DRAGON FRUIT growing in Melbourne (forum)

kathy starts with ...
I JUST BOUGHT A VIETNAM DRAGON FRUIT BABY TREE AND JUST NEED TO KNOW WHAT TIPS PEOPLE CAN GIVE ME ABOUT GROWING IT IN MELBOURNE?

- What soil/fertiliser should I use?
- How often do I need to water it?
- How quick will it grow here?
- How long should I keep it in a pot before I can put in the ground?
- Will it survive in Melbourne weather?
- Am I suppose to support it with a timber post? If so, how high?

I absolutely love this tree / fruit and hope it can grow to strong health.

Any information will be fantastic!

Time: 27th February 2013 3:05pm

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About the Author kathy9
Melbourne
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Hort-master says...
Hi Kathy,
I'm in Perth and I grow many dragon fruit here. You guys get a bit colder than us but I still think it's very possible for you to grow them. Firstly they prefer part shade if you're getting hot daytime temps. they can handle fullsun in winter. You want them in a very well drained potting mix. I use 2 parts coco peat and 3 parts yellow sand with some compost and granular blood and bone. This is good as it's slightly acidic, which they like. Foliar feeds are the only way to go from there on. I would recommend not planting them in the ground. As they have a minimal root system it's actually easier to have them elivated in a pot(10-15 litres or slightly bigger), letting the growth drape downward. mine are on posts about 5 foot above the ground. Once the branches touch the ground, i prune them and plant the prunings. remember in their normal setting they get polinated by bats so you'll need to come out at night time when the flowers open up to polinate by hand.

Hope this helps:)

Time: 28th February 2013 4:09pm

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Original Post was last edited: 28th February 2013 4:12pm
About the Author Hortmaster1
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Hort-master says...
oh yeah and let the potting mix almost dry out before you soak it in again. They don't like wet roots:)

Time: 28th February 2013 4:11pm

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Doug says...
After about 10 years, my potted dragon fruit has finally come into bud. I continually cut off the vertical upshoots to stop it pushing up the eaves, but keep all the downward shoots as from the images I have seen, these produce the fruit, and that is indeed where the buds are.
There are a lot of upshoots at the moment. Should I cut them back so the plant can concentrate on flowering?

Time: 28th February 2013 5:19pm

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About the Author Doug
Melbourne
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Hort-master says...
Yeah for sure. Even try to train them downward with wire or rope. Although they look thin and brittle the branches can be bent and twisted without breaking. Just make sure there is an air flow through all of them and that water isn't pooling on any as rot will set in quickly.

Time: 28th February 2013 6:32pm

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kathy says...
thanks for all the feedback

i am looking forward to begin my dragon fruit experience.

it will probably be easier in a pot so it can be moved around in the summer and winter for better protection.

just with the posts though if i put a large timbre post in the pot wont it be wobbly and unstable?
how high should my post be?
I thought it would be more secure in the ground.

kathy

Time: 1st March 2013 10:40am

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About the Author kathy9
 
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Hort-master says...
yeah you want to make a platform for it. 200mm PCV makes for a good post and then fix a sheet of timber or something to the top so the pot has a nice platform to sit on. mine are about 5-6 foot from the ground.

Time: 1st March 2013 1:17pm

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