Voodoo Child is one of the newer hybrids, and its fruit is smaller than most dragonfruit. Almost as an egg, but it has a lot of them and they last a long time from spring to fall. Even though it isn’t very big, it has one of the best-tasting fruits and makes a lot of fruit. The deep red-wine pulp tastes like grapes and is very juicy. The skin is dark pink and has scales that are green. Blooms make their own pollen. The stems are straighter and twist less than those of other types.
Description
In the Hylocereus Setaceus family, Voodoo Child is a type that is very similar to Sugar Dragon. It makes a lot of fruits and tastes great. This variety of plant is very hardy and can handle heat and cold better than most. This is something that its siblings, Sugar Dragon and Neon, also have in common.
Voodoo Child is a type of Dragon Fruit that self-pollinates and is very fertile. It makes a lot of smaller fruits that can weigh up to 0.75 pounds (~300 grams). The fruit has a red skin and a sweet, juicy, deep purple to reddish flesh. It tastes juicy, sweet, and a bit sour, like a grape.You can eat the fruit fresh, make jams, use it as a decoration, or put the juice in drinks.
Huge flowers with blooms that are more than 15 inches across and that bloom from early spring to late fall. Most of the time, this type of flower is the first to bloom and the last to bloom, with three or more blooming cycles. This type is a must-have for collectors because its pollen can be used to make fruit on almost any other Dragon Fruit plant.
From what I've read on the Internet, Voodoo Child and 8S are the same. In Paul Thomson's book Pitahaya, he says that the 8S is a cross between a Houghton and a Rixford. A grower in Louisiana gave the grower this variety.
Its growth is a little unusual because it has long, curved parts that don’t twist or turn too much, almost like the blade of an Arabic sword. The dark green stems curve up toward the sun.
| Category: | Edible fruits, vines and climbers, cactus and succulents, epiphytes |
| Self-pollinating: | Yes |
| USDA Zone: | 10a: to -1.1 °C (30 °F) 10b: to 1.7 °C (35 °F) 11: above 4.5 °C (40 °F) |
| Sun exposure: | Full Sun / sun to partial shade |
| Water requirements: | Average water needs. Water regularly, do not overwater. Drought-tolerant, suitable for xeriscaping |
| Propagation methods: | From woody stem cuttings / from semi-hardwood cuttings / allow cut surface to callous over before planting / from seed, sow indoors before last frost or direct sow after last frost |
| Soil pH requirements: | 6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic); 6.6 to 7.5 (neutral); 7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline) |
| Bloom time: | Late spring / early summer / mid-summer / late summer / early fall |
| Bloom color: | White/Near White |
| Bloom characteristics: | Flowers are fragrant |
| Danger: | Plant has spines or sharp edges, use extreme caution when handling |
| Seed collecting: | Allow unblemished fruit to ripen / clean and dry seeds |
| Regional: | This plant is said to grow outdoors in Orlando, Florida |
| Outside color: | Red / Pink |
| Pulp color: | Red |
| Taste: | Sweet and very juicy, pretty similar to a grape |
| Size: | H: 6'-20' W: 6'-20' |
| "Child" sizes: | S size cuttings < 15 cm (<6 inch); M size cuttings 15 - 24 cm (between 6 and 10 inches); L size cuttings > 25 cm (>10 inch) |
| Flavor: | 5 out of 5 |
| Appearance: | 3 out of 5 |
| Production: | 3 out of 5 |
| Home planting: | 3 out of 5 |
| Commercial planting: | 2 out of 5 |
Voodoo Child nutrition
Pitaya is a good source of vitamin C and iron and has small amounts of a number of other nutrients. Here are the nutrition facts for a serving of 3.5 ounces, or 100 grams:
- Calories: 52;
- Protein: 1.1 gram;
- Fat: 0.4 grams;
- Carbs: 11 grams;
- Fiber: 3 grams;
- Vitamin C: 34% of the RDI;
- Iron: 10.6% of the RDI;
- Thiamine: 2.7% of the RDI;
- Riboflavin: 2.9% of the RDI.
Given that it is very low in calories and has a lot of fiber and vitamin C, it can be said to be a very nutritious fruit.
Growing
Any part of the plant can send out roots. Just stick the piece of plant in the ground and wait for it to grow. Put a wooden plant stake that is three feet long into the ground about two to three inches away from the plant. As the plant grows, you can tie it to the stake with gardening tape. Put the plant somewhere that gets direct sunlight for most of the day. Dragon Fruit has branches that can grow up to 20 feet long.
Don’t wait too long to harvest, because a ripe fruit can burst when it rains. And don’t water the fruit two days before you want to pick it. Then, the taste gets less.
Plant care
The lobes on the hylocereus polyrhizus hybrids are very thick, dense, and long, so it will need a very strong support as it grows. It is easy to grow and grows quickly.
All Dragon Fruit should be pollinated by hand. You can find guides on how to do this on YouTube. Dragon Fruit needs a strong support to climb up and hang over in order to flower. As jungle cacti, they like to be watered often, as long as the water drains away quickly. They like soil that is rich in organic matter and is fed once a month with composted organic plant food. In the beginning of spring, add more potassium (Potassium sulfate) to help the plant bloom well and set good fruit.
Conclusion
VOODOO CHILD is a small, red-colored fruit that has a great taste. The fruit is a little bigger than an egg and tastes sweet like a grape.
