“Alice dragon fruit” named after Alice Snow, who was a member of the California Rare Fruit Grower organization. It is a medium-sized, semisweet fruit that usually weighs between 0.2 and 0.45 kg. When the fruit is fully ripe, the outside skin is a bright hot pink, which makes it one of the most eye-catching kinds.
Description
“Alice” (also called pitaya, pitahaya, hylocereus Alice, hylocereus undatus, night blooming Cereus, strawberry pear etc.) is a tropical fruit that is easy to grow and comes from Central and South America. It is in the subtropical cactus family. But for this variety to set fruit, it needs to be cross-pollinated. It is a deep pink or red color and has small scales on the skin. The inside of the fruit is white and has small black seeds. This fruit is very juicy, and you can eat it fresh or used in smoothies, salads, or desserts.
Dragon fruit, also known as pitaya, is a tropical fruit that is becoming more and more popular in the United States. This fruit is unique because it has a flavor that combines sweet and tart flavors. Some people say that dragon fruit tastes like a mix of kiwi and strawberry. Others say that it has a more subtle flavor that reminds them of honeydew or watermelon.
| Family: | Cactus |
| Fruit: | red |
| Flower color: | white |
| Flower season: | Spring, summer, fall |
| Suitable for: | Indoor, Outdoor |
| Foliage season: | evergreen |
| Plant type: | Perennial vine fruit / vegetable |
| Uses: | Gardening, personal home use, agriculture use, home gardening, tree planting |
| Size: | H: 6'-20' W: 6'-20' Medium |
| Zones: | 9a-11 |
| Sunlight: | Exposure full sun, partial shade |
| Resistance: | Heat tolerant, humidity tolerant, verticillium wilt resistant |
| Comes from: | California |
| Flavor: | Semi-sweet flavor |
| Soil needs: | Average, well-drained |
| Water needs: | Even moisture - regular |
| Flavor: | 3 out of 5 |
| Appearance: | 5 out of 5 |
| Production: | 3 out of 5 |
| Home planting: | 2 out of 5 |
| Commercial planting: | 3 out of 5 |
Dragon fruit is a hardy crop that can grow even when the weather gets very bad because of climate change. Dragon fruit production helps to fight poverty by giving rural families a good way to make money from their home gardens and empty lots. If a family can pick a few kilograms of fruit, they can sell it at the market right away. In the same way, the flowers, peels, and the fruits of the dragon cactus can be used to make money for the family.
With the money from the sale, the family can meet its basic needs. It can also solve the problems of fruits being too expensive and people not getting enough food. Dragon cactus can be grown in home gardens so that even low-income families can have access to its tasty and healthy fruit.
Uses and benefits
The fruits can be eaten as they are, or they can be made into ice cream, cookies, candies, jam, wines, shakes, special drinks, or flavors for all kinds of drinks and food. Flowers can be used to make soups, lumpia, and other dishes. The pulp from the skin can be made into embotido, pickles, jam, or boiled to make drinks that are good for you. You can make beauty soap from the stems and skin pulp.
How to plant
Dragon Fruit grows best in soils that drain well and in full sun to part shade. This cactus needs to be watered often, and you shouldn’t let the soil dry out between waterings.
The vine will grow from the plant’s root if you keep the plant in full sun and a warm temperature. Once the root has grown, new vines will start to grow from it.
Get a Dragon fruit from the grocery store that is grown organically and scoop out the seeds. Before you plant the seeds, you should first wash them and let them dry for a night. Just put Dragon seeds in compost or potting mix, and the seeds should sprout in two weeks.
When the plants reach about one meter tall, cut off the shoots. Before the shoots reach the crown, cut the tops off of them so that more shoots can grow. Train the shoots to spread out, making a structure that looks like an umbrella.
Soil nutrient requirements
How to grow a Dragon fruit plant and what it needs? This dragon plants can grow in any soil that drains well, but they do best in slightly acidic soil with a pH level between 6 and 7.
It does best in sandy soil, but if that’s not an option, just make sure the soil drains well.
Irrigation
If it’s not raining, water the dragon cactus twice a week and right after applying fertilizer. If it is raining, don’t water it. Wet the posts to encourage aerial roots to grow from the underside of the stems. These roots will help the plants climb up the posts.
Pruning
Cut back the stems to get an umbrella canopy that is open, easy to handle, and full of flowers. Take off the new shoots that are growing from the base of the plant. These can be used to start new plants.
Weeding
Weed by hand within 30 cm of each post, and use a brass cutter to cut the weeds between the posts.
Pest Management
Ants eat the dragon cactus’s stems and fruits. When scale insects eat the stems, they start to rot. Only spray soap solution or insecticide on the parts of the plant that are hurt. Fruit fly larvae eat the fruit, which makes it go bad.
Use pheromone traps made of methyl eugenol to catch this pest. You can use plastic, cloth, or paper bags to pack the fruits. Use the color of the bags as codes to figure out when the harvest is. If a plant has a disease caused by fungus, remove the diseased parts or spray it with a fungicide.
Harvest
Dragon fruit season usually starts in late April, but June and July are when production is at its highest. The harvest season starts in November, but some fruits can continue to be picked until December. The cactus plants all bloom at the same time 8 to 10 times a year. Because of this, the harvest also takes place every 8 to 10 months.
After being picked, fresh fruits are sorted, and those that meet quality standards are put in paper boxes and sent to market. Fruits that aren’t very good are used in the processing.
Nutritional value
Pitahaya is low in calories and high in fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants. One cup of dragon fruit has only 62 calories and 5 grams of fiber. Dragon fruit is also a good source of vitamin C and antioxidants, providing 36% and 79% of the Daily Value (DV), respectively. Remember that antioxidants can help protect the body against cell damage!
This plant is also a good source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, and minerals such as potassium and magnesium. Pitaya may help improve heart health by reducing bad cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Dragonfruit may also help protect against cancer and improve eye health.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Alice Dragon Fruit is a unique and interesting fruit that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. It is a great source of nutrients, and it has many health benefits. I highly recommend giving this fruit a try if you have the opportunity. Thanks for reading!
