Wow, in all of the dragonfruit information I've been searching for, this is the first one that tells me to cut the top. Definitely going to give this a try! Thank you!
thank you for posting this video it's very helpful. I got a dragon fruit tree for my Amish market not too long ago maybe 2 weeks ago I put the seeds in a little plastic container with with paper and water. the seeds germinated in a week and I planted them in loose soil and a tiny little Styrofoam cup, in less than 24 hours one actually started sprouting right out of the dirt. I can't believe after less than a day seeds are being to actually grew so fast.
This has been very informative. We were unaware that we were to trim the top of the plant, so we thank you for taking the time to create this information, in an easy to understand presentation.
I love this video and the catchy music that goes with it! It's fun yet informative and straightforward, not boring like so many other videos I've watched so far, which I believe is one of many reasons to create videos such as this in order to keep our interest :) In other words, keep making them! :D
Love the music ! Great music. Great picture of what to do and how to do it, but need longer time to read it all unless we click on it to stop it. This is a great idea on show and tell. Thank you.
Thanks for the video.very useful info esp about potting soil.I germinated some seeds from a store bought fruit.happy to have about 30 little saplings.Time to move them to bigger pots.
Any idea why my tree would be dropping all the flowers? It is the 3rd year. First year I found it in my driveway after a hurricane here in Florida. Last year transplanted it to a “tree” container and got like 5 flowers and they all dropped. This year I’ve had 100’s of flowers and they all keep dropping. I’ve been trying to pollinate them at night when they bloom but it seems they all end up closing back up and sort of melting away then the whole “bulb or fruit” just falls off. Do I need to pollinate from one flower to another?
Wow, a year later and over 45,000 views on this one video, thank you everyone for your support. As always, I love getting people interested in Dragon Fruit and I also love answering your questions. If you follow my channel, I will have more updates starting in spring 2014. Happy Gardening everyone.
HI i got a d fruit near chrismas and i planted some seeds i had 2 pots and both died but then just as i was about to bin them 1 appeared a new seed its doing well but do you know why they all died
fastfowler Parkour Hi, seeds do germinate rather easily, but sustaining the plant itself( especially when young/ or just after germination) can be tougher and more of a challenge. I don't know why your seedlings died, though a common reason at this state on why young plants die, is water control. Too much and it rots completely little by little, sometimes if this is the case, you will see one of two leaflets the actual plant has (and only leafs the plant will ever have for a short period of its life) start to yellow, and eventually rot. If its a lack of water it can be "revived" so to say if caught on time by adding some water. When its lack of water the young plant will seem wilted or look passed out. Keeping the soil moist and a humid environment (if not to hot or humid already where you live, you can try creating or putting a plastic dome/ plastic wrap to cover your pot) seem to work best. You can keep the pot with the dome on for first 2 to 3 months of your plants life. You can place your pot in indirect sun on filtered Sun with more shade to sun ratio. Full Sun can kill young seedlings. Best of luck
Thanks so much for the video you put together. What a wealth of knowledge! I am prepping today to grow my very first container dragon fruit and am super excited. Do you know how long it typically takes to fruit?
Rebecca Saenz Hi, from a mature cutting that was off a plant that had fruited already 1 and 1 half years to 2 years is on the faster average. Plants really do grow quick, especially in the warmer months of the year. Thank you for watching, so glad the video was helpful to you. Best of luck.
hi question for you?! i got my when it was like 6 or 7 inch's and it only had one green part grow and now it has 3 parts and each one is about 2 and half feet tall. my question is i was talking to someone&they said the only way to have it pollinate is by having 2 plants growing right to each other so it can cross pollinate each other?! is that true? will bees and bats pollinate it? do i need a second plant or will 1 do?
AWESOME Tutorial, interesting and easy diagram to show step by step and with this 'Greensleeves' tune to sooth our minds while we absorb all the valuable info' you share with us,....uprated, favorited and subbed to your COOL Channel ProjectPitaya!!! :)
Hi. Good video. My plant came with a lot of side shoots. Is it safe to trim it before it gets established, or should I give it time to grow new roots? The existing roots were disturbed during transplant. Thanks
Sorry for the late response, Yes you can cut the side shoots, this will stimulate your plant to grow out those roots. Then once roots have been established, that's when you should start seeing now top growth. Thanks for watching Keith
***** Thanks. I bought another plant, at Home Depot, for $7, with many stems. I separated them and got 6 plants from 1 pot!! These are Haley's Comet variety. Anyone looking out there, it's quite a deal.
Wow what a good video. Great job! I'm planting my pitaya cuttings at the moment. Would you consider doing a video like this on fruit trees? Specifically with the purpose of training them to stay small for handpicking? I can't find a video like that anywhere.
Nicolas Perez I'm glad you liked the video, and it's great that you are getting your cuttings started. I would do videos on other different types of fruit (if that's what you mean) , but I am not that well versed on other fruits types to feel comfortable enough presenting the information in a video format. But if your talking about a small Dragon fruit tree, then yes, possibly in the near future. Thank you for watching and best of luck to you.
When I got my dragon fruit there were a lot of side branches down lower that I didn't want. I cut away the small sprouts, but I'm afraid to prune it too much, especially some of the more established branches. Will the dragon fruit tolerate pruning a lot? I want to make sure it devotes it's energy growing the main stem upward.
ProfessorHobbes Hi, yes that is fine, pruning and training your Dragon Fruit Cactus to grow upwards with just one main stem works really well. Many Pro growers and hobbyists have this method (as in the video) in affect. DF cactus grows very quickly compared to regular cacti and in general. Cuttings can grow to maturity and start bearing fruit in as little as a year to a year and a half, growing up to an inch a day (wow) in warmer climates. If you choose to, you could also grow two stems upwards from the main stem (original cutting) with good results as well. Either way, your DF cactus will have the energy it needs to grow from the original cutting, of course counting on you add nutrients into your soil. Some good fertilizer with a higher level of nitrogen (fish fertilizer works well) will push and aid in growth overall, compost, etc. Best of luck
Ok, thanks a lot. And about how much sand and perlite do I need in the soil? Like do I need 1/3 sand and perlite, and 2/3 soil? Or maybe 1/2 sand and perlite and 1/2 soil? Also do I want more perlite or more sand in the soil mixture? Sorry for all the questions, I am transplanting my dragon fruit, and just want to be sure everything is right.
Jake Murdock I used too add some sand, but now I don't use any sand at all. It's a matter of preference. Also, I feel like too much sand keeps soils wetter longer. No exact mix measurement. Jump maybe crumple up your soil mix into a tight ball in your hand and if the soil breaks a apart relatively easily, you should be good. BTW, DF can root strictly in perlite as well (as the soil medium) and some water ( and not saying plant only in perlite, it's just so that you can see the plant can live and adapt to various soil mediums). The key is to make sure the soil drains out, and if you plant in a pot, make sure the pot or ground has enough resources for it to drain out.
Hello, I was wondering if the side stems will keep growing or if they will stop. If I want them to stop, will they do it on there own or would I have to cut the side steams where I want them to stop growing? I just don't want them to keep growing to where they are laying on the ground, if they can keep growing.
Hi Jake, Remember your the boss, These plants are very hardy when it comes to trimming them. Let them grow (hang down) to whatever length you'd like. With that said, it isn't uncommon for them to reach all the way down to the floor, depending on variety. The stems do definitely stop growing at one point. In my experience, once a side stem is cut at the length you want it usually promotes newer topside growth from your plant(s). Although you can get new growth on that same stem that you may have just trimmed, but you can trim unwanted growth while its younger. After a while your plants sort of get the hint of what type of growth you want to achieve. Soon, I'll hopefully post a video update on the status of my plants and you can see how my various varieties are doing. Thanks for your question and thanks for watching, Peace.
hi there, thanks for the awesome video and useful tips. I myself am trying to grow a red dragon fruit at home (Jakarta, Indonesia, near the equator). I've been trying this for more or less a year.So far, my plant has not yet produced any flowers of any kind. In the video, the plant that grew from the cutting is undivided into several sections while mine do(the plant shrank that signs the end of one section and the beginning of another). Is this unusual thing supposed to happen? To make it clear, look at my profile picture. There, I've marked the part where the plant shrank with 2 red arrows.
i started with a couple of cuttings given to me now i have potted DF that grow up twist around and dive into any pot that is near regardless of what i have in it have had a couple of DF but latley the hand pollinated ones just turn yellow and die so will feed them more see what happens
Hi Jan, and everyone reading, **REASONS FLOWERS MAY TURN YELLOW AND FALL OFF**: sometimes the cause for the flowers turning yellow and wilting off (and failing to turn into fruit) is caused by overwatering during flowering and also from changes in the weather. If you suspect it might be over watering, return to watering as usual (maybe once per week), also you mentioned the cactus itself has dipped in to other pots. If it has done this, then it may have most likely developed additional roots there as well. So , it may be absorbing more water from that source also. As for weather changes, in my experience, flowers can turn yellow and fall off due to the weather being unstable during flowering season. A sudden 7 to 10+ degree spike change in the weather, making it hotter, can be your most likely culprit as well. Lastly, you may want to make sure you are cross pollinating, not just hand pollinating. Go from one variety to another, with pollen from this flower to another. You mentioned the 4th reason, lack of nutrition is the soil i.e., the need for fertilizer. One last thing, some Dragon fruit cactus cuttings can flower sooner than later, but may have not acquired or reached a certain mass/weight to be able to sustain fruit and thus the flowers fall off. I think we covered all the bases from what I can think of from your comment. Good luck, and I appreciate you visiting this channel. I hope this helps :)
***** thank you , that could be the reason as we live sth east qld and it seems to rain when they are coming into blossom , and we have been getting a lot of very hot days since xmas i just pull the little suckers out of other pots now
In this video and on a lot of sites about growing dragon fruit from cuttings it says once the cuttings have sprouted new shoots they can grow up to an inch to and inch and a half a day. Well my dragong fruit cuttings have sprouted new shoots but on the one with the longest new growth took a month for ut to frow to an inch. It is still at an inch long. Is thais normal or am I doing something wrong? I also have cuttings that have roots but have not grown any new shoots. Ive had them in the ground for over 2 months now.
Jake Murdock Yes, mix it in the soil and you can add a layer of just perlite or (preferably) rocks at the base of it all. This way you are insured great drainage. Thank you for watching Jake.
Hi I have been reading up on this process all over the place and i dont under stand why my plant is not sprouting like all the other ones. I have mine about 7 feet tall, i see it says cut the top off in your video, Is that what promotes them to grow out like a tree and start to over hang and give fruits? Thank you so much for all your help till now! :)
Christopher Khanbabaian Yes, snipping off or cutting off the top (guessing you've grown it single stem like in the video) is and will promote the top side shoots to emerge and grow out like an "umbrella" / "tree" effect. I'm glad you found this information helpful. Thank you for watching and I hope things go well with you Pitaya :)
I will try it out and keep you updated, yea I have 5 single stems and they each range from 5-8 feet tall but it is only a single stem. I have tied each one to a wooden post and they are standing up straight. I will chop off the tops like you described in the video. Thanks again for the quick post back!!
Finally found this song it's Snowflakes from The Venture's Christmas album, jeez I wish I'd known this a month ago it's now January 2018! And yes I did order the album, the one venture's album I didn't have go figure.
Sydbius Very good question, I read a online report from a University in Nicaragua. It said ground roots grow up to 15 inches from their studies. I agree with them, I have repotted a few of my mature fruiting plants, to bigger pots. I observed that the roots system stays close to the top (shallow roots) and the roots did not exceed 15 inches. In reality they did not need bigger pots, but once I had removed the older pots, I went ahead and potted them in new pots. So to answer your question, no they wont, but also I wouldn't plant more than 4 cuttings per 20 gallon pot. I have mature fruiting Dragon Fruit plants growing in 3 gallon pots, and good amounts of fruit ripening on them now. I believe, that these plants favor or at least don't mind a smaller pot or a somewhat cramped space just like their cousins, The Epiphylums (Epi's). I say that because my larger pots have less fruit than my smaller pots. Also each one gets the same amount of fertilizer and water. Although, if you have the space go ahead and give it to them. Btw Ariel roots can grow to about 10 feet or more, these are the roots that cling to trees or a trellis system, that is why these plants are Epiphytic in nature. Thanks for your question.
***** Thank you for answering my questions. Ariel roots, growing about 10ft or more...yikes! I've been learning more and more about this incredible plant. I can't wait to eat some homegrown fruit...I just planted one into a 20 gallon, but I'm trying to decide if I can put a total of two cuttings into the 20gall pot...The first cutting is doing well. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge :)
My second question: According to your video, I should cut the top of the plant when it's about 383 cm tall.when I cut the plant, should I cut the thin part of the plant so I don't damage the plant and make it bleed green stuff from the wound?
Nicholas Diondre Hi, to answer your first question, yes that is perfectly normal. Some varieties do that more than others ( they have sections). Also just keep trimming all the side shoots (side arms, side growth) and just let it get tall enough to about 5 to 6 feet (that's what I wrote in the video, not 383 cm, that equals 12 feet, LOL :) . So to answer your second question just do it as in the video, cut slightly above your trellis line (3 to 4 inches should do), and don't worry about your plant bleeding (it really won't) it will scar up quickly. I would cut it at the thickest spot possible, just slightly over the height of the trellis and let the top side growth branch out onto it. Later you can also tie & secure branches to you trellis for added support. Best of luck
***** thanks for your help. I think I should experiment on the plants for a bit (damn, if I've seen the video sooner I would've cut the plant then. Now I have what? 7 individual pitayas growing up to 4 foot tall) while I have a blast designing the trellis and figuring out where I should get the ingredients to make it. Thanks once again, this stuff really helped me out. Oh, and by the way, I think I typed 183 to 383 cm. LOL, I think I'll check for your other useful videos. Can I recommend making this video in real life situation so we can see the results better? Thanks.
Nicholas Diondre No problem, and I will post some helpful pictures on my Facebook page (if I can find them and still have them) soon :) facebook.com/pages/Project-Pitaya/145856892274429
I live in the Mojave Desert the wild rabbits I've eaten most of my dragon fruit plant. Will it regrow? They did leave behind about a half a strip of the plant. Can I replant this?
hi, i want to cultivate this fruit trees,i have some doubts,1) how much time taken for fruiting 2)in my ares wheather conditions are above 30c is this sutable r not for forming,and tell me about full details also. thanking you
bharath teja Hello, it usually takes on average 2 years to get fruit from a good mature cutting (sometimes it can be done in a year and a half). If your weather is normally above 30c, that is ok it could be 35c all days and that would be fine as well. Temperatures reaching 37 or above are too hot, I would consider adding shade cloth to it in those circumstances, so to create a suitable climate for your Pitaya.
hi my dragon fruit cannot continue fruiting the flower reaches only around 2 to 3 inches and then dry up and remove to the stem i notice that there are so many ants what shall i do? thanks
Ireneo Someros Jr Lots of things could be the issue, but to get an idea of what be the cause, see my video "top reasons why Dragon Fruit Flowers fall off". It's on my play list called Dragon Fruit Cultivation 101. Good Luck
hi i was given many cuttings from friends all over the world. all my cuttings im guessing have rooted fast because my cuttings have gotten allot larger then they were i have them in a 8 gallon pot with 4 cuttings in each pot tied to a post in the center should i put each one in it's own pot? they have all put out air roots these cuttings are from trees that are 10+yr old. also i have about 30+ seedlings that has sprouted that i forgot about they took 3minths to sprout i gave up hope on the seeds sprouting after it being soo long lol so not im not sure what to do with all of my seedling or if i should separate them? thanks for your help.
+Stephanie Wallace @ Hi, 2 cuttings per 8 gallon pot would be better than 4 per pot. 4 would be a bit tight and also consider each cutting would grow up to it's own large mature plant. By having to per pot your plants wouldn't have to compete harshly with each other for nutrients in the soil. As for the seedlings, yes separate them now because later the roots will become even more tangled will be harder to manage, or leave as they are and eventually take cuttings from them once they are a bit older.
+ProjectPitaya thank you soo much im working on getting 25 gallon pots so i can keep my cuttings in so they may be happy being i have no ground to place them in everythi g is growing great all have new growth & have new side shoots coming out everywhere on them they were barely an inche long 4days ago now they are almost 3 inches long do i leave them & remove them when they are long enough to root or do i cut them now?
Stephanie Wallace Yes you can remove the shoots that are excessive, normally you want to have just one or two shoots growing out which you will train upwards. So try and just leave the two shoots that are toward the top of the cutting which will be the easiest to train upwards. Also forgot to tell you that, you were right, once you see new top growth on a cutting you planted, that means your cutting has roots already. Best of luck
+ProjectPitaya awesome thanks i can't wait to see these grow & give fruit im still on the hunt to buy cuttings of other varieties so my kids may have different fruits.
***** Yes that's fine, also I have found and experimented with planting different varieties in the same pot as well. I would plant up to three cuttings in that pot. Thanks for watching Danny.
It's been 7 months since my post and I just wanted to update. I had about 15 cuttings and half of them starting growing right away (1-2 feet), but the others didn't. They all stopped growing during winter and now are starting to grow again. Even the ones that had 0 growth are now growing new shoots. I'm very excited to see how big they can grow this spring/summer :D
Very cool Danny, and you are very right, now that things are warming up, Dragon Fruit plants will start shooting up quickly. I usually fertilize around this time, in fact I fertilized a bit over the weekend. Many adding nitrogen (N) to push faster growth. Sounds like your doing a great job, keep it up. Thanks for the update :)
Kibatsume1 Hi, post a picture to my Facebook page "ProjectPitaya" and I will try to answer when I get I chance, or others there who read the page may answer you as well. You can also give more info, like what season your in, part of the world and if your fertilizing yor DF plant, etc.
Hi Sara, Yes, a 45 litre pot is more than sufficient for one cutting, IMO you could plant two cuttings in there and grow them out to full maturity (fruiting). The roots systems of Dragon Fruit Cacti aren't as big as compared to other plants with similar size. Their roots are shallow and like to be close to the surface. I have learned that Dragon Fruit Cactus don't seem to mind a snug pot to grow in. They grow fine and fruit fine as well in these cases. Just remember to replenish nutrients every so often. Planting in pots gives you better control of water levels and also is easier when adding fertilizer, also less bug problems (snails etc.). Good luck and thank you for watching. Maybe send me an update on my Project Pitaya Facebook page, feel free to post pictures of your Pitaya/Dragon fruit Cactus.
***** awesome! I'm amazed that they can grow in such a small area. I planted two different cuttings in two different pots (smaller than 45L at the moment) and it appears one of them is getting roots at the top, should I just leave it and assume they're coming out the bottom as well?
Yeah, they are slow to start. I'm in a tropical climate and in the first year mine barely grew at all. I thought they were 'duds". Second year they started growing faster. Once they get their first branch with real spines, they start growing fast.
hi, i want to improve my planting on my dragon fruit, can you help me what to do, I do my planting from cutting and i do it very wrong i just let it to grow i do not fertilized just a water from washed rice and or meat. The stem has no direction its almost 2 years now no sign for fruiting.
Wow, in all of the dragonfruit information I've been searching for, this is the first one that tells me to cut the top. Definitely going to give this a try! Thank you!
Memphis Ahn Thanks,I wish to enjoy with this plant at my home ,but I don't know ,how I will get it ?
thank you for posting this video it's very helpful. I got a dragon fruit tree for my Amish market not too long ago maybe 2 weeks ago I put the seeds in a little plastic container with with paper and water. the seeds germinated in a week and I planted them in loose soil and a tiny little Styrofoam cup, in less than 24 hours one actually started sprouting right out of the dirt. I can't believe after less than a day seeds are being to actually grew so fast.
This has been very informative. We were unaware that we were to trim the top of the plant, so we thank you for taking the time to create this information, in an easy to understand presentation.
I love this video and the catchy music that goes with it! It's fun yet informative and straightforward, not boring like so many other videos I've watched so far, which I believe is one of many reasons to create videos such as this in order to keep our interest :) In other words, keep making them! :D
Love the music ! Great music.
Great picture of what to do and how to do it, but need longer time to read it all unless we click on it to stop it.
This is a great idea on show and tell.
Thank you.
Thanks for the video.very useful info esp about potting soil.I germinated some seeds from a store bought fruit.happy to have about 30 little saplings.Time to move them to bigger pots.
Getting ready to start growing my first plants in just a few days. Very excited!!
how is it today?
@@ryanjamie97 Mine was accidentally mowed over, but I am trying again from seeds soon.
Any idea why my tree would be dropping all the flowers? It is the 3rd year. First year I found it in my driveway after a hurricane here in Florida. Last year transplanted it to a “tree” container and got like 5 flowers and they all dropped. This year I’ve had 100’s of flowers and they all keep dropping. I’ve been trying to pollinate them at night when they bloom but it seems they all end up closing back up and sort of melting away then the whole “bulb or fruit” just falls off. Do I need to pollinate from one flower to another?
you need a 2nd variety for cross pollination
collect the pollen and store it in the refrigerator then when the next flower pops up pollinate it with the pollen you collected earlier
Thank you very much for the post, this gets straight to the point.
Right On!!! Thank you very much.
Thank you for the video. Do you have any pictures or videos showing a mature root ball on a dragon fruit?
Wow, a year later and over 45,000 views on this one video, thank you everyone for your support.
As always, I love getting people interested in Dragon Fruit and I also love answering
your questions. If you follow my channel, I will have more updates starting in spring 2014. Happy Gardening everyone.
HI i got a d fruit near chrismas and i planted some seeds i had 2 pots and both died but then just as i was about to bin them 1 appeared a new seed its doing well but do you know why they all died
fastfowler Parkour Hi, seeds do germinate rather easily, but sustaining the plant itself( especially when young/ or just after germination) can be tougher and more of a challenge. I don't know why your seedlings died, though a common reason at this state on why young plants die, is water control. Too much and it rots completely little by little, sometimes if this is the case, you will see one of two leaflets the actual plant has (and only leafs the plant will ever have for a short period of its life) start to yellow, and eventually rot. If its a lack of water it can be "revived" so to say if caught on time by adding some water. When its lack of water the young plant will seem wilted or look passed out. Keeping the soil moist and a humid environment (if not to hot or humid already where you live, you can try creating or putting a plastic dome/ plastic wrap to cover your pot) seem to work best. You can keep the pot with the dome on for first 2 to 3 months of your plants life. You can place your pot in indirect sun on filtered Sun with more shade to sun ratio. Full Sun can kill young seedlings. Best of luck
Yeah I think I didnt water them often enough but the dead ones are still green thank you very much
ProjectPitaya M
ProjectPitaya ii
What is the minimum distance to keep between posts ?
Thanks so much for the video you put together. What a wealth of knowledge! I am prepping today to grow my very first container dragon fruit and am super excited. Do you know how long it typically takes to fruit?
Rebecca Saenz Hi, from a mature cutting that was off a plant that had fruited already 1 and 1 half years to 2 years is on the faster average. Plants really do grow quick, especially in the warmer months of the year. Thank you for watching, so glad the video was helpful to you. Best of luck.
Could one grow on a coastal region where it rarely gets above 70 degrees F, but also rarely ever goes below 40 F or so?
What kind of sand can I use? Also what kind of post can I used once I plant it on the ground?
hi question for you?! i got my when it was like 6 or 7 inch's and it only had one green part grow and now it has 3 parts and each one is about 2 and half feet tall. my question is i was talking to someone&they said the only way to have it pollinate is by having 2 plants growing right to each other so it can cross pollinate each other?! is that true? will bees and bats pollinate it? do i need a second plant or will 1 do?
Hi, I was wondering what size and type of support pole should I use? Thanks
What's the desired location( hours of sun per day)? More shady area during rooting period? Wish you would include these information.
Great advice!
thank you
Very informative information on growing dragon fruit.
AWESOME Tutorial, interesting and easy diagram to show step by step and with this 'Greensleeves' tune to sooth our minds while we absorb all the valuable info' you share with us,....uprated, favorited and subbed to your COOL Channel ProjectPitaya!!! :)
Joe Serrano Thank you.
Hi. Good video. My plant came with a lot of side shoots. Is it safe to trim it before it gets established, or should I give it time to grow new roots? The existing roots were disturbed during transplant. Thanks
Sorry for the late response, Yes you can cut the side shoots, this will stimulate your plant to grow out those roots. Then once roots have been established, that's when you should start seeing now top growth. Thanks for watching Keith
***** Thanks. I bought another plant, at Home Depot, for $7, with many stems. I separated them and got 6 plants from 1 pot!! These are Haley's Comet variety. Anyone looking out there, it's quite a deal.
Wow what a good video. Great job! I'm planting my pitaya cuttings at the moment. Would you consider doing a video like this on fruit trees? Specifically with the purpose of training them to stay small for handpicking? I can't find a video like that anywhere.
Nicolas Perez I'm glad you liked the video, and it's great that you are getting your cuttings started. I would do videos on other different types of fruit (if that's what you mean) , but I am not that well versed on other fruits types to feel comfortable enough presenting the information in a video format. But if your talking about a small Dragon fruit tree, then yes, possibly in the near future. Thank you for watching and best of luck to you.
very good
Thanks ill try it. I use gather fruits from this tree in the summer.
When I got my dragon fruit there were a lot of side branches down lower that I didn't want. I cut away the small sprouts, but I'm afraid to prune it too much, especially some of the more established branches. Will the dragon fruit tolerate pruning a lot? I want to make sure it devotes it's energy growing the main stem upward.
ProfessorHobbes Hi, yes that is fine, pruning and training your Dragon Fruit Cactus to grow upwards with just one main stem works really well. Many Pro growers and hobbyists have this method (as in the video) in affect. DF cactus grows very quickly compared to regular cacti and in general. Cuttings can grow to maturity and start bearing fruit in as little as a year to a year and a half, growing up to an inch a day (wow) in warmer climates. If you choose to, you could also grow two stems upwards from the main stem (original cutting) with good results as well. Either way, your DF cactus will have the energy it needs to grow from the original cutting, of course counting on you add nutrients into your soil. Some good fertilizer with a higher level of nitrogen (fish fertilizer works well) will push and aid in growth overall, compost, etc. Best of luck
Ok, thanks a lot. And about how much sand and perlite do I need in the soil? Like do I need 1/3 sand and perlite, and 2/3 soil? Or maybe 1/2 sand and perlite and 1/2 soil? Also do I want more perlite or more sand in the soil mixture? Sorry for all the questions, I am transplanting my dragon fruit, and just want to be sure everything is right.
Jake Murdock I used too add some sand, but now I don't use any sand at all. It's a matter of preference. Also, I feel like too much sand keeps soils wetter longer. No exact mix measurement. Jump maybe crumple up your soil mix into a tight ball in your hand and if the soil breaks a apart relatively easily, you should be good. BTW, DF can root strictly in perlite as well (as the soil medium) and some water ( and not saying plant only in perlite, it's just so that you can see the plant can live and adapt to various soil mediums). The key is to make sure the soil drains out, and if you plant in a pot, make sure the pot or ground has enough resources for it to drain out.
Hello, I was wondering if the side stems will keep growing or if they will stop. If I want them to stop, will they do it on there own or would I have to cut the side steams where I want them to stop growing? I just don't want them to keep growing to where they are laying on the ground, if they can keep growing.
Hi Jake,
Remember your the boss, These plants are very hardy when it comes to trimming them. Let them grow (hang down) to whatever length you'd like. With that said, it isn't uncommon for them to reach all the way down to the floor, depending on variety. The stems do definitely stop growing at one point. In my experience, once a side stem is cut at the length you want it usually promotes newer topside growth from your plant(s). Although you can get new growth on that same stem that you may have just trimmed, but you can trim unwanted growth while its younger. After a while your plants sort of get the hint of what type of growth you want to achieve. Soon, I'll hopefully post a video update on the status of my plants and you can see how my various varieties are doing.
Thanks for your question and thanks for watching, Peace.
my dragon fruit is becoming taller but it doesnt have shoot or stem.... wt will i do? its atlist a year
hi there, thanks for the awesome video and useful tips. I myself am trying to grow a red dragon fruit at home (Jakarta, Indonesia, near the equator). I've been trying this for more or less a year.So far, my plant has not yet produced any flowers of any kind. In the video, the plant that grew from the cutting is undivided into several sections while mine do(the plant shrank that signs the end of one section and the beginning of another). Is this unusual thing supposed to happen?
To make it clear, look at my profile picture. There, I've marked the part where the plant shrank with 2 red arrows.
Good p m pwidi ho ba maka hingi ng tulong kasi ung buds ng dragon fruits k ay d matuloy kasi nag yellow then after 5 days nag laglagan na t y
i started with a couple of cuttings given to me now i have potted DF that grow up twist around and dive into any pot that is near regardless of what i have in it have had a couple of DF but latley the hand pollinated ones just turn yellow and die so will feed them more see what happens
Hi Jan, and everyone reading,
**REASONS FLOWERS MAY TURN YELLOW AND FALL OFF**:
sometimes the cause for the flowers turning yellow and wilting off (and failing to turn into fruit) is caused by overwatering during flowering and also from changes in the weather. If you suspect it might be over watering, return to watering as usual (maybe once per week), also you mentioned the cactus itself has dipped in to other pots. If it has done this, then it may have most likely developed additional roots there as well. So , it may be absorbing more water from that source also. As for weather changes, in my experience, flowers can turn yellow and fall off due to the weather being unstable during flowering season. A sudden 7 to 10+ degree spike change in the weather, making it hotter, can be your most likely culprit as well. Lastly, you may want to make sure you are cross pollinating, not just hand pollinating. Go from one variety to another, with pollen from this flower to another. You mentioned the 4th reason, lack of nutrition is the soil i.e., the need for fertilizer. One last thing, some Dragon fruit cactus cuttings can flower sooner than later, but may have not acquired or reached a certain mass/weight to be able to sustain fruit and thus the flowers fall off. I think we covered all the bases from what I can think of from your comment. Good luck, and I appreciate you visiting this channel. I hope this helps :)
***** thank you , that could be the reason as we live sth east qld and it seems to rain when they are coming into blossom , and we have been getting a lot of very hot days since xmas i just pull the little suckers out of other pots now
In this video and on a lot of sites about growing dragon fruit from cuttings it says once the cuttings have sprouted new shoots they can grow up to an inch to and inch and a half a day. Well my dragong fruit cuttings have sprouted new shoots but on the one with the longest new growth took a month for ut to frow to an inch. It is still at an inch long. Is thais normal or am I doing something wrong? I also have cuttings that have roots but have not grown any new shoots. Ive had them in the ground for over 2 months now.
If I were to use perlite, would I mix it in with the soil and make a whole layer of just perlite below the soil also?
Jake Murdock Yes, mix it in the soil and you can add a layer of just perlite or (preferably) rocks at the base of it all. This way you are insured great drainage. Thank you for watching Jake.
Hi I have been reading up on this process all over the place and i dont under stand why my plant is not sprouting like all the other ones. I have mine about 7 feet tall, i see it says cut the top off in your video, Is that what promotes them to grow out like a tree and start to over hang and give fruits? Thank you so much for all your help till now! :)
Christopher Khanbabaian Yes, snipping off or cutting off the top (guessing you've grown it single stem like in the video) is and will promote the top side shoots to emerge and grow out like an "umbrella" / "tree" effect. I'm glad you found this information helpful. Thank you for watching and I hope things go well with you Pitaya :)
I will try it out and keep you updated, yea I have 5 single stems and they each range from 5-8 feet tall but it is only a single stem. I have tied each one to a wooden post and they are standing up straight. I will chop off the tops like you described in the video. Thanks again for the quick post back!!
Finally found this song it's Snowflakes from The Venture's Christmas album, jeez I wish I'd known this a month ago it's now January 2018! And yes I did order the album, the one venture's album I didn't have go figure.
I can grow dragon fruit from seed, it's been 2 weeks. I'm so happy but confuse what should I do next to take of them..
Is it possible for a dragon fruit tree to outgrow a 20 gallon pot? How big can the roots get if planting in a pot?
Sydbius Very good question, I read a online report from a University in Nicaragua. It said ground roots grow up to 15 inches from their studies. I agree with them, I have repotted a few of my mature fruiting plants, to bigger pots. I observed that the roots system stays close to the top (shallow roots) and the roots did not exceed 15 inches. In reality they did not need bigger pots, but once I had removed the older pots, I went ahead and potted them in new pots. So to answer your question, no they wont, but also I wouldn't plant more than 4 cuttings per 20 gallon pot. I have mature fruiting Dragon Fruit plants growing in 3 gallon pots, and good amounts of fruit ripening on them now. I believe, that these plants favor or at least don't mind a smaller pot or a somewhat cramped space just like their cousins, The Epiphylums (Epi's). I say that because my larger pots have less fruit than my smaller pots. Also each one gets the same amount of fertilizer and water. Although, if you have the space go ahead and give it to them. Btw Ariel roots can grow to about 10 feet or more, these are the roots that cling to trees or a trellis system, that is why these plants are Epiphytic in nature. Thanks for your question.
***** Thank you for answering my questions. Ariel roots, growing about 10ft or more...yikes! I've been learning more and more about this incredible plant. I can't wait to eat some homegrown fruit...I just planted one into a 20 gallon, but I'm trying to decide if I can put a total of two cuttings into the 20gall pot...The first cutting is doing well. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge :)
Great post many things I am trying some out here in North Central Florida I got on clearance at WalMart....
Good luck on your Dragon adventure Nancy, they really are lovely plants.
***** thanks
Great tutorial! Thanks so much!!
You're very welcome :)
My second question: According to your video, I should cut the top of the plant when it's about 383 cm tall.when I cut the plant, should I cut the thin part of the plant so I don't damage the plant and make it bleed green stuff from the wound?
Nicholas Diondre Hi, to answer your first question, yes that is perfectly normal. Some varieties do that more than others ( they have sections). Also just keep trimming all the side shoots (side arms, side growth) and just let it get tall enough to about 5 to 6 feet (that's what I wrote in the video, not 383 cm, that equals 12 feet, LOL :) . So to answer your second question just do it as in the video, cut slightly above your trellis line (3 to 4 inches should do), and don't worry about your plant bleeding (it really won't) it will scar up quickly. I would cut it at the thickest spot possible, just slightly over the height of the trellis and let the top side growth branch out onto it. Later you can also tie & secure branches to you trellis for added support. Best of luck
***** thanks for your help. I think I should experiment on the plants for a bit (damn, if I've seen the video sooner I would've cut the plant then. Now I have what? 7 individual pitayas growing up to 4 foot tall) while I have a blast designing the trellis and figuring out where I should get the ingredients to make it. Thanks once again, this stuff really helped me out. Oh, and by the way, I think I typed 183 to 383 cm. LOL, I think I'll check for your other useful videos. Can I recommend making this video in real life situation so we can see the results better? Thanks.
Nicholas Diondre No problem, and I will post some helpful pictures on my Facebook page (if I can find them and still have them) soon :) facebook.com/pages/Project-Pitaya/145856892274429
Hi just a quick question do you have to cut the tops off once the reach 5 to 6 feet tall?
You don't, but the cactus will continue growing over 20 ft which makes harvesting difficult.
I will try this with my dragon trees.i planted many trees but it just grow up as well without flower.
I live in the Mojave Desert the wild rabbits I've eaten most
of my dragon fruit plant. Will it regrow? They did leave behind about a half a strip of the plant. Can I replant this?
thank you very much for this info my dragnfrut. is not growing any after 1and 3 quarters of ayear thnx for the video
hi, i want to cultivate this fruit trees,i have some doubts,1) how much time taken for fruiting 2)in my ares wheather conditions are above 30c is this sutable r not for forming,and tell me about full details also. thanking you
bharath teja Hello, it usually takes on average 2 years to get fruit from a good mature cutting (sometimes it can be done in a year and a half). If your weather is normally above 30c, that is ok it could be 35c all days and that would be fine as well. Temperatures reaching 37 or above are too hot, I would consider adding shade cloth to it in those circumstances, so to create a suitable climate for your Pitaya.
hi my dragon fruit cannot continue fruiting the flower reaches only around 2 to 3 inches and then dry up and remove to the stem i notice that there are so many ants what shall i do? thanks
Ireneo Someros Jr Lots of things could be the issue, but to get an idea of what be the cause, see my video "top reasons why Dragon Fruit Flowers fall off". It's on my play list called Dragon Fruit Cultivation 101. Good Luck
this is a very helpful video, thank you!!!
hi i was given many cuttings from friends all over the world. all my cuttings im guessing have rooted fast because my cuttings have gotten allot larger then they were i have them in a 8 gallon pot with 4 cuttings in each pot tied to a post in the center should i put each one in it's own pot? they have all put out air roots these cuttings are from trees that are 10+yr old. also i have about 30+ seedlings that has sprouted that i forgot about they took 3minths to sprout i gave up hope on the seeds sprouting after it being soo long lol so not im not sure what to do with all of my seedling or if i should separate them?
thanks for your help.
+Stephanie Wallace @ Hi, 2 cuttings per 8 gallon pot would be better than 4 per pot. 4 would be a bit tight and also consider each cutting would grow up to it's own large mature plant. By having to per pot your plants wouldn't have to compete harshly with each other for nutrients in the soil. As for the seedlings, yes separate them now because later the roots will become even more tangled will be harder to manage, or leave as they are and eventually take cuttings from them once they are a bit older.
+ProjectPitaya thank you soo much im working on getting 25 gallon pots so i can keep my cuttings in so they may be happy being i have no ground to place them in everythi g is growing great all have new growth & have new side shoots coming out everywhere on them they were barely an inche long 4days ago now they are almost 3 inches long do i leave them & remove them when they are long enough to root or do i cut them now?
Stephanie Wallace Yes you can remove the shoots that are excessive, normally you want to have just one or two shoots growing out which you will train upwards. So try and just leave the two shoots that are toward the top of the cutting which will be the easiest to train upwards. Also forgot to tell you that, you were right, once you see new top growth on a cutting you planted, that means your cutting has roots already. Best of luck
+ProjectPitaya awesome thanks i can't wait to see these grow & give fruit im still on the hunt to buy cuttings of other varieties so my kids may have different fruits.
Hey Stephanie. Is IT possible from you to send cutting to me IN Sweden ?
What's the music track you used for this video? I know the song is "greensleeves" but who's the artists?
How can you do this with growing from seed?
What's the word on a video on pruning adult DF plants?
Can you plant multiple cuttings in the same pot? I bought 4 and have a 15 gallon pot that I would like to use.
***** Yes that's fine, also I have found and experimented with planting different varieties in the same pot as well. I would plant up to three cuttings in that pot. Thanks for watching Danny.
It's been 7 months since my post and I just wanted to update. I had about 15 cuttings and half of them starting growing right away (1-2 feet), but the others didn't. They all stopped growing during winter and now are starting to grow again. Even the ones that had 0 growth are now growing new shoots. I'm very excited to see how big they can grow this spring/summer :D
Very cool Danny, and you are very right, now that things are warming up, Dragon Fruit plants will start shooting up quickly. I usually fertilize around this time, in fact I fertilized a bit over the weekend. Many adding nitrogen (N) to push faster growth. Sounds like your doing a great job, keep it up. Thanks for the update :)
Amazing dragon fruit
My 10month dragon fruit has stoped growing and is turning yellow. Do you know what is causing this .
Kibatsume1 Hi, post a picture to my Facebook page "ProjectPitaya" and I will try to answer when I get I chance, or others there who read the page may answer you as well. You can also give more info, like what season your in, part of the world and if your fertilizing yor DF plant, etc.
Very helpful, Thank you.
you're welcome
hey, i would like to ask u something. What shall i do if my dragon fruit plant isn't growing ? i mean i bought it, i planted it but it hasn't grown :(
I HAD one like that. i just dug it up and replanted it somewhere else....and it grew.
So would a 45 litre pot be sufficient to keep it in permanently from cutting to producing fruit, or does it need to be put in the ground?
Hi Sara, Yes, a 45 litre pot is more than sufficient for one cutting, IMO you could plant two cuttings in there and grow them out to full maturity (fruiting). The roots systems of Dragon Fruit Cacti aren't as big as compared to other plants with similar size. Their roots are shallow and like to be close to the surface. I have learned that Dragon Fruit Cactus don't seem to mind a snug pot to grow in. They grow fine and fruit fine as well in these cases. Just remember to replenish nutrients every so often. Planting in pots gives you better control of water levels and also is easier when adding fertilizer, also less bug problems (snails etc.). Good luck and thank you for watching. Maybe send me an update on my Project Pitaya Facebook page, feel free to post pictures of your Pitaya/Dragon fruit Cactus.
***** awesome! I'm amazed that they can grow in such a small area. I planted two different cuttings in two different pots (smaller than 45L at the moment) and it appears one of them is getting roots at the top, should I just leave it and assume they're coming out the bottom as well?
I have some dragon fruit seedlings but they are not growing,i have had them for four months yet they are not eaven one centimeter long.
Patience, they will grow. They grow faster in Summer time. For now maybe grow them in a mini green house type setting. Best of luck Pablo.
P
Yeah, they are slow to start. I'm in a tropical climate and in the first year mine barely grew at all. I thought they were 'duds". Second year they started growing faster. Once they get their first branch with real spines, they start growing fast.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
hi, i want to improve my planting on my dragon fruit, can you help me what to do, I do my planting from cutting and i do it very wrong i just let it to grow i do not fertilized just a water from washed rice and or meat. The stem has no direction its almost 2 years now no sign for fruiting.
Please watch this video and use a good fertilizer of your choice. What you mention is addressed in this video. Good luck
***** thank you so much :)
So are these plants carnivorous? I got confused when the caption read '...add a steak to induce upward growth..."
Ian Paul
Don’t be a fuckin idiot. Obviously he meant stake. God! What are some people so stupid?!
Big Gus r/wooosh
may I know the background music please?
It's a version of Green Sleeves.
sweet
I'm a fast reader, but the scenes faded to quickly for me to read how to do this.
Nice video. Very informative. I
started planting dragon fruit since 2015. I've been vlogging about it. Hope you can check it out.
Muito bom, parabéns da uma passada lá no meu canal amigo!
That's was great and all but when they make the fruit how do u ensure that it is clean and safe to eat in case a cock roach touch it
Greensleeves in the background.
.......
Drwing
Напишите пожалуйста по русскому кто понимает 🙏