This beautiful Asiatic cactus plant not only gives a vibrant color fruit but also an amazing blooming flower called “night-blooming cereus (epiphyllum oxypetalum). Night-blooming cereus is a beautiful flower. The fruit is also known as pitaya, pitahaya, and strawberry pear. The fruit is grown in a plant called Hylocereus cactus, also called the Honolulu queen.

What is Dragon Fruit Plant?

The plant is believed to be native to Mexico and Central America. It is a fast-growing plant with vine-like cactus. This plant has green fleshy branches. The margin of branches may or may not contain a spine. The plant can be a hanging or climbing plant.

Nutrients

Vitamin C and other antioxidants found in abundance in this strange-looking fruit are beneficial to your immune system. Contains every 100 grams of dragon fruit

• 60 calories
• 1.2 grams of protein
• 0 grams of fat
• 13 grams of carbs
• 3 grams of fiber
• 3% of the RDI for vitamin C
• 4% of the RDI for iron
• 10% of the RDI for magnesium

Your iron levels may rise as a result. Iron is necessary for the body to transport oxygen and provide energy, and dragon fruit contains iron. And the vitamin C in dragon fruit aids in the uptake and utilization of iron by your body.

It is a low-calorie fruit with high fiber and a large number of minerals and nutrients

Types of Dragon Fruit Plants: 

Some of the most common dragon fruits are as follows:

1. Sour Dragon Fruit:

The plant is common in the dry region throughout America. The refreshing plant has a spicy and sour taste. Fruit production occurs in the northwestern Mexican region. The fruits are sour. The seed is edible with a nutty flavor.

2. White Dragon Fruit:

White fleshed fruit are very common. These white flesh fruits have pink skin and tiny black seeds. This is one of the most widely growing dragon fruit.

It has a bright white flesh with semi-sweet pulp which is a similar taste to a grape. These Californian natives with white flesh are considered sweeter when chilled.

3. Red Dragon Fruit:

These are red skin and red or purple flesh dragon fruit plants. These dragon fruits are very sweet and taste very similar to kiwi fruit. It can be eaten raw. This fruit is also an ingredient in smoothies

4. Yellow Dragon Fruit:

This dragon fruit is scientifically called Hylocereus Megalanthus, and scientifically called Selenicereus Megalanthus. This fruit has yellow skin and tiny black seeds. The bright yellow fruit is considered the tastiest, however, only a variety of this fruit exists.

5. Pink Dragon Fruit:

Though the fruit belongs to the red type dragon fruit plant. The flesh is not similar. These plants can grow in different types of soil and climates. The edible flesh has many varieties. There are many varieties such as Delight, Cosmic Charlie, Voodoo Child, and American Beauty.

6. Blue Dragon Fruit Plant:

Fruit with green or blue flesh should not be consumed. These hues are signs that your dragon fruit isn’t ripe and hasn’t grown to its full potential.

Medicinal Effects:

The dragon fruit has the potential as a medical treatment. Fruit is a preferred food as well. There is no reliable scientific evidence to support the use of dragon fruit but is recommended for treating diabetes, prediabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and many other disorders.

How to Grow Dragon Fruit:

1. Preparing a Set-up of Dragon Fruit Plant

To begin with, choose between a seed and a cutting from an old plant.

You can choose between dragon fruit seeds or a cutting. It depends on how much time you have. However, the seed is easier to grow the stem can take more time.

You can buy seeds, cutting, or a young plant from a professional. While taking young plants out of the pot make sure you don’t damage the plant seedlings.

2. Use Well-drained Sandy Cactus Soil

It is a cactus plant so, the soil has to be sandy. It does not grow in moist soil. The soil needs adequate sunlight and ample nutrients.

If the soil is wet then, dragon fruit seedlings must be grown in a hill or mold. If you don’t have access to cactus soil, you can make your own by combining sand, potting soil, and compost.

3. Planting and Caring for Dragon Fruit

3.1. Plant the Dragon Fruit Cuttings

If you are planting the dragon fruit cuttings make sure you dry them. Once the cutting is dry make sure the wounds heal. Through this process, you can prevent the infection.

3.2. Plant in Sunlight

Make sure you provide ample sunlight throughout. As the plant needs to grow it needs a lot of sunlight.

3.3. Replant a Soil Line

If you have farm-ordered dragon fruit cuttings make sure you sprinkle the container before you plant the dragon fruit seeds.

Once the batch of seeds is new growth, choose seeds of the dragon fruit plant that is growing. Pick the sprouts separately. Then you can use some light fertilizer in the soil before planting.

3.4. Wash the Dragon Fruit with Cactus Fruit

In other words, only provide it with a small amount of water when it is nearly dry. Keep the climbing pole moist if your plant has grown big enough to have one by this point. In this case, a dripper would be useful.

The main cause of plant death may be overwatering. They don’t need it, so resist the temptation. Consider how a pot drains if you’re using one. It needs much less if there are no drain holes since otherwise the water would merely sit in the bottom and cause rot and decay.

4. Harvest the Fruit

4.1. Watch as Dragon Fruit Grows

It may take some years to grow dragon fruit cactus plants. This climbing cactus plant need support to grow. Then, after some time the flower bloom. It can take many weeks after which flowers bloom in one night. It is a self-pollinating plant.

The flower will wilt and the bloom’s base will start to smell if the fruit is going to grow.

4.2. Prune the Dragon Fruit Trees

The plant becomes large up to 20 feet. Once the dragon fruit cactus. Cut off the same branch. You can either grow another plant and repot them yourself, or you can offer them as gifts.

4.3. Pick the Fruit

Once the fruit grows properly, you can prepare to harvest dragon fruit plants. The fruit can grow at any time of the year.

Depending on the variety, the skin of dragon fruit will turn red or yellow to indicate ripeness. When squeezed, the skin will also feel slightly soft but not mushy.

4.4. Eat Dragon Fruit

Four to six fruit-bearing cycles per year were possible once production reached its peak. They eventually ramp up; it just takes them some time to do so. Don’t thus assume that your first fruit will be your last. You waited patiently, and now you are being rewarded with much.

5. Maintenance

If you own a dragon fruit plant, maintaining this dragon fruit cactus is equally important. 

Make sure you prepare a soil bed: make sure the plant is in sandy soil with ample nutrients and is not in too much shade.

It prefers warm weather, moderate winters, and no frost. Although they may handle brief periods of cold weather, it is best to keep them above 10 degrees.

It can withstand heat, drought, humidity, and poor soils, but rich soil and consistent watering will help them produces sweeter fruits.

Although plants cultivated in containers can take up to two years to develop fruit, they can start flowering as soon as six to eight months past planting.

The good news is that a mature plant can produce four to six fruiting cycles per year and can continue to produce fruit for 20 to 30 years.

6. Look out for Diseases and Pests on Cactus Fruit

• Caterpillar: These juveevents butterflies and moths, chew the plant tissues. To get rid of this pest spray the eco-neem. You can also pick these off of your hands.
• Snail and slug: Young plants are particularly vulnerable because slugs and snails can gnaw off huge chunks and obstruct the main stems’ early pieces of training If you observe damage developing, use an OCP eco-shield.
• Mites and mealybugs and sap suckers: These can suck out the sweet sap. To prevent the number of these insects make sure you use organic insecticides.
• Fungal problems: On stems, flowers, and fruit, high humidity, and overhead watering occasionally lead to the development of certain illnesses. If the plant is crowded, prune off extra branches and remove severely damaged areas to enhance airflow. To stop overhead watering, change your watering schedule. Utilize weekly applications of OCP eco-seaweed to increase plant toughness. If necessary, use an organic fungicide.
• Split fruit: It is due to excessive water and rain as the fruit is ripening. Too much extreme weather can reason for split fruit.
• Stem/ root rot: It is most commonly seen in poor draining and region. To prevent you can alter this soil drainage or move in the draining potting mix.

Tips for When Growing Dragon Fruit Indoors

For the development of blooms and fruits, the dragon fruit cactus requires six to eight hours of direct sunlight per day. Ideal sunlight comes from windows facing east in the morning and west in the evening.

Especially in the summer, if your window faces south, the light may be too strong and scorch the fruit.

Well, there you go. You are all set to have your own drag fruit plant now in your home garden. 

Last Updated on September 10, 2023 by kalidaspandian