Blog | SEEDS DEL MUNDO

Dragon fruit is a tropical fruit known for its vibrant skin and sweet, seed-speckled pulp. It’s a cactus-like plant that, with the help of aerial roots, makes its way up a post. Dragon fruit is also well known as a very healthy fruit, because it’s low in calories. Eating Dragon Fruit is a good way for people to lose weight. Based on multiple researches, we can conclude that there are multiple health benefits of dragon fruit. In this blog we will discuss these health benefits. Read all about it here.

Which health benefits does the dragon fruit have?

Besides being an easy way to lose weight, eating dragon fruit gives us a lot of health benefits. These health benefits are the same for everyone. Hopefully we can change your view on dragon fruit. Eating dragon fruit gives us the following health benefits:

Immune booster
Digestive aid
Diabetes prevention
Heart-healthy
Anti-aging
Potential cancer protection

Boosting your immune system

One of the most important health benefits of dragon fruit is that it boosts your immune system. Dragon fruit is full of flavonoids and vitamin C. These nutrients are amazing for your immune system. Dragon fruit is also high on the antioxidant list, which helps to avert harmful free radicals. And even more support comes up from vitamins B1, B2 and B3, as well as calcium, phosphorus, iron, protein, niacin and fiber, all of which work together to keep your immune system in top shape.

Digestive aid

We all know that fiber favors digestion. The best way to get fiber is through fruits and vegetables. Dragon fruit is high in fiber. To get some more fiber, you can even eat the peel and seeds of the dragon fruit. Dragon fruit also contains oligosaccharides. These oligosaccharides act like prebiotics, what will improve the health of your intestines and digestion.

Prevention against diabetes

The fiber in dragon fruit will also help stabilize the blood sugar. But that’s not the prevention for diabetes. After researching insulin resistance in obese mice, researchers found that eating dragon fruit could also reduce the risk of developing diabetes.

Strengthen your heart-health

The same research proved that eating dragon fruit could help in lowering your cholesterol. And let’s not forget those little black seeds in the dragon fruit. Each serving provides a mega dose of omega fatty acids, which can help reduce triglycerides to protect heart health.

Anti-aging

Another health benefit of dragon fruit is that it will keep you young. Not only are antioxidants great for keeping the inside of the body in good shape, but they also help when it comes to skin health. Antioxidants provide a tight and firm skin, which can help to maintain a youthful appearance. The phosphorus in dragon fruit is important for the youthfulness of our skin. It prevents early aging.

Potential cancer protection

Dragon fruit contains loads of antioxidants, like phyto albumin, vitamin C and lycopene. These antioxidants may even protect against cancer. Lycopene in particular has been shown to be effective against cancer cells. In fact, research shows that a higher intake of lycopene-rich foods may be linked to a lower risk of developing prostate cancer. Other researches showed that treating ovarian cancer cells with lycopene blocked the growth and spread of cancer cells and reduced the viability of the cells.

Nutritional values

We have listed the nutritional values of dragon fruit for people who want to know these. This makes it easier to apply it in a diet. Dragon fruit is low in calories but rich in vitamins and minerals. 100 grams of dragon fruit contains the following nutrients on average:

60 calories
13 gram carbohydrates
1.2 gram protein
3 gram fiber
40 milligram magnesium
0.7 milligram iron
2.5 milligram vitamin C
0.25 milligram vitamin E

Curious where to buy dragon fruit? Have a look at our product range by clicking here!

Tropical Fruit, Tropical seeds

How to make a tropical fruit salad?

Michelle Nannings Oct 8, 2020 Leave a comment

We offer unique tropical fruits from all over the world. We have more than 150 sorts of different tropical and subtropical fruits. Not all are yet full grown, so not everything is for sale right now. We made a recipe for a delicious tropical fruit salad for 4 persons. In this fruit salad you can use some tropical fruits we have in stock. In the following paragraphs we’ll run through the recipe step-by-step.

Ingredients

First we need to know what ingredients we will need. We need 4 kiwis, which you can buy at your local supermarket or greengrocer. We also need 2 mangos. These fruits are also available at your locals. Finally, we need some tropical fruits. We need 4 pieces of mangosteen. In our webshop there are currently 2 sorts of mangosteen available: Garcinia Intermedia (Lemondrop) and Garcinia humilis (Achacharu). For this fruit salad we recommend the Achacharu, because of the sweet and soft taste. Of course, it is also a possibility to use the Lemondrop or combine the two (2 pieces of each fruit). That’s all up to you.

Preparation

This 4 person tropical fruit salad can be made in less than 15 minutes. Follow the steps down here.

Cut the mango along both sides of the pip or use a mango cutter. Then cut a number of stripes into the seedless pieces of pulp, without cutting through the skin. Then do this also in the transverse direction, so that blocks are formed. Spoon the cubes out of the mango peel.
Peel the kiwi and cut it in half. Then cut them into square cubes.
Cut the peel of the Achacharu all around. Remove the top part and take out the pulp wedges.
Mix the Achacharu, mango and kiwi.
Enjoy the tropical fruit salad!

How to cut a mangosteen

A mangosteen is a small, round, tropical fruit. The dark brown/purple skin appears to be hard, but is easy to cut when the fruit is ripe. Always use a sharp serrated knife. Once you have removed the top part of the fruit, you can see that the inside contains 4 to 7 small fruits. You can take these fruits out of the mangosteen as wedges. Pay attention to seed that may also be in the pulp wedges. These seeds and the peel of the mangosteen are not edible.

Tropical seeds

Planting Passion Fruit Seeds

Michelle Nannings Oct 2, 2020 Leave a comment

Passion fruit is a delicious fruit to use in deserts. It’s very healthy because it is full of Vitamin C. Often the flesh of the fruit will be processed into juice, but for lovers of somewhat acidic fruit this fruit is also delicious to spoon out. This post will be about planting passion fruit seeds, so you can let your own seeds grow into Passiflora plants. Read all about it here.

Preparation

Before you can prepare, you will have to choose from different passion fruit seeds. At our website we have the Passiflora edulis flavicarpa (Markoesa) and the Passiflora laurifolia (Sweet Markoesa). If you own the seeds, you first have to wash the seeds in a sieve with some water. The best way to germ passion fruit seeds is to put it in a protected planter. Later on you can move them to your garden or greenhouse. For now you have to fill the pot with 10 cm of soil mix. Then dig shallow grooves with a stick. Make sure there is 5 cm of space between the grooves. These grooves will serve as shallow drains, preventing moisture from drowning the seeds or budding roots.

Sow the seeds

Now it’s time to sow the seeds. Place the seeds 1 cm apart in each groove. Protect it by covering them with a very thin layer of your soil mix. Once covered, give the seeds some water immediately. From now on you only need to sprinkle some water when the ground is becoming dry. When the plants are 20 to 25 cm high, they are ready to be moved to a permanent spot in your garden or greenhouse. These plants can grow over 5 meters, so a pot in your house won’t be big enough.

Find a good permanent spot

The best place for these plants would be where they get full sun (6 hours a day). It’s important that there are no competing roots nearby. It’s also necessary to clear the area of weeds. These plants need space to climb, so look for a place next to climbing structures as a fence or a balcony. Mix the soil with compost before planting. Compost improves both the structure and the nutritional value of the soil. You can also use organic rotting manure, rotting foliage, or other green plant waste. The pH should be between 6.5 and 7.5. If the soil is too acidic, mix it with ground dolomite or agricultural lime.

Move the plants

Dig a separate hole for each plant. Each hole should be twice as wide as the current diameter of your plant, and the depth should be at least as deep as the pot your plant is in now. Place the root ball in the center of the hole, then loosely fill the rest of the hole with soil until the plant is firm to the touch. Then sprinkle organic slow-release fertilizer around the plant. The last thing you need to do is give the plants some good water.

Take care of the plants

After moving the plants to their permanent spots, you only have to take care of the plants. Pay attention to the following points:

Passiflora plants are big eaters, so you’ll have to give plenty of water and fertilizers throughout the growing season. At least once a week when it hasn’t rained for a while.
The plants must climb up the climbing structures. Sometimes you have to help the plant.
Keep 60 to 90 cm weed free around each plant. You have to keep other plants and weeds that can spread diseases away from passiflora plants.
Prune the plants if it’s necessary.
If there are no bees around, you’ll have to support the pollination process.
Protect the plants from insects and diseases. Use organic methods, not chemicals.

Harvest the fruit

It may take a year to a year and a half for your plant to produce fruit, but once it does, you can harvest and eat its fruit. Besides planting passion fruit seeds, you can plant much more tropical world seeds. So take a look at our website!

Dragon Fruits, Plants & Cuttings (Pitaya)

Where to plant dragon fruits

Michelle Nannings Sep 21, 2020Oct 7, 2020 Leave a comment

When you think of planting a dragon fruit plant, some questions will probably come up like Where to plant dragon fruit? Can I do this indoor, outdoor or are there any other possibilities to do so? Should I be the one harvesting this fruit, or is this job perfect for someone who is already specialized? Not every dragon fruit can survive in all circustomans as well. In this article we will lay out the options for you. After reading this article you are all up-to-date on the various opportunities.

Where to plant dragon fruit

You may already be thinking of some places of your own where you can plant a dragon fruit, however maybe you missed an option. Beneath the 3 possibilities are pointed out:

Indoors
Outdoors
Pot

Now you are aware of the different opportunities. Curious about what the different possibilities have to offer and differ from each other? Keep on reading..

How to grow dragon fruit indoors

It is relatively easy to plant Pitahaya fruit indoors. This is because the standard household temperature is ideal for the dragon fruit. So you do not have to worry about bringing them in once it starts to freeze. A big advantage of doing it indoors is basically because you can do it throughout the year due to the stable temperatures. Dragon fruit needs roughly 6-8 hours sunlight, so make sure it is placed where the demands are met. However, the more light the plant will get the more likely it is that fruit will be produced.

Having a plant outdoors

Growing dragon fruit in your own garden will definitely add personality and colour to your garden. Make sure that the plant will receive the right support as the plant itself can be quite heavy. Plant it near a fence or something else that it can climb on. Lastly, make sure that the plant is at least partly in the sun, since this is necessary for the fruit to grow proper. Meaning that the plant needs access to the sun during his whole life stage. Thus, be aware of the fact that the dragon fruit does not survive under cold circumstances.

Your own dragon fruit in pot

If you decide to plant the hylocereus undatus in a pot, also called dragon fruit, make sure you choose the right size, or be prepared to repot. Where to plant dragon fruit in pots is your own decision, it can either be indoors or outdoors as long as the correct circumstances are met. In the right conditions dragon fruit plants can turn out to be quite tall, so make sure your pot is at least big enough. An advantage of pots is that you are able to move the pot whenever the season is changing. Thus, if you’re going into a colder season, you can easily change the position of the pot into a warmer area. Making this a relatively easy way of growing your dragon fruit in pot.

A dragon fruit can be grown around the world

Depending on where you live, if differs which method suits you best, but everyone can plant a Pitahaya plant. The only circumstances you have to cope with are current temperatures in your own country. Based on that you can decide for yourself where to plant the dragon fruit.
For instance, it is doable and manageable to plant your own dragon fruit if you live in the Netherlands or any other cold climate country. Keep in mind that the optimum temperature range roughly is between the 20 and 30 degrees celsius.

The best choice is indoors

Our advice would be to choose for the indoor possibility. How did we conclude to that? Where to plant a dragon fruit can both have advantages and disadvantages regarding indoors or outdoors. When choosing to do it indoors, it has one big advantage. The temperature is a very important factor, and because you do it indoors you can regulate it yourself. Therefore, you are not dependent on external factors like the changing weather.

Dragon Fruits, Plants & Cuttings (Pitaya)

How to grow dragon fruit in pots

Michelle Nannings Sep 16, 2020Oct 7, 2020 Leave a comment

Still struggling with how to grow dragon fruit in pots? You are not alone. After reading this article you will know how to grow dragon fruit in pots, and the corresponding steps. You will notice that it is not that hard after reading this article, and the best thing is you can start right away. In the following paragraphs each step will be mentioned and discussed.

How to grow dragon fruit in pots

Dragon fruits can be grown in pots, but there are various methods of doing so. In the following paragraphs each step will be mentioned and discussed.

Step 1: pick a pot

Dragon fruit can be harvested in a pot. Nevertheless, many sizes are available, but not all sizes are suited as dragon fruit pots. Ideally the size of the pot should be 14-26 inches in diameter and 10-14 inches in depth. Note!! The bigger the size of the pot, the better the growth of the dragon fruit plant. It is essential for the dragon fruit in order to survive that a pot contains holes. Thereby 2 or 3 holes should be doable to make sure that there is a proper draining system. Not all kind of pots are suitable, only of the following kind fits the description:

Plastic pots
Clay pots
Cans
Terracotta pots

Step 2: add a trellis to support your dragon fruit

Growing dragon fruit in pots can only be successful if you support the fruit. It needs some kind of support to climb on, otherwise it will not develop properly and cannot maintain its strength. Make sure it can be attached to something like a sturdy trellis.

Step 3: put your dragon fruit in sunlight

The fruit is a cactus, so it loves both sun and heat. Make sure that this fruit gets at least 6 hours of sun each day. Also here counts, the more the better. If you follow the next guideline, the fruit will most likely survive: Are you living in a relatively hot climate? Then it is handy to choose a location where the plant remains partially shaded. Its preferences will be in a place that is sunny and dry.

Step 4: give your plant some water

As any other fruit, also a dragon fruit plant needs water every now and then. Remember to make sure that the plant is regularly hydrated. Since it is a cactus it does not need that much water. Keep in mind that the soil should never be sopping wet. About 1 centimeter of water per week should be enough. Did you know that the #1 cause of death to plants is actually over watering?

Step 5: fertilize your dragon fruit plant

Lastly, fertilize the plant with both organic and organic fertilizer. Because of this, the fruit will become a healthy mature plant. Would you like to know how to fertilize your dragon fruit plant? Read our article how to best fertilize your dragon fruit plant.

Who does not wants to save money?

Dragon fruit is an expensive fruit due to the fact that it is imported. If you are able to harvest your own dragon fruit in pots, it will not only save you money you can also eat it at any time you would like.

Anyone can grow dragon fruit

If you are interested in dragon fruit growing in pots, I would say give it your best shot! What is there to stop you from doing it? Everyone can do it. The only thing you have to remember is the fact that you should create the right environment for the dragon fruits to develop.

Summary

This process will only benefit you if you take all the steps on how to grow dragon fruit in pots. While keeping the most important things in the back of your mind, do not forget to enjoy the ride. Below we have listed the most important things for you to remember:

Choose a pot big enough, the bigger the better.
Make sure the dragon fruit is attached to a sturdy trellis.
Make sure the fruit will receive at least 6 hours of sunlight.
Do not forget to hydrate the fruit every now and then.
Last but not least, fertilize the plant.

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