How to grow pitahaya at home?

Pitahaya is an exotic fruit of a bizarre shape with a taste reminiscent of kiwi. The optimal conditions for the development of a plant are the climate of its homeland, Central and South America. But domestic gardeners have quite successfully mastered the cultivation of this cactus culture. You can plant pitahaya or dragon fruit as a home plant using seeds or parts of succulent leaves. How to do it correctly - gardeners will tell you with the help of photo and video recommendations.

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 Features:

• 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.

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:

1. Prepare special soil for succulents for planting.
2. At the bottom of a large pot or container, equip a drainage layer.
3. Disinfect the soil with any biofungicide.
4. Deepen the seeds into the soil 1 cm, water lightly.
5. 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.

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:

1. Water it regularly from spring to September, keeping the topsoil (1 cm) constantly moist. But the plant will survive drought quite normally. Excess water is also bad, and will most likely cause rotting of the root system.
2. 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.
3. 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

4. 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.
5. 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.

Attention! Pitahaya is a cross-pollinated plant. This means that you need at least two bushes to harvest.

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.

Growing pitahaya at home: video

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

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.

Red pitahaya native to America

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.

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.

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.

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 washed thoroughly 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 sieves with very small meshes. 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

The first shoots appear after the first week, and plants suitable for transplantation - after 4 weeks. After that, young plants dive into separate pots for further growth and development. In the future, plants can be kept in a cool room with constant soil moisture.

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

Watering and fertilizer

Water pitahaya regularly, 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 mixes that are sold to fertilize cacti.

Pitaya. What is this fruit ?

Temperature and lighting

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

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 of the flowering of the 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 pluck the already ripe fruits.

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Video: How pitahaya grows

Pitahaya or pitaya is the fruit of several varieties of cactus. Pitahaya usually belongs to the genus Stenocereus, while pitahaya (or dragon fruit) is a fruit from the genus Hylocereus. You can find out how to grow it at home from seeds on this page. It also offers a description of the culture and its requirements for environmental conditions for successful development, flowering and fruiting. Look at the photo of pitahaya - this magnificent plant can decorate any interior

Pitahaya is better known as dragon fruit - this name she takes from Asian countries: Indonesia - buah naga (dragon fruit), khamers in Thailand - sror kaa neak (from dragon scales), Taiwan - kaeo mangkon (dragon crystal), Laos - maak manggohn , Viet Nam - thanh long (green dragon) and China - huǒ lóng guǒ (dragon pearl fruit). There are other colloquial names: strawberry pear, or nanectica fruit, for example (another kind of pear).

Cactus and pitahaya plant: photo and description

The pitahaya cactus was originally native to Mexico, but was later transplanted into Central America and other parts of the world. This plant is grown in East Asia, South and Southeast Asia, in countries such as Cambodia, Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Indonesia and Bangladesh. More recently, they have also been found in Okinawa, Hawaii, Israel, Northern Australia, Southern China and Cyprus. The following description will give you a general idea of ​​the culture. You can also see a variety of pitahaya photos that illustrate the appearance of the plant:

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.

How is the pitahaya fruit eaten

Sour Pitaya is one of the varieties of this fruit. It is commonly eaten in the arid regions of North and South America. How the pitahaya fruit is eaten - we will tell you a little further, but for now let's dwell on the beneficial properties. The consumption of pitahaya lowers the level of glucose in the body, which makes the fruit one of the few available for people with diabetes. Also, numerous tests have confirmed the beneficial effects of the fruit on the cardiovascular and endocrine systems.

The pulp of the fruit is easily digestible, so it can be taken during intestinal and stomach disorders: the intestines return to normal, and the bloating disappears. The seeds of the fruit contain tannin, which is beneficial for people with poor eyesight. It is more sour, but at the same time refreshing, its pulp is juicier with a richer taste. Sour feeding in some deserts is an important source of food for the indigenous population. Dragonfruit bears fruit after 30-50 days of flowering, like other trees, and can produce 5-6 harvests per year. There are several farms in Taiwan that produce 30 tons of fruit per hectare annually. Drinking too much of the red dragon fruit pulp can lead to harmless coloration of urine or stool red.

To prepare the pitahaya for consumption, you must first cut the fruit to expose the pulp. The texture of the fruit is sometimes compared to kiwi, due to its black crunchy seeds. The pulp, eaten raw, is slightly sweet and, importantly, low in calories. The seeds are eaten with the pulp - they resemble the taste of nuts and are rich in lipids, but are poorly absorbed by the body if not chewed. The peel is not eaten.

The fruit is often made into wine or juice, or used to flavor other beverages. The flowers can also be eaten or used as tea if allowed to infuse for a while.

How to grow pitahaya from seeds at home

It is quite difficult to purchase cuttings in stores due to the fact that the plant is quite rare. Therefore, other methods of breeding cactus are used. Before growing pitahaya from seeds at home, you should take care of the planting material. After thorough cleaning of the seeds from the pulp of the fruit, they are stored until completely dry. Ideally, the fruit should be clean, immaculate and overripe. The seeds grow well in compost or potting mix. The pitahaya cactus usually germinates after two weeks of shallow planting. Like other cacti, over-watering is a major problem for gardeners. As the plant continues to grow, the climbing plant will need some kind of support to rise. For example, you can put aerial roots down from the branches in addition to the basal roots. As soon as the plant reaches 4 kilograms of weight, it begins to bloom.

As we have already said, the pitahaya begins to bloom at night, and fades in the morning. They rely on nocturnal pollinators such as bats and butterflies for fertilization. Self-fertilization does not produce fruit in all species, while cross-breeding results in self-fertile cross-pollinated varieties. In the second species, as a rule, the fruit set and their quality increase.

Like other cacti, if a healthy piece of stem breaks open, it can take root in the soil and become a bush in its own right. The plant can withstand temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius and very short periods of frost, but will not last long under subzero temperatures.Excessive watering or a large amount of rainfall can cause rotting of fruits and flowers.

Pitaya, dragon fruit. "Exotic fruits seem to beckon: try to grow!" Victor Shvets, Khmelnitsky.

You can often find exotic fruits in supermarkets. I buy them periodically: I really want not only to taste what they taste like, but also to get the coveted grain out of the pulp, sow it and wait for the appearance of a new, unusual plant. So it happened with pitaya (pitahaya).

On the counter next to the sun-yellow oranges lay strange red-skinned fruits the size of a large apple and covered with large scales. To me they are something reminded kohlrabi roots, only without leaves. I read the name of the fruit on the price tag.

It turned out that these are not the fruits of a tree, but of a cactus! Inside there is a white sweet and sour pulp with a herbaceous smell and many small black edible seeds. The pitaya fruit tasted like kiwi.

So, I carefully collected the seeds, dried them and sowed them shallowly into the ground. I covered it with foil and put it in a bright, warm place. After 7 days, green seedlings appeared together. When they grew up a little, I put them in separate pots.

A small pitaya is a triangular stem covered with rosettes of thin soft spines. It is easy to maintain. Any soil can be used rich in organic matter, including store-bought peat soils.

Pitahaya grows very quickly, so more intensive fertilizing is required than for other cacti, that is, about 2-3 g of dry fertilizer such as "Kemira-Lux" per 1 liter of water in every second watering.

In winter, pitahaya can be kept cool, it can withstand temperatures down to 0 ° C. The main thing in this case is not to overmoisten the pound, it is best not to water it at all.

In the summer, the pitaya requires watering as the soil dries out 1 centimeter deep into the soil (this is easy to measure by feeling it with your finger). However, like any normal cactus, pitaya: it is quite calm about the drying out of the soil.

In a year, my cactus has grown by 80 cm! In order not to turn my apartment into a jungle, I had to distribute seedlings, and I kept only one plant for myself.

I form "branches" of my pitaya around a bamboo stick, tying the shoots of the plant to it with soft leather clamps.

The plant greatly decorates and revives the interior, making it unusual, even exotic, especially since pitaya is undemanding to lighting and grows well even in the corner of the room.

I hope that someday she will delight me with her bright red elegant fruits with a "cosmic" core, as if dotted with thousands of tiny stars.

The first mention of pitaya dates back to the 13th century. The sweet fruit of the pitahaya was known to the tribes of the Indians who lived in the territory of modern California. Pitahaya was prized not only for its excellent taste, but also for the abundance of fruits that were harvested in a certain season, called the “pitahaya season”. Eating the pulp, the Indians roasted the seeds, ground them and used them to make stews.

Flowers in the house... Fragrant pitaya flowers (up to 17 cm in diameter) bloom at night; each flower lives one night. Most species do not self-pollinate: in nature, pollinating insects are required for cross-pollination. It rarely blooms at home.