Pitahaya photo: what is, what it looks like, how is the fruit of the dragon's eye, composition, how to grow at home, care, reproduction

Characteristics of the pitahaya. What you need to know before boarding

Pitaya is a cactus with a temperament different from other inhabitants of the dry and hot equatorial climate. The plant can develop normally even without an abundance of sun. True, he still needs light for fruiting. In the conditions of the middle lane, pitahaya is grown in voluminous pots, carried out in a shady garden for the summer. Dragon fruit characteristics:

height in the wild - about 10 m;
succulent shoots - falling from the top of the liana, in some varieties - curly;
flowers are large, 17 cm in diameter, usually white, very fragrant, open at night.

Attention! In indoor conditions, flowering and fruiting of a cactus occurs no earlier than 5-7 years of life. By this time, the plant reaches a mass of about 4 kg.

The lengthening of daylight hours is a stimulus for flowering. Therefore, you will have to supplement the illumination of the culture in the dark. This practice was successfully introduced in Vietnam, where today pitahaya is grown on an industrial scale. Fruit ovaries appear on a cactus after 1-1.5 months. after the flowers wither. But under favorable conditions, the plant will delight you with fruits up to 5-6 times a season.

Cactus pitaya

Pitaya fruits are covered with large smooth outgrowths, scales. Depending on the type, the peel can be colored in a mixture of pink and salad flowers. Cactus fruits are oblong, not larger than an apple. Under the peel, they have white, red or dark purple flesh, dotted with small black bones. The average weight of a ripe dragon fruit is 150-600 g.

To grow a healthy and beautiful plant at home, you need to take into account some of the features and characteristics of exotic vegetation. First of all, it should be borne in mind that pitahaya is a cactus.

The plant is not demanding on the light regime and is able to grow even with a short daylight hours, but light is still needed for fruiting. At home, to provide the plant with the necessary amount of light and UV rays, the cactus is taken outside during the warmer months.

Features of pitaya:

the cactus can grow up to 10 meters in height under good growing conditions;
the upper shoots of the cactus hang down like vines, in some cases they twist and require additional support;
the plant blooms with large flowers that open in the dark and have a diameter of up to 17 cm.

In order for the plant to bloom, it needs to artificially increase the duration of daylight hours to 12 hours. Fruits appear only 5-6 weeks after the flowers wilt.

If you provide a cactus with good care, it will bear fruit all year round, giving 5-6 harvests in 12 months. The weight of one fruit can reach 600 grams. Pollination is required to harvest.

Cactus pitaya

How does pitahaya grow?

Today, many countries grow this plant for sale and agricultural needs. Where exactly the pitahaya originally grew is not known for certain, but the plant grows well in deciduous and tropical forests.

It is believed that for the first time this exotic fruit was brought by Europeans from the New World. Today, the leading positions in its cultivation are occupied by:

Mexico;
Israel;
Nicaragua.

For good growth, it is necessary to create the most similar temperature conditions in the area where the dragon fruit grows. Since the pitahaya is a cactus fruit, it needs:

low humidity;
enough light;
loose soil and its regular fertilization.

A high level of humidity can have a bad effect on the plant, and the first fruit ovaries appear after a month and a half with proper illumination. It absorbs useful substances necessary for a cactus for growth and development from the soil.

Description

For the first time, the fruit was introduced into wide circulation by Europeans, most likely, who brought it from the New World. In the case of Taiwan, the fruit was brought in by the Dutch. Pitahaya grows and blooms only at night: it has large, white, fragrant flowers typical of cactus flowers. It is also grown as an ornamental plant - used in gardens as a flowering vine, and as a houseplant indoors.

The plant can bloom three to six times a year, depending on growing conditions. A high air temperature and a sufficient degree of moisture saturation are required. It is advisable in a harsh climate to carry out additional lighting for about 5 hours a day. Phytolamps are used for this.

The homeland of these fruits is Central and South America. Today they have also begun to be cultivated in some countries of Southeast Asia - Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, China and Taiwan. In addition, there are farms in Israel, Australia, Armenia and Hawaii.

The plant on which the pitahaya fruits grow belongs to the epiphytic liana-like cacti. It has rather long stems of a lancet-like shape, the edges of which are dotted with sharp spines, placed at a distance of 3-5 cm from each other. It is possible to observe the flowering of the plant only at night. The process itself is accompanied by a very strong pleasant aroma and the appearance of white flowers.

After 30-50 days, small bumps begin to appear on the stems, which after a month turn into full-fledged fruits, the weight of which averages 500-600 grams, but sometimes it can reach a kilogram.

Under the right environmental conditions and proper care, up to 5-6 harvests of exotic fruit can be harvested in one year. Productivity reaches 30 tons per hectare (results from advanced Vietnamese farms).

Fruits are elongated in length, covered with scales, having the ends of a bright light green shade, oval in shape, fleshy. Inside they have a huge number of small seeds, which are practically not felt in the mouth (like kiwi). There are several varieties of this fruit, which differ in the color of the pulp, color of the peel, taste and number of scales. Here is some of them:

red pitahaya - has white flesh and red peel, has a somewhat bland, herbaceous taste;
Costa Rican pitahaya - has red flesh and red rind;
yellow pitahaya - yellow rind and white flesh, is considered the sweetest and most aromatic variety.

Did you know? If you eat a large amount of pitaya, which has red pulp, the effect of pseudohematuria may occur - reddening of the urine, which is not harmful to the body, looks like blood entering it.

Flowering and ovary

Flowers in pitahaya grown at home can appear after 5-7 years, when the plant is already well developed and has sufficient vegetative mass. The presence of good and long-term illumination is one of the fundamental factors in the flowering of pitahaya.

Flowering pitaya

In order for fruits to appear after flowering, the plant must be artificially pollinated. To do this, use a soft brush or an ordinary swab made of cotton wool. Cross-pollination requires a minimum of two separate plants.It should also be remembered that pitahaya flowers bloom only in the dark (at night).

With a successful pollination, after five or six weeks, it will be possible to pick the already ripe fruits.

Young plant care

Young pitahaya is a triangular stem on which rosettes of thin delicate needles grow. The cactus does not need complicated care. It is enough to follow simple rules:

Water it regularly from spring to September, keeping the topsoil (1 cm) constantly moist. But the plant will survive drought quite well. Excess water is also bad, and will most likely cause rotting of the root system.
Almost all varieties of pitahaya are self-pollinated. In nature, insects help the plant; indoors, you have to carry the pollen yourself. Take a cotton swab or soft brush.
Fertilizing the pitaya is more intensive than other cacti. This is because the culture grows very quickly. Gardeners recommend making a solution of Kemira-Lux-type mixtures (2-3 g / 1 l) for every second watering.

Pitahaya sprout
In the middle of autumn, start preparing the pitaya for winter. Gradually reduce watering to near zero. The air temperature in cold weather should also be lower than summer. The cactus will calmly survive 0 ° C in the absence of drafts.
Pitaya is capable of growing very tall. Therefore, already in the early stages, they take care of the backwaters. Often, soft cloth hooks or garters for vine shoots are used for this.

A young pitaya plant looks like a triangular cactus with small needles. Caring for a dragon fruit is simple, but without it, it will grow and die.

From the beginning of spring to the beginning of autumn, the pitahaya needs daily watering. The top layer of the substrate must be kept moist at all times. The plant is able to survive a prolonged drought, but at the same time its growth stops. With excessive watering, the process of rotting of the root system begins.

Pollination of a plant in nature is carried out by insects; at home, pollen on the stigmas should be transferred independently using a brush with a soft bristle.

In spring, the cactus needs regular feeding, for this every second watering is replaced with a Kemira-Lux solution in a proportion of 2 grams per liter of water. Fertilization can be omitted, but in this case the exotic fruit will develop slowly.

In mid-September, the cactus must be prepared for wintering. The regularity of watering should be gradually reduced to zero. It is also necessary to significantly lower the air temperature. The plant calmly tolerates temperatures to zero if there are no drafts.

Water it regularly from spring to September, keeping the topsoil (1 cm) constantly moist. But the plant will survive drought quite well. Excess water is also bad, and will most likely cause rotting of the root system.
Almost all varieties of pitahaya are self-pollinated. In nature, insects help the plant; indoors, you have to carry the pollen yourself. Take a cotton swab or soft brush.
Fertilizing the pitaya is more intensive than other cacti. This is because the culture grows very quickly. Gardeners recommend making a solution of Kemira-Lux-type mixtures (2-3 g / 1 l) for every second watering.
Pitahaya sprout
In the middle of autumn, start preparing the pitaya for winter. Gradually reduce watering to near zero. The air temperature in cold weather should also be lower than summer. The cactus will calmly survive 0 ° C in the absence of drafts.
Pitaya is capable of growing very tall. Therefore, already in the early stages, they take care of the backwaters. Often, soft cloth hooks or garters for vine shoots are used for this.

Water it regularly from spring to September, keeping the topsoil (1 cm) constantly moist. But the plant will survive drought quite well. Excess water is also bad, and will most likely cause rotting of the root system.
Almost all varieties of pitahaya are self-pollinated. In nature, insects help the plant; indoors, you have to carry the pollen yourself. Take a cotton swab or soft brush.
Fertilizing the pitaya is more intensive than other cacti. This is because the culture grows very quickly. Gardeners recommend making a solution of Kemira-Lux-type mixtures (2-3 g / 1 l) for every second watering. Pitahaya sprout
In the middle of autumn, start preparing the pitaya for winter. Gradually reduce watering to near zero. The air temperature in cold weather should also be lower than summer. The cactus will calmly survive 0 ° C in the absence of drafts.
Pitaya is capable of growing very tall. Therefore, already in the early stages, they take care of the backwaters. Often, soft cloth hooks or garters for vine shoots are used for this.

Features of growing and care

Getting down to the most important question of this article, you must immediately say that it is possible to propagate this plant only by sowing seeds into the ground, all other methods do not give a pronounced result and often will only waste your time.

Important! If the seeds are not properly cleaned of the pulp before planting, then it is unlikely that your event will be successful, as they will simply begin to rot in the ground.

So, we describe the planting process step by step:

From the ripe fruit of the pitaya, you need to get the seeds. To do this, you need to knead the fruit properly and fill it well with water. Then strain everything through cheesecloth and repeat this process several more times so that the seeds completely get rid of the remnants of the fruit.
Then, in a pot with soil previously poured into it for succulents and a drainage layer at the bottom, a hole 1-1.5 centimeters deep is made with a finger.
Several seeds are placed in the hole, preferably about 3-5 pieces at a time, but since they are too small, it will be more convenient to separate a piece the size of a match head from the total mass.
Further, the hole is filled up, the earth is watered with water on the basis that it will saturate only 2/3 of the entire soil layer, the pot is covered with polyethylene or glass to create conditions similar to greenhouses.
It is advisable to put the pot in the sun, ensure a constant temperature of at least + 23 ° C, water the soil as it dries, but not more often than once every two days.
Seven days later, the first triangular shoots of the cactus should already appear. And in a month you will receive plants already ready for transplantation to a permanent place.

Pitahaya in adulthood is not very demanding in relation to the conditions of its maintenance, it is not demanding on lighting, and it is also great, like any other cactus, without watering and feeding. However, in the event that you want to regularly receive fruits from it, you will have to work hard. It will be useful for you to learn about the magical properties of a cactus, what species are suitable for home breeding, how to care for this plant, namely: how to water properly, fight pests and diseases, also learn all about vegetative propagation and sowing cactus seeds.

As noted earlier, pitahaya is quite calm about lighting and can grow even in the very corner of the room, however, in order to intensify the processes of photosynthesis and accelerate the onset of fruiting, it is recommended to expose it closer to sunlight.

The plant does not suffer from draft and wind, and therefore, in warm weather, you can safely leave it on the balcony or terrace.

This plant easily tolerates the lack of watering, however, in the warm season, especially if you live in an area where the temperature exceeds + 40 ° C, it is better not to abuse this, watering the plant as the soil dries up by 1 cm.

In winter, it is quite possible to keep the pitaya in a cool room, since it is able to withstand a drop in temperature down to 0 ° C, while the main thing is not to flood it, since an excessive amount of moisture in cold weather is fraught with the development of various diseases of a fungal nature. At first, it is necessary to feed the pitahaya quite often, since it is actively growing and can add up to 1 meter in height in the first year of its life. The best for an exotic plant are special fertilizers for cacti, which you can buy at any flower shop, for example, "Kemira-Lux".

Exotic plants also include: Forster's and Belmore's hovey, tulip tree, luffa, pandanus, alocasia, guava, pomegranate tree, strelitzia.

The only thing to consider is the amount of feeding. For normal development, this succulent will need 3-4 grams of dry fertilizer per 1 liter of water for every second watering.

Growing too quickly can sometimes make it impossible to get your cactus in order: its stems creep along the ground, fill a lot of space and look rather sloppy. Therefore, in order to normalize the aesthetic component of the pitaya content, it is recommended to fix the stems to a bamboo stick stuck into the pot.

The first signal that a plant is ready to produce fruit is when flowers appear on it. But this process is quite unhurried, sometimes it can take up to 5-7 years.

However, the appearance of flowers still does not guarantee you the availability of fruit in the future, since the pitahaya is a cactus that requires cross-pollination, and therefore you will need at least two separate plants. Pollination is carried out with a soft brush or cotton swab. It is necessary to take a brush, gently move its tip in the flower of one plant, then move on to another and do the same manipulation.

The more often you perform this manipulation and the more flowers are involved in it, the higher the likelihood of successful fruit appearance on your plants.

Contraindications to use

Like any other exotic fruit, pitahaya should be eaten with great care for the first time, since it is not known for certain what unpleasant side effects its composition can lead to. For example, the development of flatulence, heartburn, or a full-fledged allergic reaction, up to Quincke's edema, is possible.

Important! If you want to emphasize and enhance its aroma before serving the pitahaya, heat the fruit slightly.

Therefore, do not rush, first eat a very small piece, wait 10-15 minutes, and only then finish the rest.

It is undesirable to use this product by people with a tendency to various diseases of allergic etiology, incl. to bronchial asthma, dermatitis, ulcerative colitis and urticaria. It is worth refraining from including pitaya in the menu for people who suffer from gastritis, enteritis or gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer in the acute phase.

In no case should this fruit be given to children under the age of 10, since they have a very high risk of developing an allergic reaction. It is recommended with caution to eat pitahaya for nursing mothers, since the antigens of the fruit through milk can enter the child's body and provoke the development of an allergic reaction in him. It is allowed to eat no more than 4-5 fruits per day, otherwise the likelihood of developing diarrhea increases.

So, we hope that, guided by this article, you will be able to grow an excellent pitahaya for yourself. Remember that no exotic fruits, even the most outlandish ones, are essentially no different in matters of growing and leaving plants familiar and familiar to our hearts. This means that having enough fun with strange and extraordinary plants, you will be able to gain experience, which in the future will serve very well in the country or in the garden. Good luck to you and your plants!

Varieties of pitahaya

The fruit has several varieties. They differ from each other in external color, flesh color, size and shape of the fruit. Pitahaya is divided into 3 main types:

White. The fruit with light green outer growths and a bright red skin has a pleasant herbaceous aroma. Its white flesh is strewn with black seeds.
Yellow. The rind and outer growths are of the same yellow color. Their bulge is the main distinguishing feature compared to other fruits. The inside consists of white pulp and black seeds. In taste, yellow pitahaya is the sweetest of all varieties in existence.
Red. It is the only cultivar that has the same bright red color on the flesh and outer rind. In combination with black seeds, the red exotic fruit is very reminiscent of a watermelon. To grow it, you need the most careful care.

100 grams of any variety contains a huge amount of vitamins, as well as micro and macro elements that have a positive effect on the digestive processes taking place inside the body. Chief among them are the following substances:

iron - 0.3-0.7 mg. Normalizes metabolic processes;
ascorbic acid - 9.0 mg. Synthesizes collagen, accelerates blood clotting and reduces various inflammations;
phosphorus - 30 mg. Strengthens bone tissue and improves metabolism;
carotene. Improves cell growth due to its oxidative effects on them;
e-tocopherol. Strengthens the cells of the body, preventing them from destruction.

The seeds of the cactus fruit contain a huge amount of fatty acids. They lower blood cholesterol levels and take an active part in the formation of cell membranes. And the presence of thiamine in the pulp has a positive effect on the autonomic nervous system and at the same time stimulates the work of the heart. For people with diabetes, the pitahaya fruit helps to lower the glycemic index due to its fiber content.

In food, the plant can be used in different ways:

pitahaya is added to yogurt or sherbet;
in some states, locals prefer to beat the fruit in a blender, mixing it with condensed milk, mascarpone cheese and almonds;
delicious cocktails are made from it, mixing with lime, lemon and milk;
pitahaya flowers can be dried and then put into tea for an enchanting scent.

Possible problems

To obtain the required amount of light, the dragon cactus can be taken outside in the warm season, but it should be remembered that it has a fragile structure and can break off in a strong gust of wind. You should also take into account the fact that unripe fruits of pitaya attract birds, which are not only able to ruin the crop, but also the plant itself.

In case of damage to the stem or shoots, the pitahaya becomes very susceptible to fungal diseases, which lead to rotting of the cactus and damage to the fruit.For this reason, it is not recommended to propagate plants by shoots, although this process is possible.

With proper care and a responsible approach, it is quite possible to grow a beautiful and fruitful plant. Cactus fruits obtained at home are not inferior in their taste and useful properties to those obtained in nature.

As noted above, the dragon fruit is exactly related to the degree of illumination and is able to grow and bear fruit even in a dark room, but in order for the photosynthesis to be more intense, as well as in order to accelerate the onset of fruiting, it is desirable for the plant to provide at least 10 hours of illumination per day. If this is not possible, then you should additionally include artificial lighting, specially designed to support the life of plants.

The plant also tolerates drafts with winds, so it can be placed on a balcony or veranda. At the same time, for flowering, abundant and prolonged exposure to moving air masses is undesirable. The plant can grow and develop without moisture and watering, but flowering does not occur. Therefore, during the flowering and fruiting period, it is better not to test the cactus for strength and water it regularly, especially if in your area the temperature in the summer months exceeds 35 degrees.

In winter, the plant can be kept underground, however, only if the temperature in it does not drop below zero. In this case, watering should be excluded, because excessive moisture in cold weather causes the development of fungal microorganisms and the appearance of mold. If you take a plant outside in the summer, then it should be protected from birds, since immature fruits attract birds, and you risk losing your entire crop. The plant should be handled very carefully, because any damage to the stems, the dragon fruit becomes as susceptible to fungi as possible, which causes rotting and deterioration of the entire plant.

Pitahaya is an exotic fruit that contains a large amount of substances that a person needs and has a healing effect on the entire body. It is real to grow it at home, for this you will have to make some effort and be patient, but the result is certainly worth it.

How to grow pitahaya, see below.

What useful properties does it have?

Pitahaya was also known to the Maya Indians, who actively consumed its fruits and seeds for food. The main advantages of this fruit include:

low calorie content (only 50 kcal per 100 g of product);
saturation with lipids, tannin, calcium, iron and phosphorus;
vitamins of group B1, B2, B3, C.

In addition, in the dragon's eye, as they like to call it in Vietnam and other Asian countries, there is a lot of fiber and antioxidants, which, together with the above components, has a positive effect on the body:

normalizes the digestive tract, dulls stomach pain;
useful for people with problems with the cardiovascular and endocrine system;
improves visual acuity;
recommended for people suffering from diabetes;
is an excellent source of calcium;
has an anti-inflammatory effect on the body.

Dragon's eye is an exotic plant and can provoke allergic reactions, diarrhea and indigestion. To test how the body reacts to unfamiliar food, it is necessary to taste a few small pieces of pitahaya and follow its reaction. If no negative effects are observed, feel free to add the fruit to your diet.

History

The use of some types of prickly pear in the farm can be traced back to the Paracas culture. Along with the use of shoots and fruits for food, one of the most important purposes of growing prickly pears is to obtain the carmine dye. In recent years, in a number of countries, prickly pears have been increasingly bred for use as livestock feed.

There are trees in this area called nopalli - this is a common name for all nopals, which means a fig tree or the tree on which figs grow. This is an ugly tree, the trunk is covered with leaves, and branches grow from them. The leaves are wide and large, they have a lot of juice, and they are sticky, there are thorns on the leaves themselves.

It has fibers, strong veins, very strong veins; it is filled with veins; full of many veins. Gives branches; gives many branches; forms leaves. This nopalli is edible, edible raw, cooked in a kettle. Only a little of it can be eaten. The name of the fruit of this nopalli is noctli. It is round, have the shape of a rounded top, with edges at its top;

it is like a ball, narrow at the base, full of small thorns, strewn with thorns; it has a skin; he has seeds; its pulp is fleshy, watery; its seeds are like pebbles. Come out | fruits | round; are formed; get fat; filled with tops; they ripen; ripen in multitude. I cut off the figs. I eat figs.

Pitahaya dishes

You can make delicious cocktails from dragon fruit or use it in various dishes as an addition. Below are some common recipes.

Dragon Fruit Kebab

For cooking, you need a cactus fruit, mango and pineapple. The dish is cooked on the grill or electric grill. The fire should be medium. Using a broiler requires the oven to warm up well. All the pulp must be pulled out and cut into small squares. Next, the mango and pineapple are cut into the same small pieces. Once the rectangular slices of pitahaya, mango and pineapple are ready, the next step is to string the fruit onto wooden skewers or metal skewers. This must be done in such a way that there is free space at the ends for transferring the dish.

The roasting process takes no more than 2 minutes. The degree of doneness of a kebab is determined by its appearance. If the strung fruit has time to brown on both sides, then they should be removed from the heat. The finished dish is served with sugar.

Making a cocktail

Main ingredients for cooking:

First of all, the pitahaya is cut in half, all of its pulp is pulled out and cut into cubes. Next, cut one banana into small pieces and prepare 500 grams of washed blueberries.

The drink can be prepared with yoghurt, whole milk, soy milk, and nut milk. The final step is mixing all the ingredients and getting a homogeneous mass. For this, banana, blueberry and pitahaya are added to a blender and then whipped until liquid. If the cocktail is too thick, you can dilute it with milk, juice or water.

Pitahaya sorbet

For cooking, you must precisely observe the following steps:

Place the fruit pulp in a blender and stir with water in a 3/4 ratio.
Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and one spoonful of lemon juice on top.
To obtain a homogeneous mass, use the "Ripple" function. Next, the resulting mixture is poured into a baking dish.
After that, everything needs to be covered with plastic wrap and put in the freezer.
Stir the mixture for 8 hours, taking it out every 2 hours.

Nutritionists advise adding pitahaya to food and making various dishes from it, since its beneficial properties have a beneficial effect on the digestive processes that take place in the human body.

The exotic fruit also contains calcium and phosphorus. It strengthens teeth and bones. And the content of vitamins B and C increases the immune functions of the body and, in addition, participate in the normalization of the correct acid balance.

The pitahaya fruit is unique for its antioxidant properties. It reduces swelling of the face and other skin that can be caused by heart problems.The presence of various minerals, micro and macro elements in the fruit helps people prevent various fungal diseases. They can manifest themselves due to a deficiency in the human body of potassium, magnesium and phosphorus. That is why it is very important to include pitahaya in the diet.

Type and origin

The dragon fruit belongs to the numerous cactus family. In addition to the unusual name, it also has an original appearance - the surface is covered with large scales, with the tips painted in a bright salad (green) color. Pitahaya is about the size of an apple, but with a more elongated shape. Its pulp can be white, red and even purple, inside which there are a large number of small dark-colored seeds.

In vivo pitahaya appeared in America. It was a very popular fruit among the Indians, as it was easy to pick and did not need any additional processing before eating.

Its name - dragon fruit, pitahaya received in accordance with an old legend that describes numerous battles with dragons, which, being unable to release fire from themselves from fatigue, spat these fruits.

With all the variety of species of pitahaya for growing on a windowsill, the most famous are three:

Costa Rican;
red;
yellow.

The yellow variety is characterized by white flesh and yellow skin and is also the sweetest and most aromatic.

Costa Rican - has a red color both inside and outside.

Pitahaya is grown at home quite successfully and even bears fruit.

Red pitahaya native to America

For example, in Vietnam, the red species is cultivated. This variety has a reddish-pink skin and white flesh. The taste of red pitahaya is fresh with a subtle herbaceous smell. It is she who is sold in supermarkets.

How to clean and eat properly

You can peel the fruit in different ways, for example, like a banana: pull the scales down, and the peeled fruit is eaten like an apple. Or like a melon, cut an orange into slices. Many make cuts on the scales, trying not to hurt the flesh - they clean the Pitahaya.

It is better to eat fresh fruit, but in few countries, jam, jam, sauces, or wine are made from the fruit.

Watering and fertilizing

Pitahaya is regularly watered from spring to late summer. In autumn, watering is reduced, and in winter, it is practically stopped altogether. This watering regime promotes better flower formation. Excessive moisture in the soil very often leads to rotting, so overflow should be avoided.

With active growth (in spring, summer and autumn), the pitahaya is regularly fed with a mixture of fertilizers designed for succulent plants. Suitable mixtures that are sold to fertilize cacti.

Pitaya. What is this fruit ?

Features of planting pitaya

For planting a plant, seeds are used. Freshly harvested specimens emerge more efficiently, but dried ones can also germinate. It is not difficult to get seeds from a ripe fruit. For this:

mash the pulp thoroughly;
fill with water and leave for a while;
strain several times using a fine sieve;
dry the seed for several days.

Attention! It is important to completely free the seeds from the pulp. Otherwise, in the early stages of the growing season, they can rot.

Planting is best done in January-February:

Prepare special soil for succulents for planting.
At the bottom of a large pot or container, equip a drainage layer.
Disinfect the soil with any biofungicide.
Deepen the seeds into the soil 1 cm, water lightly.
Cover the container with glass or foil, building a greenhouse.

Cutaway pitahaya fruit

At room temperature, the seedlings should hatch in about a week.In about a month, the first needles will grow on the succulent. Now you can dive it into a separate pot with moist soil. Use the same succulent substrates or substrates enriched with peat and organic fertilizers as soil. Reduce the temperature and moisten the soil regularly.

Growing fruit at home - pitaya

For planting a plant, seeds are used. Freshly harvested specimens emerge more efficiently, but dried ones can also germinate. It is not difficult to get seeds from a ripe fruit. For this:

mash the pulp thoroughly;
fill with water and leave for a while;
strain several times using a fine sieve;
dry the seed for several days.

Attention! It is important to completely free the seeds from the pulp. Otherwise, in the early stages of the growing season, they can rot.

Planting is best done in January-February:

Prepare special soil for succulents for planting.
At the bottom of a large pot or container, equip a drainage layer.
Disinfect the soil with any biofungicide.
Deepen the seeds into the soil 1 cm, water lightly.
Cover the container with glass or foil, building a greenhouse.

Cutaway pitahaya fruit

At room temperature, the seedlings should hatch in about a week. In about a month, the first needles will grow on the succulent. Now you can dive it into a separate pot with moist soil. Use the same succulent substrates or substrates enriched with peat and organic fertilizers as soil. Reduce the temperature and moisten the soil regularly.

Pitaya, in other words "pitahaya", "dragon fruit" is one of the exotic plants that grows at home. Its fruit has a white flesh with a sweet and sour taste, in which there are many small edible seeds. The taste of pitaya can be compared to the taste of kiwi, which is better known to the domestic consumer. Growing pitahaya at home is an exciting process for every lover of exotic plants in the house.

Sliced Pitaya

Landing

Pitahaya is grown at home from freshly harvested seeds, but dried seeds retain the ability to germinate for some time.

Pitaya pulp contains small seeds that are thoroughly washed before planting.

For planting, you need the pulp taken from the ripe fruit, knead it thoroughly, fill it with plain water and let it stand for some time. Then strain through very small mesh sieves. This procedure should be repeated several times so that the seeds are completely free of pulp. If at least a little pulp remains on the seeds, later, after planting, they will not germinate, since the process of decay will begin.

Well-washed pitahaya seeds are dried and after a few days planted in soil pretreated with biofungicide to eliminate possible mold formation.

Seeds are planted in soil, which, by its composition, is intended for succulent plants (able to store moisture). A pot with soil for a future plant must necessarily have a drainage layer at the bottom. When sowing, the top layer of the soil is moistened, with the expectation that moisture will penetrate into the soil no more than two-thirds in depth. After planting the seeds, the pot is covered with a transparent material (glass, plastic, polyethylene) to create greenhouse conditions.

Pitaya grown in a seed pot

Reproduction of pitahaya can also be done by cuttings, but an adult plant reacts painfully to taking cuttings from it.

Watering and fertilizing

In the warm season, pitahaya must be kept in a room where the temperature does not exceed 25 degrees. The most comfortable for the plant is the usual room temperature. The plant can normally withstand a short-term cold snap, up to about zero temperature. In this case, you do not need to water it.

After the appearance of needles on pitaya cacti, you need to dive them into pots with moist soil

Pitahaya is not a classic representative of desert flora or dry and warm climates. It grows well in shaded areas or rooms lit by diffused sunlight. In good summer weather, if there is such an opportunity, the pots with the plant can be taken out into the garden, placing them under the crowns of trees, where there is a stable shade and good ventilation. This will have a beneficial effect on the further growth and development of the plant.

Flowering and ovary

Flowering pitaya

In order for fruits to appear after flowering, the plant must be artificially pollinated. To do this, use a soft brush or an ordinary swab made of cotton wool. Cross-pollination requires a minimum of two separate plants. It should also be remembered that pitahaya flowers bloom only in the dark (at night).

With a successful pollination, after five or six weeks, it will be possible to pick the already ripe fruits.

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: How does pitahaya grow

How to choose and store

Pitahaya is consumed raw, cutting it in half - scraping out the pulp. To choose a good fruit, you need to heed the following helpful tips:

outwardly, the fruit should be without dark spots, which indicate an overripe fruit;
the pulp is slightly soft, but if the Pitahaya is unripe, then it should be refrigerated for 2-3 days to ripen;
growths in the form of scales should be fresh, not dry - dried out tips of the growths indicate long-term storage of the fruit after collection;
the dark color of the fruit indicates the richness of the taste;
keep Pitahaya in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

It is interesting: fruit seeds are rich in lipids, which in turn are not digested, so they must be chewed thoroughly.

And studies have shown that the fruit is good for diabetics, and also relieves stomach pain. So - this sweet and dietary fruit is also healthy.

What pitahaya looks like and how it is eaten, see the following video:

Problems in the process of growing pitahaya

In the summer, the plant can be taken out in a tub to a windless and not open to the sun piece of land. However, be extremely careful when growing outdoors. Make sure that the rainfall does not damage the cactus. Control the well-being of the bush after the move. In addition, unripe dragon fruits are often prey for birds.

Pitahaya in indoor floriculture

In addition to seeds, pitaya can be grown by cuttings. But this procedure is much more risky - an adult plant reacts painfully to cutting off shoots. Pitahaya is often attacked by fungal microorganisms. Because of them, stem rot occurs and brown circles appear on the fruit.

A plant with dragon fruits is an excellent basis for decorating a site.During flowering and fruiting, the variegated colors combine well with other design elements. The pitahaya cactus, despite its exoticism, is quite adapted to life in the middle zone of the Russian Federation. A little attention will allow your plant to bloom and set fruit.

Structure

This fruit has many beneficial properties due to its rather diverse and rich vitamin and mineral composition:

vitamin C - 5-30 mg;
B vitamins - 0.2-0.4 mg;
iron - 0.4-0.7 mg;
potassium - 110-120 mg;
phosphorus - 16-35 mg;
calcium - 7-10 mg.

As for the energy value, despite the rather sweet taste, the fruit can be called dietary, since its calorie content is only 50 kcal per 100 grams.
Nutritional value per 100 grams of product:

proteins - 0.5-1 g;
fats - 0.1-0.6 g;
carbohydrates - 10-14 g;
water - up to 90 g.

The seeds of the fruit contain a fairly large amount of tannin - a tannin that exhibits a very high degree of antibacterial activity, has a pronounced local astringent and anti-inflammatory activity.

In addition, the fruit contains a small amount of fiber, which is beneficial for the gastrointestinal tract.

How to grow dragon fruit at home?

The Pitaya tree is a real cactus, and you need to care for it exactly the same as for a “Christmas tree”. Since Dragon Fruit is a subtropical plant, it loves warmth and sunshine. Unfortunately, Pitahaya does not tolerate subzero temperatures, therefore in areas where winters are with subzero temperatures, food can be grown only in a winter greenhouse or as an ornamental plant in an apartment. The plant is absolutely not whimsical, it grows well in a pot on the windowsill of an apartment, and in order to bear fruit, you need to follow a few simple rules.

Grow dragon fruit from seeds

The easiest, but at the same time, and the longest way to grow nourishment at home, is to germinate from seeds. Also, if you grow a dragon fruit from a seed, there is a high probability that you will never see flowering and fruiting. In industrial cultivation, pitahaya are propagated only by stem cuttings.

dragon fruit seeds

You need to buy a ripe and not rotten dragonfruit at the market or store, one thing will be enough. Using a knife, divide the pitahaya fruit in half and with the tip of the knife you pick black dots from the pulp, these are the seeds of the dragon fruit. After removing, gently rinse the seeds with warm water and place them on a damp cloth (I usually use a moistened piece of bandage), in this state, leave the seeds for one day.

The next day, after soaking the pita seeds, you need to prepare a container where the dragon fruit will grow. A small pot or an ordinary disposable cup is well suited, if you use a cup in the bottom you need to make drainage holes, pour a layer of expanded clay on the bottom of the pot for drainage. After the drainage layer, it is necessary to fill it with potting soil. The soil can be purchased in the store ready for use, it is well suited - “for cacti”, but you can prepare it yourself for this you need to take peat, perlite, coconut fiber in equal proportions and mix well. After placing the soil in the pot, sprinkle the seeds on the surface and cover with a thin layer of soil so that it barely covers the seeds. Next, moisten the soil abundantly and cover the pot with a transparent film (or a disposable bag), thus creating a mini greenhouse for the successful germination of seeds. The resulting mini greenhouse should be placed in a warm (20 - 25 o C) and bright place, but not in direct sunlight (the seeds can be steamed), after 15-30 days feeding it should germinate.

After the seeds of the dragon fruit come down and get a little stronger, you can remove the film and plant the plants in individual pots.

Propagation of dragon fruit by cuttings

The method of cuttings allows you to speed up the process of plant development and achieve earlier fruiting. When propagating feed and cuttings, we "skip" the period of germination and initial development, which usually lasts about six months, and if the cutting is large enough it can be reduced to one year. And also, when propagating by stem cuttings, we one hundred percent but retain all the parameters of the mother tree, which cannot be achieved by other methods.

Collecting Whelps

Before planting dragon cuttings, the stems must be properly cut and prepared to ensure good growth. The most suitable time for cutting a dragon fruit is immediately after fruiting; experts also recommend that you do the procedure for pruning the plant in the early morning hours. Using a sharp, clean knife (a special garden knife, scalpel or, at worst, a clerical knife with replaceable blades), select a twig with a length of at least 10 cm, which is more than one year old. The cut must be done with a neat and quick movement of the hand at an angle of 45 degrees, so that the cut is smooth without scoring.

dragon fruit stalk

Preparation

Immediately after pruning, the stems must be sprayed with a fungicidal agent to disinfect the cut from fungal diseases. Then the cuttings need to be dried for a while, for this place them in a cool and dark place where there is air circulation (for example, a basement). If you have cut several cuttings, they should not touch each other when drying, this will reduce the likelihood of rotting of the cuttings after the final planting in the ground. I usually dry the pita cuttings for 7 days.

Planting dragon cuttings in a pot

After a week, our cuttings are dry enough, they can be transplanted into a pot. To do this, take a small pot, pour a drainage layer (expanded clay) on the bottom, and a light soil mixture on top (you can buy "soil for cacti"). In such a pot with soil, plant a dragon fruit stalk with the cut side down, then water it abundantly and place it in a bright and warm place.

Usually, for four to six weeks, the plant does not show any signs of growth, at this moment feeding it actively builds up the root system, and only then begins to germinate upward. If you follow the conditions for caring for the plant and it has healthy roots, the dragon fruit grows very actively, the growth rate can reach up to 4 cm per day until the plant reaches 5-6 m in length in the open field. After three to four years, such a plant can easily produce more than 90 kg of fruit per year.

dragon fruit in a pot

Soil for growing food

A light draining soil is best for growing dragon fruit. From store-bought potting soil mixes “Soil for cactus” is well suited. If you don't want to buy dragon fruit potting mix, you can make your own. In my experience, feeding grows best in indoor conditions in soil with the following proportions: 40% - peat, 30% - coconut fiber, 30% - perlite. All elements can be replaced with analogues without loss of quality, forest soil can be used instead of peat, sand is well suited instead of agro perlite, and coconut fiber can be replaced with leaf humus. As a result, we get the second version of the soil mixture, it is only necessary to slightly adjust the proportions: 30% forest land, 40% leaf humus, 30% sand.

Breeding methods, soil preferences, planting

Pitaya flowers and bears fruit all year round if the conditions are right. In Thailand, for example, up to seven crops are harvested per season. Unlike desert cacti, pitahaya does not tolerate heat and prefers a humid subtropical climate. The plant feels well at temperatures from +25 to 30 ° С, withstands heat up to + 40 ° С and cold up to 0 ° С.

Propagated by cuttings, seeds, as well as by grafting.Seeds are sown to a depth of no more than one centimeter, the soil is moistened and covered with transparent glass or film to achieve a greenhouse effect. After germination, the seedlings are planted.

Dragon Fruit Legend

According to legend, dragonfruit was created thousands of years ago by fire-breathing dragons. During the battle, when the dragon exhaled fire, the last thing that appeared was the fruit of the pitahaya.

When the dragon was killed, the fruit was collected by the victorious soldiers and presented to the Emperor as a coveted treasure.

It was believed that those who taste the dragon fruit would be endowed with the strength and cruelty of the dragon.

Perhaps this story entered folklore when the pitahaya was first introduced to Asia from South America. It was a way to introduce a new and strange kind of fruit to your own.

Later, however, the legend of the dragon fruit certainly made its way into the marketing story of this amazing cactus.

How to prepare seeds

To plant pitahaya, you first need to prepare the seeds. They are sold in the store, or you can assemble them yourself. Seeds harvested from fresh fruit will sprout strong shoots that make up a healthy, sturdy plant. To get the seeds, you need to do the following:

mash the fruit well;
fill it with water, let it cost about an hour;
pass the pulp through a fine sieve more than once;
dry the seeds that remain in a dry place for two to three days.

Make sure that there is no pulp on the bones, as otherwise they can rot in the soil.

It is best to plant pitahaya in winter, in January or February.

Step-by-step instructions for planting seeds:

purchase soil from the store that is intended for succulents;
put drainage in a pot at the bottom;
treat the soil with biofungicide;
place the seeds in the ground to a depth of no more than 1 cm, pour a little water;
make a greenhouse, the pot is covered with a film or jar.

At a temperature of + 20 ... + 22 ° C, the first seedlings will appear in 7-10 days. After about 30-35 days, i.e. a month, small needles will appear on the succulent. At this time, transplant it into a larger pot, where the soil will be moistened. The ambient temperature should be lowered slightly, water the soil regularly.

How is pitahaya fruit used?

This fruit is usually eaten raw. But to improve its taste, it is better to cool it. Juices and fruit drinks are made from pitahaya. Very often, fruit syrup is used as a natural dye for coloring cakes and sweets. Unopened flower buds can be cooked like vegetables.

Fruits are reputed to improve vision and control hypertension. The seeds are said to help control blood glucose levels in humans. And the good content of many vitamins hints at potential use as a medicine.

Dragon fruit appearance

Lovers of everything unusual and exotic, without any doubt, should, at an opportunity, take the opportunity and take this miracle of nature into their hands. This is precisely the case when the process of absorption itself delivers no less pleasure than the taste.

There are three main types of dragonfruit pitahaya. The varieties differ in taste and appearance:

yellow pitahaya - the least common, but considered to be the sweetest variety. As the name suggests, the shell is yellow. Instead of scales, there are bumps that are smoother to the touch. The pulp is painted white;
pitahaya white is the most popular type. According to connoisseurs, this variety of pitaya tastes rather bland in comparison with others, although it is not inferior in saturation. The shell varies between pink and deep red with greenish scales. The inside is light with dark seeds;
pitaya red - the shell will amaze with an intense bright pink or red color, the color of the pulp is in no way inferior in saturation.This dragonfruit variety has the most piercingly pleasant aroma.

Despite its formidable name, the dragon's eye is a delicate fruit that can be easily damaged if handled carelessly. Note for gourmets, it is believed that the most concentrated in sweetness will be the fruits with the brightest color.

Ripe fruit weighs on average between 10 grams and 0.5 kg. But there are also specimens much larger - up to 1 kg.

Temperature and lighting

After the appearance of needles on pitaya cacti, you need to dive them into pots with moist soil

Warnings

• The plant is able to withstand temperatures up to 40 ° C and very short periods of frost, but will not survive prolonged exposure to sub-zero temperatures. • Flowers and fruits can rot due to over-watering or excessive rainfall.

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Sliced Pitaya

How to eat pitahaya

Pitaya tastes like a delicious kiwi and banana cocktail with a watery texture. When choosing dragon fruit to eat, discard specimens with damage and dark spots on the shell. The same goes for hard fruits. They can be placed in a dark, dry place where they will calmly lie down and ripen.

How to choose ripe pitahaya so that you can eat it right away? The peel should be outwardly neat, and when pressed, the fruit will be soft. The dragon fruit is definitely ripe and ready to give you its sweetness.

Let's talk about pitahaya, a fruit as the locals eat it. To avoid embarrassment, we warn in advance that the top shell is thrown away, it is unnecessary to try the peel.

You can simply cut into slices, as we usually do with our apples. But this is not the most convenient way;
Can be peeled like a banana, starting at the top. The opened pulp is eaten as it opens;
The most aesthetic way is to cut the fruit in half and eat the pulp with a teaspoon. Some people like to eat kiwi so much.
We recommend that you thoroughly chew the seeds in the inner part of the fruit. The solid particles are poorly digested in the stomach. However, the bones have a beneficial effect on the digestive system and vision.
Pitaya can be added to neutral salads and appetizers, or used to decorate pastry masterpieces.
The dragon fruit is used to prepare alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, interesting cocktails and smoothies, jellies and jams.

Fruiting dragon fruit

Many varieties of dragon fruit are self-pollinating, but there are some that require cross-pollination.If your dragon fruit is not capable of self-pollination, you will need to grow two or more dragon fruit plants to cross-pollinate. Since the flowers of the dragon fruit are nocturnal, its pollination depends on moths and bats. To be sure, you can also self-pollinate at night with a cotton swab.

A fruit is considered ripe when its rind color changes from bright green to red or pink (there are varieties of yellow, white and purple). The fruit is oval or oblong oval, 10-15 cm long and forms 30-50 days after flowering.

Distribution locations

The homeland of the dragon fruit is considered to be the west of the central part of the American continent (from Mexico to Peru). The exotic cactus is mentioned by the Aztecs, who already in the 13th century ate the pulp of its edible fruits and used small black seeds as a seasoning for other dishes.

Interesting fact!
There are versions that admit a different origin of the pitahaya. But since the plant has been actively cultivated for centuries in many countries, and has successfully naturalized on several continents, it is not easy to speak with certainty about its roots.