How Often To Water Dragon Fruit Plant

Learn how to abound dragon fruit, one of the virtually peculiar looking fruits in the world! Tin can be grown in USDA zones nine through eleven, and with a soil pH of half-dozen to 7.

Dragon fruit, besides known as pitaya, is an exotic, tropical fruit you've well-nigh likely seen earlier in stores. The taste is similar to that of a kiwi, but a lot less subtle. The dragon fruit actually belongs to the cactus family unit and they have some of the biggest, most impressive flowers in the world. Dragon fruit is native to Central America and about often grown in tropical and sub tropical climates.

If you've never heard of dragon fruit, no worries – information technology actually has a slew of other names in goes by: Indonesia buah naga, Khmer sror kaa neak, Thai kaeo mangkon, nanettika fruit, Kaktus madu, Long guo, Cereus triangularis, Thanh long, Strawberry Pear, Cactus fruit, Night blooming Cereus, Belle of the Night, Jesus in the Cradle.

Location:

Because dragon fruit is role of the cactus plants family unit, it will dearest heat and total dominicus. Choose a spot that'south as dry and as sunny every bit can be. In hot climates, such as tropical or subtropical climates, place your dragon fruit plant in a semi-shaded area.

Support:

Considering it's a climbing cactus, it will need lots of support such as a fence, trellis, or climbing pole.

Soil:

Choose well draining soil that is sandy and loamy. You can besides brand your own soil by mixing in half perlite and half peat, or just add a lilliputian bit of sand into your potting soil. The good news is that dragon fruit is very tolerant of poor soil, and even cactus oil volition work well.

Water:

Water the plant as you lot would a cactus or succulent. This means moderate watering – it's always best to requite your dragon fruit less water than more than water. Acquire more about watering succulents.

Temperature:

If possible, try non to betrayal your dragon fruit institute to temperatures below 32F (0C), or temperatures higher up 100F (38C) – both of these extremes can exist fatal to your institute.

Dragon fruit is a climbing cactus and will need support to climb. Therefore, it club to grow dragon fruit, you'll need to plant it near a fence, build a trellis, or a climbing pole. In either example, it'due south extremely important for your dragon fruit found to be able to support itself.

Because it'due south a sub tropical found, dragon fruit loves warm atmospheric condition and partial sun. If you alive in a colder climate, you tin notwithstanding grow dragon fruit, merely make sure you do so in pots, and never put it outside, especially if below 28F.

The flowers of the dragon fruit are some of the most unique and strange looking flowers in the world, non to mention some of the biggest! They can achieve a diameter of up to 25cm and are virtually 30cm in length. The flowers themselves but open upward for one night and give off a beautiful exotic and fruity scent.

Growing Dragon Fruit From Seed:

Buy a dragon fruit and cutting it in half. Scoop out the black seeds and wash them off.
Place the seeds on a moist paper towel and leave them overnight to dry.
Fill a pocket-sized germination tray or a small pot with well draining soil. You tin can also brand your own dragon fruit soil by mixing i part peat with ane office perlite. Alternatively, you can also use cactus soil.
Sprinkle the seeds onto the surface of the soil and cover with a sparse layer of the growing medium, barely covering the seeds.
Moisten the soil with a spray bottle and cover with plastic wrap to keep moisture.
The seed should germinate within 15-xxx days. During this time, keep the soil moist.
After they've germinated, remove the plastic wrap, and transplant to a bigger pot.

Growing & Managing Dragon Fruit in Pots:

Dragon fruit grows well in pots, especially if you live in a cooler climate or don't have a lot of growing space.
Fruit growing in pots is adequately easy to care for, and dragon fruit plants are no exception.
Growing dragon fruit in pots is like shooting fish in a barrel because you lot tin move the pot indoors once the weather cools and you lot can also command the amount of dominicus it receives.
Remember that the dragon fruit found or pitaya plant can only survive temperatures that are above 28F (-2C).
Choose a pot that'south about once or two times bigger than the root ball of the dragon fruit. This will usually exist a v gallon pot that's 10-12 inches in depth. Yous will need to repot the plant every year as information technology grows.
A mature dragon fruit tree will fit in a 25-30 gallon size pot.

How to Intendance for Dragon Fruit

How to Fertilize Dragon Fruit Plants:

During its growing flavor, fertilize once a month with a balanced fertilizer. If growing in a cooler climate, cease fertilizing in the wintertime. Side wearing apparel with anile manure or compost to proceed moisture in.

How to Clip Dragon Fruit Plants:

You should prune dragon fruit plants on a regular basis to control size and improve air circulation. This will too help prevent fungal infections and diseases. If left to its ain devices, the tree can grow up to 20 feet in height. Prune the tree annually by removing any dead stems every bit well as overgrowing stems.

Dragon Fruit Diseases and Pests:

Unremarkably, there are no real pests or diseases that can seriously touch the dragon fruit, but do sentry out for aphids. Aphids will unremarkably be constitute feeding on young buds and shoots. Also, exist conscientious when watering the dragon fruit plant, equally over-watering can cause root rot besides as fruit rot.

How to Pollinate Dragon Fruit:

Nearly dragon fruit varieties are self pollinating, simply there are a few varieties which exercise require cross-pollination, likewise known every bit paw pollination. If that is the case, you lot'll need to grow two or more plants shut to one some other so they tin can cross-pollinate. Cantankerous-pollination will unremarkably occur at dark since pollination depends on moths and bats. Make certain the soil is well draining, and e'er moist.

How Oft to Water Dragon Fruit Plants

Dragon fruit trees practice not need much water, much similar their cousin, the cactus. Be sure to merely h2o when the tiptop of the soil is dry to the touch. Once dry, water deeply and exist sure that your pot has adept drainage holes. Never let your dragon fruit institute sit in water as this can cause root rot. For a young institute, you may accept to water every day or every other day. Every bit the constitute matures, this schedule may change. Watering dragon fruit depends on the climate, humidity, and age of the plant.

Harvesting Dragon Fruit:

You can harvest dragon fruit once its skin color changes from bright green to red or pink.
The fruit should exist oval in shape and about ten-15 cm long.
Fruits should be ready to harvest xxx-50 days after flowering.
In a regular growing climate, dragon fruit will grow from summer to belatedly autumn, and fifty-fifty into winter.
In temperate regions, you'll be able to harvest dragon fruit between summertime and early to mid autumn.
The dragon fruit institute volition beginning flowering in its beginning or 2nd year subsequently planting.

Growing in Pots

Courtesy of TJar12

Growing the dragon fruit plant in pots is non that much unlike than growing them in the footing. In fact, it tin be much easier, since the pots tin be moved to adapt the plant. In hotter climates for example, the constitute may need more shade and therefore will need to be moved.

There are two ways you can grow dragon fruit in pots. The starting time manner involves growing the plant from cuttings, and the second style is to found seeds. Whichever method you choose, keep in heed that growing dragon fruit from seed could take up to 6 years to produce fruits, whereas growing from cuttings volition only take a twelvemonth or two. Obviously, growing from cuttings is the most popular method, merely it can besides exist quite difficult to achieve, especially for beginner gardeners.

Method #i: Growing From Cuttings

Cut a 6-15 inch (12-38cm) stem from a institute (the parent plant) that is at least one year old. Brand the cut at an angle for best results. Let the cutting stem heal for about a week in a dry place.
Choose a container that'due south big enough to support the plant and ensure it has good drainage holes. The pot should be at to the lowest degree 20-24 inches deep and concur 25-30 gallons.
Because dragon fruit is part of the cactus family, information technology prefers cactus soil, or well draining soil. The should should also be slightly acidic, with a pH of 6-vii. Alternatively, you lot can make your own cactus soil at home by mixing in sand/perlite, organic manure, and compost, using the following ratio respectively: 2:3:one:1.
Fill your pot with the right soil, and water the soil well. Look until the soil has captivated all the water and is draining properly earlier planting.
Dig a pigsty in the middle of the soil that'due south at to the lowest degree two-4 inches deep and place the cut within of it, packing the soil firmly around the stem.
Follow the same care directions as above.

Method #ii: Growing From Seeds

Be sure to acquire good quality, preferably organic seeds from a reputable seller.
Follow the same directions as above (for growing dragon fruit from seeds) and plant in a big pot with adept drainage holes.
Again, make sure the soil is suitable for this type of institute and that is is well watered.

Please note that growing dragon fruit tin take several years to deport fruit, merely in the meantime, y'all'll have a stunning flowering cactus!

So now that you know how to grow dragon fruit, permit's get the planting!

How to Abound Dragon Fruit

Learn how to grow dragon fruit in your garden! Expert advice on how to plant dragon fruit from seed and grow them in pots or directly in the ground.

Course: Tropical Fruits

Cuisine: Dragon Fruit

Keyword: dragon fruit, how to grow, tropical fruits

Purchase a dragon fruit and cut it in half. Scoop out the black seeds and wash them off.
Place the seeds on a moist paper towel and leave them overnight to dry.
Fill a small formation tray or a small pot with well draining soil. Y'all tin too make your own dragon fruit soil past mixing ane part peat with one part perlite. Alternatively, you can also apply cactus soil.
Sprinkle the seeds onto the surface of the soil and cover with a sparse layer of the growing medium, barely covering the seeds.
Moisten the soil with a spray bottle and comprehend with plastic wrap to go along wet.
The seed should germinate inside 15-30 days. During this fourth dimension, keep the soil moist.
Subsequently they've germinated, remove the plastic wrap, and transplant to a bigger pot.

LOCATION:
Because dragon fruit is part of the cactus plants family, it volition love heat and total sun. Choose a spot that's equally dry out and equally sunny as can exist. In hot climates, such as tropical or subtropical climates, place your dragon fruit institute in a semi-shaded area.

SUPPORT:
Considering it's a climbing cactus, it will need lots of support such every bit a fence, trellis, or climbing pole.

SOIL:
Choose well draining soil that is sandy and loamy. You can also make your own soil past mixing in half perlite and half peat, or just add a lilliputian flake of sand into your potting soil. The good news is that dragon fruit is very tolerant of poor soil, and even cactus oil will work well.

Water:
Water your dragon fruit as y'all would a cactus or delicious. This means moderate watering – information technology's always best to give your dragon fruit less water than more water. Learn more most watering succulents.

TEMPERATURE:
If possible, try not to expose your dragon fruit found to temperatures below 32F (0C), or temperatures higher up 100F (38C) – both of these extremes can exist fatal to your plant.

Dragon fruit is a climbing cactus and will need support to climb. Therefore, information technology society to grow dragon fruit, you'll demand to institute information technology well-nigh a fence, build a trellis, or a climbing pole. In either case, it's extremely important for your dragon fruit plant to be able to support itself.

Because it's a sub tropical found, dragon fruit loves warm weather and partial dominicus. If you live in a colder climate, you tin can notwithstanding abound dragon fruit, but brand certain you do so in pots, and never put it outside, especially if below 28F.

The flowers of the dragon fruit are some of the near unique and strange looking flowers in the world, not to mention some of the biggest! They tin can reach a diameter of up to 25cm and are most 30cm in length. The flowers themselves only open upwards for i night and requite off a beautiful exotic and fruity scent.

Happy Planting!