Are you thinking of growing an exotic plant at home? If so, what would be the best option other than dragon fruit? Growing dragon fruit indoors is not at all a hectic task. It is pretty much easy. All you need is a bit of patience and the right guidance.
Undeniably, dragon fruit is among the easiest fruits to grow at home. Well, this is due to fact that the standard temperature of our homes is just ideal for their growth.
Also known as cactus fruit, Kaktus madu, pitaya, pitahaya, and strawberry pear. Dragon fruit belongs to a cactus family thus requires warm growing conditions. However, they don’t need much attention and care once they get settled. Unlike many other cacti, their spikes are quite soft and will not hurt you.
Though dragon fruit may seem a little strange, it yields vivid yellow or red fruit which has a deliciously juicy and sweet taste. Hence, a perfect fruit that can either be eaten as raw or chopped to add in various tropical salads, ice-creams, and smoothies.
Moreover, dragon fruit is full of nutrients i.e. Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin C, carotene, protein, phosphorus, and digestive fiber.
What’s more is that they also yield some of the prettiest and largest flowers in the world known as Belle of the night and Night-blooming cereus. Surprisingly, these stunning white flowers just bloom for just one night only and leave their unique soothing scent everywhere in the air.
Since, it’s quite obvious that while growing dragon fruit indoors many questions will arise in your mind like how much light, water, and the temperature does it require, etc. Don’t worry, just scroll down to get the answer to every question that may arise in your mind.
Types of Dragon Fruit:
In general, there exist a large variety of dragon fruits. However, listed below are the most common types that every home gardener can easily cultivate.
Hylocereus undatus : Has pink or red skin along with white flesh. Also, it is the most common type of dragon fruit which is quite popular in Australia.
Hylocereus costaricensis: Has red skin along with purple or red flesh
Hylocereus megalanthus: Has yellow skin along with white flesh.
Along with its delicious taste, dragon fruit has many incredible health benefits too as it contains a large amount of antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and carbohydrates.
Best Climate for Growing Dragon Fruit:
Well, before jumping straight on how to grow dragon fruit at home; you must know the appropriate climate and conditions for their growth.
Though dragon fruit belongs to a cactus family, it doesn’t mean that it is like those typical cacti that we see in deserts. In fact, it is a sub-tropical cactus that is native to South America. However, you can also see them growing in Australia, Indonesia, Taiwan, and South California, etc.
Hence, it means they require a mildly warm and humid environment for their growth and have the capability to thrive on little water. Moreover, these subtropical plants need at least 6hrs of sunlight daily and grow well in a warm sunny spot indoors.
Also, to make your plant grow well just make sure that it stays at a temperature between 30-90 °F.
How to grow dragon fruit indoors from seeds?
For growing dragon fruit from seeds just visit your nearest supermarket, purchase a healthy dragon fruit and then plant its seeds.
Growing dragon fruit indoors with the help of seeds may look quite easy. However, it requires a lot of time and patience as the plant may take up to 5-6 years to become mature enough to yield fruits.
Following are the few simple steps to grow dragon fruit from seeds.
Step 1: Extract the seeds
The first step is to extract the seeds from a healthy dragon fruit. For that, cut the fruit in half carefully and then scoop out its black seeds. Now, wash the seeds thoroughly and leave them overnight to dry properly.
Once the seeds are ready to germinate, there are 3 different methods you can utilize.
Soil Method:
In this method, you just need to sprinkle the seeds in a container filled with soil.
Ziplock Bag Method:
In a ziplock bag method, after placing the moist paper towel in the bag; you need to add some seeds in it. Furthermore, to seal it properly, blow air in the bag.
Mini-Greenhouse Method:
In this method, place a damp towel on the plate, add some seed on it, and then cover it with the glass.
Step 2: Prepare the soil bed
Even though dragon fruit belongs to a cactus family, I will strongly discourage you to choose the cactus soil mix as it lacks all the essential nutrients. Therefore, always prefer to use a potting soil mix that is well-draining, rich in organic matter, and contains vermiculite, perlite, sand, etc
Also, to promote good drainage don’t forget to place stones, pebbles, and broken pots at the base of the pot.
Step 3: Plant the extracted seeds
After preparing the soil bed, the next step is to plant the extracted seeds. Just sprinkle the seeds over the soil surface and cover it with a thin single layer of the soil. As these seeds don’t require deep plantation, it is completely fine if some seeds are barely covered.
Step 4: Choose a perfect spot
Now that you have planted the seeds, choose a perfect spot for your plant. Dragon fruit requires a warm, humid place to grow healthy. Hence, choose a spot where it can easily get at least 6-8hrs of sunlight daily; it can be a sunny windowsill or a sunny area in your garden.
Dragon fruit grows well when the temperature is between 65-85 °F. However, the plant will die when the temperature exceeds 100 °F.
Step 5: Water the soil bed
Although dragon fruit belongs to the cactus family and can survive in dry conditions, they still require water to grow healthy. Hence, to keep the soil bed moist, mist it regularly whenever it is dry. In case, if your soil bed gets dry you can also use a plastic bag to trap the moisture.
Also, make sure not to overwater your plant; as it can destroy your seeds, seedlings, and even a grown plant. Self-watering planters can also be used to water soil beds.
Step 6: Transfer the plant
Once dragon fruit seedlings start germinating, make space for each new plant. Thus, transfer them to the bigger pots. An adult dragon plant requires at least a 20-gallon pot for its healthy growth.
Step 7: Provide support
Since we all know dragon fruits are climbing cacti, they need a climbing pole when they start growing. Once your plant becomes 12 inches tall, provide it with adequate support; it can be a wood stake or trellis, etc.
Watch this video below, you may found it helpful.
https://youtu.be/FZCy0Cyt8aw
How to grow dragon fruit indoors from cuttings?
Professionals usually recommend growing dragon fruit from cuttings as it is not only the easiest but also the fastest way to yield fruits.
Besides this, I personally love this technique; as all you need to take is a large stem cutting either from a nursery or friend and you are good to go. Plus, as compared to seeds you don’t need to wait for 5-6 years; you can get your harvest within a year.
By following the below-described steps you will be able to grow dragon fruit from cuttings.
Step 1: Trim the cutting from a healthy plant
With the help of the garden scissor carefully cut a 12-inch branch from a mature and healthy dragon fruit plant. Nevertheless, make sure not to cut the plant much as cutting it harshly will arrest its growth.
Step 2: Cut the cutting further
The next step is to cut the 12-inch cutting further into four to five pieces. Each piece has a tendency to grow into a new dragon plant. Also, don’t forget the exact direction of the cutting as you have to plant them upright to grow properly. Furthermore, if some fungicide is present on the cutting; feel free to take it off to avoid any disease.
Step 3: Allow cuttings to heal
In case, if you have taken a fresh cutting, allow them to heal by placing it in a cool, shady place. Cuttings are ready to use once their ends turn white. This procedure may take up to two days to a week.
Step 4: Plant the cuttings in the soil
Now that the cuttings are healed, it’s time to plant them in the soil. Place the base an inch or two in the soil and press the soil around it to keep it safe and erect. Moreover, remember to plant the cuttings in a similar direction as the original branch was growing.
Support and water instructions are similar to those required for seeds.
To clear your concepts further, watch the video below.
https://youtu.be/fFftR1RhoIs
How to grow dragon fruit in a pot/container?
Once you have decided to grow the dragon fruit at home in a pot or container, the most important step is to choose the accurate container. Thus, the container should be 15-24 inches in diameter and at least 10 inches deep.
In other words, you need a 30-gallon pot along with a climbing pole to provide support to the plant.
Check the types of hydroponic systems.
When to harvest dragon fruit?
Check the appearance of the fruit to determine whether your dragon fruit is ready to harvest or not. It will change its color from green to pink to yellow during ripening, depending upon the type you have chosen to cultivate.
Besides this, always choose the ones whose wings have turned brown. Also, you can twist the fruit; in case if it is ripe properly it will easily separate from the stem.
How to pollinate the dragon fruit plant?
In the wild, dragon fruit plants depend on the nocturnal pollinators (moths, bats, etc) and wind for their pollination. However, if you are growing them indoors you will have to use hand pollination once they flourish.
Hand pollination can be easily done by either using a cotton swab or paintbrush. Thus, by utilizing the cotton swab or paintbrush; brush the pollens from the flower’s male part which is anther to the flower’s female’s part which is the pistil.
Furthermore, make sure to determine what type of dragon fruit plant you are growing; as some fruits are self-pollinating while others require another plant for cross-pollination.
Why prune a dragon fruit plant?
Well, it is quite essential to prune all the dying, diseased, dead, and overcrowded branches to keep growing your plant fresh, healthy, and disease-free. Moreover, pruning will promote fresh growth and encourage bud formation which in turn blooms into the flowers and then fruits.
I personally prefer to prune my dragon fruit plant at the end of November when the growing season has ended and the plants are in their dormant phase.
When to fertilize the dragon fruit plant and which fertilizer will be best?
Using fertilizer for your dragon fruit plant is quite fundamental. Hence, prefer to fertilize your plant once a month during the growing season to provide it with all the essential nutrients it needs.
Furthermore, 6-6-6 or 8-3-9 mixed fertilizers will be the best option for the dragon fruit plant. However, the addition of any organic fertilizer further will always be beneficial for the plant.
I personally prefer to use a low nitrogen cactus fertilizer once a month during the growing season.
Conclusion:
To conclude, growing dragon fruit indoors is not hard at all. Under proper conditions and guidelines, you can easily grow your own fruits. However, growing dragon fruit using cuttings is much easier and convenient as compared to the seeds. As seeds may take up to 5-6 years to yield fruits.
I hope I have cleared all the important questions that may arise in your mind while growing a dragon fruit plant at your home.
So, just go ahead and plant your own nutritious dragon fruits.
Source:
To get some more information about growing dragon fruit indoors, check out the below link:
https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/2403/FN-9.pdf
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