My Edibles: Vine

Kiwifruit - Female (Grafted) ^3/10

Comments: - It grows over the guest house providing shade in summer and letting light through in winter. the male died years ago and fruit set has been minimal. Two years ago i planted another male and i have high hopes for good pollination and fruit set this year. 2012 the male flowered and buckets of fruit with amazing flavor.

Planted: 1990

Height 4 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Autumn

Pruned By: 10% in

Pollination: No

Passionfruit Panama - Sweet Gold

Height 30 Centimetres

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Passionfruit - Panama Red Pandora

Height 30 Centimetres

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Passionfruit - Panama Gold (Seedling)

Comments: -

I used to grow this variety previously - tastes fantastic! Opted for seedling - technically a graft should be superior, but my previous vine fruited abundantly for 10 years (until drought killed it) and it was a seedling too.

Planted: 2012

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 1

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Pollination: Self Pollination

Passionfruit - Panama Red (Seedling)

Comments: -

I bought this as both a comparison to Panama Gold for taste, and aesthetics, (should be attractive as the two plants will inter-mingle).

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 1

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Pollination: Self Pollination

Pitaya - Red Dragon Fruit (Cutting) ^6/10

Comments: -

Easy to grow, even a cutting with rotten end can be successfully saved by removing the rotten bit and grow again. I had one flower last year and I noticed that the branch had the flower bending down so I have since made a proper stand for the vine to climb over. Hopefully, I will have some fruits this year. To speed up the growing process dolomite and dynamic lifter should be applied in growing season, just a bit every 2 months. so far no fruit set.

Planted: 2004

Height 2 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 3

First Fruited: 5 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pruned By: 20% in

Pollination: Self Pollination

When I Fertilise: When Fruiting and Spring

Organic Status:Organic

Grape - Pink Iona (Cutting) ^8/10

Comments: -

Settling in quite well, leaves developing slowly. Were left in pots for a bit too long, but seem OK now after slow start

Height 0.6 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 2

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pollination: Self Pollination

When I Fertilise: Spring

Organic Status:Organic

Pitaya - Vietnam Dragon Fruit (Cutting)

Growing: In the Ground

Pitaya - Red Dragon Fruit (Cutting)

Growing: In the Ground

Pitaya - Yellow Dragon Fruit (Cutting)

Planted: 2012

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pitaya - Yellow Dragon Fruit (Cutting)

Height 1 Feet

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 1

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Winter

Pollination: Hand Pollination

When I Fertilise: Never

Pitaya - Red Dragon Fruit (Cutting)

Planted: 2011

Height 3 Feet

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 1

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Winter

Pollination: Hand Pollination

When I Fertilise: Never

Pest Control:

Nothing

Organic Status:Organic

Passionfruit hybrid (Cutting) ^10/10

Height 6 Feet

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 1

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pollination: Hand Pollination

When I Fertilise: Spring

Pest Control:

Mealy bugs, hand pick off when I see them, otherwise mist with Alcohol and water mixture let sit then rinse again with just water.

Organic Status:Partially Organic

Pitaya - Yellow Dragon Fruit (Cutting) ^9/10

Comments: -

I have to say as I write this I am yet to taste a yellow dragon fruit from my plant but I have tasted the fruit before (from the local markets) and the taste is why I started growing it in my own garden. I think the fruit tastes like a mild melon with a flesh texture similar to a kiwi fruit (only white).

The yellow dragon fruit is smaller than the red variety but sweeter tasting - I think they are both good. However, care needs to be taken when picking or handling the fruit as the fruit proudly displays many 1/2 inch - inch long thin thorns. I'm thinking a wire brush or kitchen shears will be good at removing the spikes - we'll see.

The plant is also spikey (being a cactus) so I have grouped my pitayas in a separate garden with my other thorny edibles like raspberries and pineapples.

Growth was pretty fast reaching 2.5 metres in 2 years. I trained the plant up a post and then left it "droop" from the top. It was this "drooping" that resulted in small bend fractures which triggered the plants to start branching at the top and then flowering this season.

Flowering is spectacular! My wife first saw the flowers in the early morning when she opened the curtains and gasped at the display telling me to come quickly. The plants were 50 metres away but the flowers were easily visible at about 7-8 inches across. Normally, dragon fruit flower at night so catching the flowers in the morning before they closed was a great treat. The large flowers quickly die-off and the fruit forms from the base - mine are still swelling and are probably several weeks away from harvest (currently the date is 17 Mar 12).

Naturally shed branches or cuttings root easily to make new plants and the plants survive on little water. In fact, I would be careful not to over-water this plant as it seems to enjoy "dryer feet".

Recommendation? Yes, the yellow dragon fruit is a top specimen to have in the garden. The fruit certainly looks more remarkable than it tastes but it's still good eating and I'll definately be growing a couple more.  

Fruiting Months February, March, April, May

Planted: 2010

Height 2.5 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 3

Fruit Harvest: 4 kilograms per Year

First Fruited: 2 Years from purchase in pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Summer and Winter

Pollination: Self Pollination

Fertiliser or Organics Used: Some chook poo

When I Fertilise: Yearly

Pest Control:

Nothing seems to touch this plant. Can get a few minor rust spots through humid summers but recovers easily.

Organic Status:Organic

Grape - Chambourcin (Cutting) ^10/10

Comments: -

I planted several grapevines just before the drought broke in Canberra, and even though I haven't sprayed it at all this is the only one that hasn't had mildew problems. It's also grown more than 2 metres in a few months and even has a small bunch of grapes on it.

Fruiting Months March and April

Planted: 2011

Height 2.5 metres

Growing: In the Ground

First Fruited: 8 Months from Purchase in Pot

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pollination: Self Pollination

Passionfruit -Hawaiian Yellow ^7/10

Comments: - Has been the best tasting variety under local conditions for me so far. Beautifully sweet and moderately fragranced.

Planted: 2012

Height 3 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 2

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Passionfruit - Panama Gold Grafted (Grafted) ^9/10

Comments: - Fruiting already...waiting for them to ripen.

Fruiting Months February and March

Height 4 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 2

First Fruited: 6 Months from Purchase in Pot

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Pitaya - Yellow Dragon Fruit (Cutting) ^8/10

Comments: - Superb flavour, refreshing, far better than dragonfruit. Has grown 1m this rainy spring and summer. 3 plants against fence

Height 1 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 3

Sun/Shade: Medium Sun

Water Given in: Winter

Question: Advice on options for supporting the vine?

Passionfruit - Black (Seedling)

Comments: - February  2012   Black ?  Thought it was, but don't think so now. Seed came  from a fruit I bought from a fruit & vegie shop. Fruit have been dropping off the vine still greenish. I leave on bench & wait until they turn a pale Yellow ? - about a week.

Just tried the first ripe fruit ...sweet & amazing passionfuit aroma, photo coming

 Taken cuttings from the parent plant for future seasons, better than the grafted one I had , it just suckered out of control.

Planted: 2010

Pollination: Self Pollination

Passionfruit - Panama Red Pandora (Grafted)

Comments: -

First flowers and fruit set about 4 months after planting - fabulous.  Hopefully I'll get to pick some fruit before the heat of summer disappears

Planted: 2011

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: Self Pollination

Passionfruit - Granadilla (Seedling)

Comments: - Passiflora quadrangularis Growing on an east facing fence. Much better this year, has  been allowed to grow into neighbouring trees, harvesting now a problem, no hand pollination needed. Flesh is mildly sweet. Not hand pollinated.

Fruiting Months January, February, March, April, May, June

Planted: 2008

Growing: In the Ground

Fruit Harvest: 10 kilograms per Year

Sun/Shade: Low Sun

Water Given in: Autumn

Pollination: Cross Pollination

Cross Pollinator Variety: various

Comments

Can you tell me what your cross pollinator is? Coralie

Hi Coralie, I have Lilikoi, Red and also Yellow Panama. As I do not pollinate by hand, I can't really tell you, but I suspect you may be able to self pollinate it with a small camel hair brush.

Hi Again, Yes we have been hand pollinating - but it hasnt worked at all. keen to try lilikoi, so this just gives me an excuse.. Coralie

I tried pollinating by hand from Lilikoi in teh second year of the Granadilla, but it didn't work. However I suspect the age and size of the Granadilla may play a part, I have three Granadilla planted in close proximity (ca. 2 metres).

Pitaya - Vietnam Dragon Fruit

Pitaya - Red Fleshed Dragon Fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus)

Comments: -

Autumn 2011: I like the flavour of the flesh better than the white fleshed-red. Mine are currently only teeny tiny seedlings which are going to take FOREVER to fruit but I am a patient woman. :O)

Summer 2011: Am also now the proud owner of a cutting (thank you John!). Fingers crossed that it strikes!!!

Summer 2012: Success! We already have a new shoot on the cutting! The seedlings are also coming along... they are about 3cm tall now! The yellows are growing SO MUCH faster they are all over 20 cm (except where they have snapped in half and now have heaps of little branches)!

Planted: 2011

Height 2 Centimetres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 3

Pollination: No

Pitaya - Vietnam Dragon Fruit

Comments: -

2011 Winter: Growing them from collected seeds. I know that they will take a million years to fruit but I don't know anyone who has a big one for me to take a cutting.

Summer 2011: Am also now the proud owner of a cutting (thank you John!). Fingers crossed that it strikes!!!

Summer 2012: I have a new shoot on John's cutting! So excited!

Planted: 2011

Height 1 Centimetres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 3

Pollination: No

Hardy Kiwifruit - 74-49F female

Comments: -

She's not old enough to have fruited yet but she is a lovely vine - smooth stems and much smaller leaves than the normal male.

WINTER 2010: dry weather had set in, I wasn't getting home early enough to water and she was regularly suffering from dehydration. Being that it was nearly time to prune her I pruned her before she lost all her leaves to stop her drying out but it got rainy a few days later and her wounds got infected with some feral slimey mould. At first I thought a kookaburra has been pooing on her. I brought her inside, cut the sick bit back and cleaned the wound with 70% EtOH which didn't work.

I tried garlic and commercial fungicides (begrudgingly) but they had no effect either. I got desperate and figured that if I had a manky wound I would use Detol on myself. I soaked a cottonball and left it on the wound for a fortnight. The ooze dried up and then when spring came she was right as rain! So pleased!

LESSON: use bitumen to seal wounds and do not assume that dry weather will hold!

Spring 2011: we have our first flower buds!!! The boy doesn't seem to be wanting to play though and has only just started getting leave let alone flowers. He has ONE PURPOSE in life so he had better get a riggle on otherwise I will get another boy for her! Grrr!

Summer 2011: Nope. He didn't perform. GR GR GR GR GRRRR!!!!

Planted: 2008

Height 2 metres

Growing: In a Pot

Qty: 1

Pollination: Cross Pollination

Cross Pollinator Variety: Normal male kiwi

Kiwifruit - Male

Comments: -

Very vigorous! You could very nearly watch him and see him growing! Make sure that you keep him under control. He doesn't have to be enormous to get his job done.

I would like to try grafting a female to him and get double bang for my pot space but I don't know anyone with a female vine. Anyone in Newcastle willing to offer me  a piece next time they prune?

Spring 2011: No flowers this year. Very cross! I got flowers on the kiwiberry but nothing on the male. I am thinking that I will graft a piece of her onto him next year and maybe her hormones will encourage him to flower at the right time? Admitedly he might not be a dud, he might justbe too young?

Planted: 2008

Height 1 metres

Qty: 1

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Pollination: Cross Pollination

Cross Pollinator Variety: it is the pollinator

Pitaya - Red Dragon Fruit

Comments: -

These are the red skinned white fleshed variety. Very fragile and need support (mine are growing up palm trees). Strikes easily from cuttings.

Winter 2011: I recently found out that they won't branch and flower (or fruit) if you let it get too tall. Apparently you only let the main stem grow to max 2 m and then force it to turn. So I have very carefully peels the majority of it off the palm tree and carefully laid it over our patio frame.

Summer 2011: Success - I have side branches on both!

Planted: 2009

Height 3 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 3

Pollination: No

Pest Control:

ants like to eat the growing tips = dragon's blood spray (blended garlic, habanero, and dishwashing liquid - DO NOT GET IT IN YOUR EYES!)

Passionfruit - Banana

Comments: - Spring 2011: Everyone says that these are the bomb and I LOVE passionfruit so when I saw it at the nursery I thought I might try it out! :O)

Sumemr 2011:  Despite how strongly it started out my poor passionfruit died. There didn't seem to be any reason - one day a branch just died, then the next and the next. It was really weird. My grandma gave me another for Christmas so I am trying again. The tag recommends growing it in a pot so I am trying that this time. Fingers crossed!!

Planted: 2011

Height 1 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Qty: 1

Pollination: No

Pest Control:

Nothing at all seems to have bothered it yet, despite the massive slug and snail invasion that we've had this spring.

Passionfruit - Panama Gold Grafted ^5/10

Comments: -

The fruit are actually red and not the yellow like the tag says . Bought from a local nursery (not daleys) .

Planted: 2011

Growing: In the Ground

Sun/Shade: Full Sun

Water Given in: Spring

Grape - Golden Muscat (Cutting) ^8/10

Comments: -

love the taste

Planted: 2011

Height 2 metres

Growing: In the Ground

Water Given in: Summer

Pruned By: 30% in Autumn, Winter, Spring

Pollination: No

Pest Control:

Hand-pick caterpillars

Organic Status:Organic

Question:

I don't like using poisonous sprays.  Can I get fruit without spraying?