Tenerife is where the Marmel 1 Dragon Fruit comes from. It has a reddish-purple skin and green fins. The dark red to purple flesh is a surprise. The Marmel 01 has a long harvesting season in the subtropics, which makes it a popular variety. The taste is sweet and a little bit sour
Description
Dragonfruit Marmel 1 is a sort that produces a large fruit with long green bracts. Its skin is red, with bright purple flesh, delicious flavor, juicy, sweet and with a touch of acid (about 16 brix). The fruit weight is between 300g to 600g. Its production season goes from spring to autumn.
Variety created by Don Mariano Melchor in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain. But we believe that with a high degree of probability it could have been bred in Greece or Potugalia as well.
| Plant type: | Perennial vine, fruit |
| Outdoor: | Zone 10-11 |
| Patio: | Zone 4a-11 |
| Soil type: | Rich moist |
| Sun: | 80-100% |
| Fruit: | Red |
| Flower color: | White |
| Flavor: | 4 out of 5 |
| Appearance: | 5 out of 5 |
| Production: | 4 out of 5 |
| Home planting: | 4 out of 5 |
| Commercial planting: | 4 out of 5 |
In its habitat, it is found in forests or climbing trees and attaching itself with its adventitious roots. The cladodes (stems) are green with spines on the edges.
The flowers are nocturnal and are produced in the areoles of the cladodes. The bud, in general, is narrow elliptical in shape with an angled apex. The time from the time the flower bud is visible until flower anthesis is between 17 and 24 days. The flowers are erect and when they open, they orient themselves by seeking the light of the moon or the sun in the first or last hours of the day. The flower opening period is from sunset to early morning hours.
The fruit is an oval-shaped berry, elongated and in some cases round. The shell is composed of protruding formations called bracts, which are scaly, fleshy and waxy.
They should be grown in semi-shade or direct sun but be careful that solar radiation does not spoil them by burning. In this case they should be covered with shade netting.
Pitahaya can be grown in many climates, although the ideal climate is mild. It is advisable that during the winter temperatures do not fall below 5ºC, although it can withstand lower temperatures, even down to 0ºC for a day.
Short irrigations approximately twice a week from spring to autumn. In winter reduce watering to once a week (depending on the place of cultivation).
Fertilize the pitayas either by applying compost or manure over the root ball or liquid fertilizer in the irrigation. It can be fertilized all year round.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Marmel-1 dragon fruit is a variety of dragon fruit known for its large size, sweet and juicy flavor, high nutritional content, and unique appearance. It is a great option for those looking to buy a larger fruit or for those who want to use it in recipes that require a lot of fruit. It’s also easy to grow and maintain, making it a great option for backyard cultivation.
