During the active growing season, dragon fruit plants should receive some fertilizer once a month for optimum growth, but they shouldn’t be fed during the winter.
If you want to grow dragon fruit, here’s the first step: decide where you will plant the seed or cuttings.
Choose an area with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day, and water your dragon fruit regularly but not overwater it.
How to Grow
Dragon fruit is an eye-catching plant that produces vibrant, edible fruits. It’s a popular choice among gardeners and can be grown indoors or outdoors.
Dragon fruit thrives best in warm climates, though it’s a hardy plant that can survive in colder climates as well.
Before anything else, select a sunny location for your dragon fruit to thrive and flower properly. It requires about 6 hours of direct sun daily to thrive and bloom properly.
Dragon fruit requires a temperature range between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal growth and production of fruit. Unfortunately, this delicate species is susceptible to pests like mealybugs and aphids as well.
Protect your dragon fruit from pests with Yates Nature’s Way Vegie & Herb Spray, which helps control sap-sucking insects. You may also use neem oil or other insect repellents to keep the fruit healthy and prevent any damage.
Indoors
Growing dragon fruit indoors is an excellent way to enjoy this popular cactus. It’s relatively simple to propagate, and its large flowers and fruit are both stunningly beautiful and delicious.
To grow dragon fruit indoors, first find a bright location that gets at least six hours of direct sunlight each day. After selecting your spot, plant the dragon fruit in an easily-drained soil mix.
Water the soil whenever it feels dry to touch, but do not overwater. Doing so could damage the roots of your dragon fruit and lead to root rot.
Once your dragon fruit reaches twelve inches in height, it will require support from either a trellis or wood stake. This will allow the aerial roots to grow up and latch onto the structure for added stability.
Once the dragon fruit tree reaches maturity, it will start producing bright pink fruit. To harvest, pick when ripe and twist it away from its vine.
Outdoors
Climbing cacti and dragon fruit (Hylocereus and Selenicereus spp.) produce 1-foot night-blooming flowers. Their scale-like bracts protect the fruits which may range in size from small to large and be white, pink, red or magenta with black seeds.
Dragon fruit plants are tropical succulents and require lots of light and well-draining soil. Dragon fruit plants should be watered only when the soil is nearly dry.
Unfortunately, poorly draining soil will lead to root rot in these plants, so for best results it should be grown in raised beds or pots that are at least 500mm deep filled with a free-draining potting mix.
When planting outdoors, add a balanced granular fertilizer to the soil each month and only water your dragon fruit plant when the soil feels dry.
Pitaya cultivars are highly variable, so it’s essential to gradually introduce new plants to full sun. Doing this prevents scalding and the stems from rotting. It also gives your plant time to adapt and become established in its environment.
If growing pitayas indoors, consider using a crop cage as this will keep birds away.
From Cuttings
When growing dragon fruit, starting from cuttings is the quickest and most reliable way to get your new plant up and ready to harvest in no time. In fact, pitaya plants can begin producing fruit within six months to two years when properly cared for.
To prepare a dragon fruit cutting, use sterilized pruning shears to clip away some mature growth at its end. Make sure the cut is slightly narrower than the main branch.
Next, remove all three ridges along the cut so that you expose its fibrous middle. Doing this will encourage root development more effectively.
Once the cutting has grown a strong root system, it will be ready for planting into the soil. If planting in a container, fill it with cactus or succulent mix and add some perlite or sand for drainage; alternatively, you can plant them directly in top native soil.
Dragon Fruit Grows Best in What Conditions?
Sun-loving dragon fruit plants require 6 to 8 hours of sunlight per day in order to produce flowers and fruits.
They should be kept in an environment with temperatures no higher than 100°F (37°C) and well-drained, sandy soil with a pH level between 5.5 and 6.5.
During the winter, it’s crucial to keep the indoor growing environment above 40°F (4°C).
During the active growing season, fertilizer should be applied to dragon fruit plants once per month for optimum growth; however, during the winter, no fertilizer should be applied. They can also be grown from cuttings or seeds.
