Dragonfruit rotting stem (forum)

LRAT starts with ...
Good morning all,
We purchased dragon fruit cuttings from Daleys in late August. When they arrived they were in good nick and we planted them the next day.We planted them in a well drained garden bed and in full sun. Keep in mind that we live NE of Melbourne and we haven't had that much sun over the last month.
The fruit started to yellow first (The side exposed to the north) and after a couple of weeks started to become all mushy. It feels like they start to rot.
We pulled one out of the soil and the bit buried in the soil is still green and lush, but no root formation.
We are puzzled and don't know what to do. Can somebody share their suggestions with us?
Cheers,

Luc
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Time: 10th October 2020 10:16am

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About the Author LRAT
ST ANDREWS,3761,VIC
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Waterfall says...
They are basically rotting in the ground.

The best way to plant these is by having a pole in the ground which will be part of the trellis you are planning to grow these onto. This trellis should be able to hold weight of up to 100kg or more for many years to come without falling apart.

Once you receive the cutting simply strap it to the pole in your trellis such that the base pf the cutting is just touching the soil, it should be no deeper than 1 - 2 cm in the soil if you feel you must bury it.


Time: 11th October 2020 9:15pm

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About the Author Waterfall
WATERFALL,2233,NSW
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LRAT says...
Thanks Waterfall!

The funny thing is, when we pulled it out of the ground, the bit underneath the ground was still in mint condition.
It was only the part that was above ground that started to rot. We thought this was caused by exposure to full sun.
We've been watching many Youtube clips and are puzzled: Some recommend full sun, others recommend shade.
The sun hasn't been too harsh so far this year, so, we are clueless.
We have recovered the two bits that still look viable and put them in a pot and took them inside the house.
They are planted in a mixture of perlite, coco coir and premium compost (1/3rd of each).
Thanks for your reply! Much appreciated!
Cheers,

Luc

Time: 13th October 2020 9:00am

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About the Author LRAT
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David01 says...
Hi Luc,

Dragon fruit can handle -3C and 45C no problem when it is 10 years old. Your case just a baby it will suffer to hot sun, cold winter and wet weather. The water drops stay on branch can not dry out quickly during winter will cause that part rotted and the rotting will quickly extended in the following weeks or months until it reach to the soil/ground. that is what happens in your case. When discover it you should remove that section and seal the cutting to stop rotting further. For the baby you need to keep it in the shade temp between 20C to 30C and soil moist but on the dry side. Cheers

Time: 14th October 2020 10:22am

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About the Author David01
CRAIGIEBURN,3064,VIC
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