Candy, what do you think? My Hylocereus is really growing so fast and the root system is just becoming a monster (I repotted it yesterday....that's how I know LOL). I wonder if I can put it into the ground without worrying about it drowning in our winter rains (clay soil).
Also, do any of you know if the Hylocereus likes being rootbound in order to bloom? Am I giving it too much space by repotting it?
Thanks in advance for any feedback :-)
-Julie
Hylocereus in the ground in my climate?
Morning Julie -
I have very little personal experience with this plant (H. undatus). My pieces came from The Bancroft Garden where Ruth has hers in the "winter house" which is a shade house where it is protected from excessive wind, rain, and winter cold. I have mine in a pot (it is only about 20" tall with a couple of small arms. I recently cut the 10"top piece of it off to root because the plant was already becoming top heavy. In my garden I would be concerned with the soggy winter conditions and I did read that they don't like temps below 50F although they can survive from light frost exposure. And the #1 reason I wouldn't plant it in the ground is the pocket gophers!! I know they would get it eventually.
Some interesting tidbits on this site:
http://www.newcrops.uq.edu.au/newslett/ncn11163.htm
Candy, thanks so much for the feedback. I figured the winter sogginess was too much, but I figured it couldn't hurt to ask LOL. Mine is about the same height as yours...the larger of my two that is. Assuming these really are Hylocereus.....until when/if it ever blooms I think I'm just going to have to put a question mark by the ID on these two.
-Julie
Julie, I have read that they plant them in the ground in Thailand and here in Southern California and other places which don't freeze. Do you get frost in the winter? If not, I bet yours will be fine as long as it is planted in well-draining soil. Someone here in California said they had theirs in a container, but the roots grew through the pot and into the ground and couldn't be moved! There are some amazing pictures of them growing in the ground here: http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/54131/ and here: http://www.geocities.com/wenjin92014/foto2001/dragon.htm and here: http://www.ecology.org/ecophoto/ANGIOSPERMS/Hylocereus.html
Thanks for those links Clare :-). We don't get frost here, but we do get torrential rains all winter long. And my soil is hard clay....the opposite of well-draining LOL. I suppose I could plant it in a bottomless pot in the ground, thereby having some control over the soil that it grows in. I'll have to give this one some more thought.
-Julie
Clare, I just went and looked at those images. The one in the first link looks (without the flowers) like the one I saw near the Dead Sea. But the one I saw was actually about 50% larger than the one in the link! It was just massive! :-). I'll ask at the cactus and succulent market next time I go and see what they think about planting this in the ground here. I'll let you know what they say when I go :-)
-julie
Julie, you could always dig a deep hole and amend the soil with some sand, pumice, bark, gravel, perlite, etc. to ensure that the water will drain away from your plant. Burying the pot is also a good idea.