The Dragon Fruit folks are all doing brilliantly. My pitayas, however, are stuck with no nourishment and only occasional rain, victims of good hearted Maya folk with the best of intentions but conflicting advice about how to make them grow.
Basically there are two camps. One is the "Just stick 'em in the ground" group. The other is "all they need is air and rain."
The cuttings I was given to put atop three 5 meter columns are the last straw. I wanted at least to put each in some rich soil in baskets but no.
Is the donor correct? Can they flourish and produce like this? They are beginning to grow roots as are the ones in the rock wall but the only one showing any green growth was carefully planted in the ground. I'm willing to remove and plant them, if that's necessary. Advice??
Pitiful Pitayas stuck on top of columns & in rock walls
bbode, you may find this link helpful in caring for your Pitayas.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/HS303
Thanks for all your help MoonHowl. The article reads as though those of us who weren't born Maya would do well to follow a more conventional approach. I'll get some pots, swear my helpers to silence and only leave out those cuttings with roots that have strongly bonded to the rock wall. The rest go into carefully tended pots.
If challenged, I'll explain that I want to clear the way for a Travelers' Palm and I'll be keeping the pitaya in pots for the next few months until I'm more certain of the new layout of the garden. Whew!
Glad it helped. It gives the opportunity for you to experiment....grin It would seem the plants are made of tougher stuff than they appear. Best of luck to you. That sounds like a plan...grin
good luck Bbode! let us know how they grow.
Isaac