least i dont think it was) so I'm not sure how big a dwarf will be but ours was out of control! It was absolutely strangling a beautiful native that i loved so we ended up removing it. It was massive! If you dont mind me asking what was the site you bought it from?
Hey Erin,
Since buying this one I have seen enormous ones draped all over trees just like you are talking about, so yes I am a little worried. Did yours fruit?
I don't want to speak badly about small businesses, so I will email you the name privately (he might come after me!)... I ordered 9 fruit trees from them (some for my dad too) and I was really disappointed. They were raggedy and really small, and the guy just didn't help at all when I asked about how to care for the dragon fruit. It's surely not the first time he's been asked!
When I saw them I should have just said I wanted healthier plants, but I'd already paid and I am a big wimp when it comes to complaining.
The roots you see coming out are what they use to cling to their structure/ tree - theres probably a proper name but sort of 'air roots' rather than ground roots.
They are cactus so supposedly easy to care for, don't need heaps of water or fertiliser, however will probably grow better with some rather than none.
Have heard you need to hand fertilise if you get flowers as there isn't much here in Aus (if anything?) that will pollinate them.
Ali, just check the 'net for 'Dragon Fruit' and read what William Chin has to say. He's my version of an expert on the subject who's prepared to share his knowledge. I've got his booklet if you want to borrow it but the info really is all on his website. DFs should be pollinated by a moth being a night-bloomer with a delightful scent but whether that moth is available here is another story. Maybe bees do it in the early morning. There's a commercial plantation at Nanango (the one noted in the Events on BLF). It is a true Cactus and the fruit is *divine*! Firm, juicy like the best Watermelon ever but denser with overtones of other fruits. The three colours have different flavours.
Thanks a lot guys, Elaine I will check out the William Chin site and see what he has to say... I actually have a solar spotlight trained onto it at night, I was thinking it would bring on the night insects. They might just run into the pollen!
Elaine I can't wait to taste one, next chance I get... I forgot to say that this was a red too.
Donna I hadn't thought of the roots as graspers, I was busy today and didn't build anything for them, but now you've put me on the right track I'll try to give them something to hold onto.
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