Jason, where do you live in N. Florida? I'm in Panama City.

We are in between Orange Park and Middleburg off of Blanding. Terribly hot and dry here with very sandy, barren soil.

Has anyone gotten fruit from the dragon fruit? I had the plant for years, and got lots of flowers but never any fruit. I finally took them all out. I hope you have better luck with them. :o)

OK, you aren't in my area.

OK, you aren't in my area.

I think Mark said he got fruit from his last year but I may be mistaken.

I live on the Treasure Coast and I get fruit from my voodoo child dragons every year.

Jason- if you'd like to swap a couple haley's cuttings for voodoo's let me know.

I'd love a swap to add another dragon to my collection! :)
Here's a shot of what my cuttings look like (I've got tons of them overwintering indoors). I can easily unpot them and I'm sure they'll travel just fine ?? How does one do a plant swap on GW?

I am not that far from you. Outside of Jax, and dragonfruit can freeze here once it starts getting to freezing and lower later in the winter. I think yours got some shelter from the tree it was growing up and the freezing temps haven't lasted very many hours yet this winter.
Last year I didn't have any damage but it was a warm year. The year before it was a colder winter in the teens etc many times and some dragonfruit I left out with protection got totally froze.

Did they completely die, or did they return from the ground the following spring? It may very well do no good if the cactus itself lives, but the fruits all freeze off. Do you get much fruit in the summer? I'm absolutely crazy in love with these plants and I love the fruit, as you can probably tell! :)

I'd like to build SOMETHING just for the purpose of cultivating these beauties. I thought about doing a greenhouse with center beams going vertical to support the plants, and having the sides/ends of the greenhouse for other tropical things, hanging orchids, etc. I don't think it would even need to be heated here in North Florida...maybe some barrels full of water painted black.

I like your idea of the raised bed with a trellising system too... that just might be the ticket, and much cheaper!

Sometimes I notice the stems/pads of the cactus get eaten by something...that must be what it is, as we have PLENTY of fire ants! Awful little monsters.. :(

This post was edited by jason83 on Tue, Jan 1, 13 at 18:49

That right there would be my secret hiding place from the world,lol

I have tiny babies I grew from seed, and it's nice to know they might do well up here, but honestly, I'm probably going to give them away. I'm cutting way back on gardening this year.

I had my unknown red and white flesh dragon fruit cactus plants sustain a fair amount of damage at 35-36 degrees. This was on growth 3 months old or less.