Red Dragon Fruit (Pitaya)

The Pitaya, also known as pitahaya, dragon fruit or strawberry pear is the fruit of several cactus species, especially of the genus Hylocereus. Native to Mexico, central and South America, these vine-like epiphytic cacti are also widely cultivated in Malaysia, Vietnam and Southeast coast of China.

Hylocereus blooms only at night; they have large white fragrant flowers of the typical cactusflower shape, that are often called Moonflower or Queen of the Night. Sweet pitayas have a creamy pulp and a delicate aroma.

The red-flesh variety dragon fruit (Pitaya) which has better sweet taste and high yield. The flesh, which is eaten raw, is mindly sweet and low in calories. The flavor is sometimes likened to kiwifruit. The fruit can be converted into juice or wine; the flowers can be eaten or steeped as tea. Sesame seed-sized seeds are embedded throughout the flesh.

How to grow

Sow the seeds in a gritty potting mix, water and cover the container or wrap in a polythene bag. A couple of weeks later the seedlings start to appear. This is a reminder that all cacti are true dicotyledons as the seedlings come up with two seed leaves, a bit like germinating beans. At this stage there is no evidence that they will develop into cacti, but these are the first and last leaves that will be produced.

As the seedlings develop, an angular spiny stem grows in the central growing point between the two leaves. The stem thickens and elongates and after several months the cotyledons shrivel and are shed. The seedlings can be potted on into individual pots and in principle could be grown on to a large plant and flowered to produce more fruit.

Pitaya plant cannot stand by itself. It is a climber and needs to be supported for it to grow upwards. Because the plant can live for a few decades, the support structure provided must be very lasting. In some countries like Taiwan and Peninsular Malaysia, concrete cement is used as a support for the plant.

The pitaya has adapted to live in dry tropical climates with a moderate amount of rain. The dragon fruit sets on the cactus-like trees 30-50 days after flowering and can sometimes have 5-6 cycles of harvests per year. It is disease-resistance plant and easy to grow. Grower will feed the plant with organic fertilizer in monthly interval.

Growing Session
All year around with tropical, sub tropical or dry climates where there’s about 20-25 inches rain per year

Maturity Period
It takes about 18 months to bear first fruits from seed.

Nutrition value
Rich in antioxidants (phytoalbumins) and has an exceptionally high content of soluble fiber. It is considered a good source of Vitamin C, dietary fiber, calcium and potassium. In Taiwan, dragon fruit is use a food substitute for rice and source of dietary fiber for diabetic patients.

Galia Melon

Galia melons are similar to Cantaloupe, although they are slightly larger with a yellow green flesh, surrounded by a lightly netted yellow to yellow-green rind. Galia melons were developed in Israel, but since they are easy to grow, are now found in southern regions of the USA, Chile, Costa Rica and Panama.

How to grow
melons prefer is diffuse light rather than bright light. The soil should be rich and well drained, and like the atmosphere around them, kept continually moist. they typically grow best under glass, but can be grown outdoors in warmer regions. They need higher temperatures than tomatoes (around 30°C/85°F) and high humidity (which helps discourage red spider mite, a pest), but will grow well with cucumbers which require similar conditions. Contrary to popular belief, you can grow melons alongside cucumbers; they are similar, but will not cross-pollinate each other

Harvest
As for harvesting, its best to go on the colour. The skin of Galia melons should be a nice shade of yellow. Check the melon is a good size and weight for its size, and if you\'re really lucky, the melon will easily come off the stem, another sign that it\'s ripe and ready for eating!

Tropical Green Guava (Psidium guajava L.)

Description:
Guavas are evergreen, shallow-rooted shrubs or small trees to 33 ft, with spreading branches. Growth in California is rarely over 10 - 12 feet. The bark is smooth, mottled green or reddish brown and peels off in thin flakes to reveal the attractive "bony" aspect of its trunk. The plant branches close to the ground and often produces suckers from roots near the base of the trunk. Young twigs are quadrangular and downy.
Guavas are primarily self-fruitful, although some strains seem to produce more fruit when cross-pollinated with another variety. Guavas can bloom throughout the year in mild-winter areas, but the heaviest bloom occurs with the onset of warm weather in the spring. The exact time can vary from year to year depending on weather. The chief pollinator of guavas is the honeybee.

How to grow
The guava will tolerate many soil conditions, but will produce better in rich soils high in organic matter and well-drained.
The tropical guava is best adapted to the warm climate of Florida and Hawaii, although it can be grown in coastal Southern California, and with some protection, selected areas north to Mendocino County. Guavas actually thrive in both humid and dry climates, but can survive only a few degrees of frost. The tree will recover from a brief exposure to 29° F but may be completely defoliated. Young trees are particularly sensitive to cold spells. Older trees, killed to the ground, have sent up new shoots which fruited 2 years later. Guavas can take considerable neglect, withstanding temporary waterlogging and very high temperatures. They tend to bear fruit better in areas with a definite winter or cooler season. The adaptability of the guava makes it a serious weed tree in some tropical areas. The smaller guava cultivars can make an excellent container specimen.

Maturity period
2 to 3 years (bear first fruit)

Nutrition info
Guavas are often considered superfruits, being rich in vitamins A and C, omega-3 and -6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and especially high levels of dietary fiber.

Health benefit

This fruit could help diabetics with its sugar-lowering. It's fruit extract may have constricting properties on skin, which makes it a potential skin irritant when used regularly

Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis)

Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) is a tree and fruit native to the Malay Peninsula and western Pacific islands. It has also been widely planted in tropical regions elsewhere. Large, bowling ball sized fruit, usually yellow-green in color, with hard, starchy white flesh. Fruit is either eaten fresh cooked (usually baked or boiled) and served hot, or eaten unripe as a vegetable. The breadfruit is one of the most important food crops for southeast Asia and the Pacific islands, with cultivation dating back hundreds of years.

How to grow
The breadfruit is ultra-tropical and will not survive temperatures below 40F. It will not succeed outdoors anywhere in the continental United States except for sheltered locations in extreme South Florida and the Keys. Growth stops and trees decline when temperatures drop below 60F or above 95F. Trees need lots of water, high humidity and deep, well-drained soil.

Maturity period
Three years

Uses: Fresh fruits are baked or boiled and served with garnishes. Breadfruits are also used in making myriad other dishes, from soup, to chowder, to custards and even bread. Unripe fruits are roasted or pickled and used as vegetables. Seeds from the seeded form (the breadnut) are roasted and eaten.

Vinca Rosea (Madagascar Periwinkle)

Plant Description
It is an evergreen subshrub or herbaceous plant growing to 1 m tall. The leaves are oval to oblong, 2.5–9 cm long and 1–3.5 cm broad, glossy green, hairless, with a pale midrib and a short petiole 1–1.8 cm long; they are arranged in opposite pairs. The species has long been cultivated for herbal medicine and as an ornamental plant. As an ornamental plant, it is appreciated for its hardiness in dry and nutritionally deficient conditions

How to grow
popular in subtropical gardens where temperatures never fall below 5 °C to 7 °C, and as a warm-season bedding plant in temperate gardens. It is noted for its long flowering period, throughout the year in tropical conditions, and from spring to late autumn in warm temperate climates. Full sun and well-drained soil are preferred.

Planting Season
All year around (Flowering: Daily)

Usage
In traditional Chinese medicine, extracts from it have been used to treat numerous diseases, including diabetes, malaria and Hodgkin's disease

Durian

Plant Description
The durian, native to Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia, has been known to the western world for about 600 years. Widely known and revered in Southeast Asia as the "King of Fruits", the fruit is distinctive for its large size, unique odor, and formidable thorn-covered husk. The fruit can grow up to 30cm (12 in) long and 15cm (6 in) in diameter, and typically weighs one to three kilograms (2 to 7 lb). Its shape ranges from oblong to round, the color of its husk green to brown, and its flesh is pale-yellow. The edible flesh emits a distinctive odour, strong and penetrating even when the husk is intact. Durian trees are relatively large, growing to average 25–50 meters (80–165 ft) in height. The leaves are evergreen, elliptic to oblong and 10–18cm (4–7 in) long. Large yellowish green feathery flowers produce a lot of nectar and have a heavy, sour and buttery odor

How to grow
Durian needs a tropical climate with abundant rainfall. It prefers rich, deep, well-drained sandy clay or clay loam (deep alluvial or loamy soil), high in organic matter. Durian trees have one or two flowering and fruiting periods each year. A typical durian tree can bear fruit after four or five years. The durian fruit can hang from any branch and matures roughly three months after pollination

Planting Season
Summer

Maturity Period
The fruit ripens on the tree and then falls down to the ground where the durians are collected. Wait for 2 to 4 days for the fruit to fully ripen before eating it.

Uses
Eating raw and can be used to make durian cake and ice-cream

Nutrition Info
A good source of Dietary Fiber, Thiamin, Vitamin B6 and Manganese, and a very good source of Vitamin C.

Soursop

Guayabano, guyabano or soursop in English (Anona muricata Linn.) is a small tree about 5 to 7 meters in height. The leaves are alternate, oval in shape, pointed at both ends, smooth and shining, 7 to 20 centimeters long and with petioles about 5 millimeters long. The flowers are large, yellowish or greenish yellow and solitary. There are six large, fleshy or leathery petals in two series. They are heart-shaped, with pointed tip, and up to 5 centimeters in length and 3 centimeters in breadth. In the center of the flower is a cone-shaped mass of many carpels which will form the fruit, and below this are very numerous stamens.

A native of tropical America, was introduced into the Philippines at an early date and is no cultivated in all parts of the Archipelago.

Guyabano is a green, soft spine, pea-shaped fruit with a sweet-sour flavor. It weighs about two to five kilos. The skin is thin and its flesh is a white, soft fibrous pulp which has a very agreeable flavor but rather sour. Its mature, green fruit is used as vegetable and made into sweet meats, while the ripe fruit is eaten raw or for dessert.

A lot of concoctions can be made into guyabano like delicious sherbets, ice drops and fruit drinks. An assortment of punch and cocktail drinks can be made by mixing the nectar with wine rum or cola drinks or buko (fresh coconut) juice and ice.

There are two strains of guyabano: the sweet and the ordinary. Both have the same botanic description. The former, however, tastes sweeter than the ordinary. Belonging to the family Anonaceae, other familiar fruits beside guyabano are atis (Anona Squamosa or sugar apple), anonas (Anona reticulata or custard apple), and atemoya (Anona).

Nutritive Mineral Content of Guyabano

Guyabano fruit is an excellent source of vitamins B and C. However, it is deficient in Vitamin A, calcium and phosphorous. Below is the mineral content analyses of the fruit:

• Moisture
• Ash
• Phosphorous(P20)
• Calcium (CaO)
• Iron (Fe2O2)
• Proteins

Soil and Climate

The plant grows in any kind of soil, but a fairly deep, friable soil of volcanic origin is conducive to growth & fruiting. It thrives very well from sea level up to 500 meters above sea level. It is best to plant them at the start of the rainy season.

Method of Propagation

• Grafting
• cutting
• marcotting
• budding