CRC Press, p. Not available in NLB holdings Trade winds fruit. New York: Comstock Publishing Associates, pp. May The Pitaya or dragon fruit. Top Tropicals. Pitaya, Pitahaya. Karp, D. Purple, spiny, and heading your way. Los Angeles Times. Dragon Fruit Frozen Sorbet Dessert. Morton, J. Betalains: biomolecular aspects. Moths and bats can both pollinate the flowers, but hand pollination is sometimes necessary due to cultivar.
Plants prefer a moist, warm climate and rich soil, and are desirable for their drought tolerance, often needing only 25 to 50 inches of water per year. Uneven soil moisture, however, can lead to less flowering or fruit splitting, while excessive rain can result in flower drop and fruit rot. Plants prefer ample sunlight, though too much sun can damage stems if combined with low humidity or inadequate moisture in the soil. Not enough sun can lead to lower quality fruit and reduced production.
Falling temperatures are dangerous too, as plants are sensitive to cold, but can recover from brief exposure to freezing temperatures. While most dragon fruit is harvested between June and October, the season can be extended by supplemental light from incandescent bulbs in some regions.
Added light induces the plant to keep flowering. Depending on variety, it is best to hand-clip fruit at harvest when well-colored from yellow or pink to red. Thrips can cause serious damage to the outside of the fruit but are currently only found in Florida. The tiny bugs will mark fruit with a stippled pattern that is primarily an aesthetic issue. The leaf-footed bug can be problematic and is commonly found in Colombia, Nicaragua, and Mexico. Many species of Hylocereus have been recognized, but there are still issues about correct identification.
The main two species grown for commercial production include Hylocereus undatus, which has fruit with bright pink skin and white flesh, and Hylocereus sp. Both have multiple varieties. Selenecereus megalanthus is another dragon fruit grown for commercial production, which has fruit with yellow skin and white flesh Lobo et al, All dragon fruit have black tiny edible seeds that are similar in appearance to kiwi seeds.
The texture of dragon fruit is similar to kiwi or watermelon, and the flavor is mildly sweet with subtle earthy notes. The cultivars with deeper pink flesh are said to have the most flavor McEachran, Dragon fruit are roughly the size of a baseball, but oval shaped. Only three states grow dragon fruit commercially: California primarily Southern California , Florida, and Hawaii Lobo et al, The summer June through September is the main season for fresh dragon fruit.
August and September are the peak months for most varieties; however, varieties of Selenecereus megalanthus produce fruit during the winter months of November through February Lobo et al, The fruit also has good potential to be processed into many products, thus adding value.
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