Red, pink, or white with tiny black seeds, or yellow or white with no seeds
Dragon fruit with white pulp and tiny black seeds tastes better if you like sweet, while the one with red pulp is better if you prefer less sweetness
Dragon fruit is high in vitamin C and other antioxidants, which are good for your immune system. It can also boost your iron levels, which are important for moving oxygen through your body and giving you energy
Spacing: Generally in single post system planting is done at 3m x 3m distance in dragon fruit. Manures and Fertilizers: Application of FYM @15-20kg/plant/year and a fertilizer dose of N 450g: P2O5 350g: K2O 300g/plant/year perform best result for dragon fruit yield and quality.
A Step by Step Guide to Organic Dragon Fruit Farming
In India, the demand for this exotic Dragon fruit is increasing day by day. Dragon fruits are
only available in supermarkets, and they sell at a high price. The fruit has high demand in
Indian markets, but the supply is limited. So, the organic farming of Dragon fruit in India
can be protable. Thus, farmers are taking a lot of interest in Dragon cultivation. Many
states that commercially cultivated Dragon fruits in India are Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh,
Telangana, Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Assam,There are different types of Dragon fruit the most common varieties are;
Hylocereus undatus – white esh with pink or red skin
Dragon fruit should be planted in an open eld sunny area for best growth and fruit
production. The site must be free draining with a sandy loam soil with high organic
content. Dragon fruit can be grown in a wide range of soils and soils that are well-drained
and high in organic matter are recommended.Dragon fruit plants can be grown in a wide range of soil types provided it is well-drained.
Though, the most ideal soil type is rich in organic matter and slightly acidic. Since the
location should be used is sub-marginal, organic fertilizer requirement will be applied to
patch up the lacking amount of organic substances in the soil. It prefers sandy loam with
high organic matter and grows well in soil having good drainage.Dragon fruit plants can be grown in a wide range of soil types provided it is well-drained.
Though, the most ideal soil type is rich in organic matter and slightly acidic. Since the
location should be used is sub-marginal, organic fertilizer requirement will be applied to
patch up the lacking amount of organic substances in the soil. It prefers sandy loam with
high organic matter and grows well in soil having good drainage.
Dragon fruits can tolerate any type of soil, and they grow well in soil having good
drainage. A good drainage system is very important for Dragon fruit cultivation. Dragon
fruit plant prefers light acidic soil with pH ranging from 5.5 to 6.5. Sandy loam soils with
high organic matter are suitable for the cultivation of this plant. Sandy soils with the
organic matter also provide a good condition for plant growth.
Generally, Dragon fruit propagation occurs from seed or stem cuttings. Dragon fruit
propagation from seed is less reliable and will require patience, as the time from
propagation to fruit production take up to 7 years. Propagation is commonly
accomplished via the use of stem cuttings. It is multiplied through the seed of vegetative
methods.The seed is sown in trays and pots for better germination. The seed propagation carried
out that seedlings remain smaller with thin stem even after one year of planting. The
seed takes one month for germination. The seedlings take a longer time to become ready
for planting. The seedlings remain smaller within the stem even after one year of sowing.
Dragon fruit plants produced from seeds are not true to type. Thus seed is not used for
commercial multiplication of Dragon fruit.
Vegetative propagation – It can easily multiply through stem cutting. Generally, 20 to
25cm long stem cuttings are used for planting. The cutting should be prepared 1 to 2 days
before planting. The cutting must be taken from mother plants during fruiting season.
The entire stem segment or 20 to 30 cm long cuttings are used. The base cut of the
cutting must be slated. The cutting must be treated with fungicides to prevent diseases.
After that, these cuttings are planted in polyethylene bags lled with soil, farmyard
manure, and sandbags ratios of 1:1:2 respectively. The sandbags are kept at a shady place
for rooting. Excess moisture must be avoided for the prevention of rotting. These cutting
roots profusely and become ready for planting with 5 to 6 months.
Dragon Fruit is propagated through seeds or cuttings. There are two methods of
cultivating Dragon fruit, the rst method is the use of seeds and the second method is
using a cutting from the plant sampling. Seeds take a time of 3 years before the plant is
large enough to be used so farmers generally opt for the cutting method. The length of
the sapling must be 20 cm and it should be cut from the mother plant and left in the
shade for 5 to 7 days before being planted in the eld.
While being planted the distance between the Dragon fruit plants mainly depends on
whether the support used is vertical or horizontal. In vertical support, the distance
between the plants must be 2-3 meters while in horizontal support the distance is
reduced to almost 50 cm and allows for intensive farming. For appropriate plant growth,
the vertical support should be between 1 to 1.20 meters high while the horizontal support
must be between 1.40 to 1.60 meters.
The addition of dolomite and organic fertilizer at planting is benecial. The media
consisted of the soil enriched with organic inputs such as FYM (farmyard manure), coir
compost, and vermin-compost along with bio-fertilizers.
Even if the Dragon fruit plant can survive with very low rainfall, many months of drought,
when good quality fruits are required, a regular water supply is needed. Regular irrigation
is very important because it enables the plant to build sufcient reserves not only to
ower at the most favorable time but also to ensure the fruit development. Local micro-
irrigation is also recommended. Also, the efciency of the water supplied by this system,
micro-irrigation avoids uneven and excess watering that can result in the owers and the
young fruits falling off.
Dragon fruit plants withstand dry periods; they have a fairly high water requirement.
Though, excessive soil moisture will result in the development of bacterial and fungus
diseases. A dry period (winter and early spring) is required for abundant bloom induction,
but once plants ower (late spring and summer); periods of drought can result in poor
production. So, periodic watering is recommended from owering through harvest.
Mulching helps to retain soil moisture, reduces weed problems next to the plant stem,
and improves the soil near the surface. Organic mulch with a 2 to 6-inch layer of bark,
wood chips, or similar mulch material. Then, keep mulch 8 to 12 inches from the base of
the plant stem.Flowering and Fruiting Stage in Dragon Fruit Farming
In the semi-arid zone, owering will initiate in May-June. These owers bloom at night
and are also named as Queen of night. Fruits will be matured 30 to 35 days after
owering. Flowering and fruiting will occur simultaneously.
Organic Nutrients Requirements in Dragon Fruit Farming
A combination of organic and complete fertilizer (14-14-14) and urea (46-0- 0) is
recommended for Dragon fruit growth. Use more organic and more nitrogen.A combination of organic manure with neem cake and 100g of complete fertilizer (19-19-
19) is applied every 3 to 4 months. Regularly prune the Dragon fruit plants to obtain an
open and manageable canopy which will induce new shoots for the next cropping
season.
Fertilize only occasionally. Even a cutting will take up to 4 months to get a good, strong
root system going. However, when it comes to fertilizers, too many fertilizers can easily kill
your Dragon fruit plant. For best results, feed them only certied organic inputs only
about once every 2 months.
For better crop yield proper nutrient requirement is required in Dragon fruit plantation.
The root system can rapidly assimilate even the smallest quantity of nutrients. Fertilizer
recommendations include.
Normally, two types of pruning methods need to be carried out to obtain maximum
production of healthy, good-quality Dragon fruits. The rst pruning method involves
training the growing plants until they reach the trellis. This mainly involves eliminating
any lateral stems along the main stem until it reaches the trellis and tying the main stem
to the trellis post. Soon after plants reach the top of the trellis, their tips must be cut to
induce branching, and the new laterals trained and tied to the trellis.
As the Dragon fruit is a climbing cactus and epiphytic, the vine needs concrete, wooden
posts, or wall columns for support. The immature stem should be tied to that column for
aerial roots to develop and bound to the column. Lateral shoots are restricted and only 2
to 3 main stems allowed growing. The selected column must have long durability and
strength to carry a 100 kg load, hence concrete or hard timber posts are recommended.
For this mostly the cement pole/post with 2 meters height is used and it is buried 40 cm
in the ground. Steel wires or iron frames should not be used as it can cut and damage the
vines. The supporting post must be erected before the planting to make it rm to enable
the vine to climb. Four plants must be planted around each post. Planting is done during
the rainy season followed by making proper ridges of 50 cm height to give support to the
plants. As the vines grow the chances of lodging and fall to the ground increase. So, tying
the vines and regular trimming of the lateral branches is an essential operation to avoid
this problem. In structural pruning, only the outer leader vine is to be allowed to grow till
the vine reaches the top of the trellis.Dragon fruits are fast-growing and produce extensive growth. Production pruning mainly
involves the removal of damaged, diseased, or dead stems and those that reach the soil.
Try to choose healthy, strong stems. Dragon fruit plants are vigorous and may require
pruning one to three times per year. Cuts can be treated with a fungicide to reduce the
incidence of stem rot. Pruning also induces owering and stem branching. Prune soon
after harvest and then remove all pruned stems from the eld. The cut stems taken to a
location away from the eld and composted
Meat ants, ginger ants, and birds have been recorded as causing serious damage to
Dragon fruit plants. Then, plants will need netting to prevent bird damage to fruit.
Among pest associated are anthracnose, brown spots, stem rots, and fruit rots. Some
insects like beetles, ants, scales, snails, and birds attack Dragon fruit plants.
The pest treatment for Dragon fruit is the land should be treated with fertilizers in
mounds. The fertilizers used should be 20-kilogram organic fertilizers 0.5 kilograms
superphosphate and 1kg of NPK16-16-8 must be used per 50 postings before the
planting.
During the plantation stage, 50 grams of Urea combined with 50 grams of phosphate
must be used three times a year during the rst year.
Dragon fruit is tolerant to the disease of major concern. Pests attacked in the crop
because of unfavorable climate and management of the crop.
Treatment for fungal diseases consists of the application of a copper fungicide. The
best method to manage the disease is to practice sanitary practices. Sanitary practices
like sanitize tools and remove and discard infected plant debris and to keep the plant
healthy, the surrounding area weed-free, and free from pests that can also spread
disease.When and How to Harvest Dragon Fruit
The harvesting time in Dragon fruit mostly falls between July- November which comes in
6-8 ushes. During the initial fruit development period, the outer skin of immature fruit
looks bright green in color and gradually turns red as the ripening progress. An additional
advantage of the crop is that depending upon the market demand, there is a scope for
adjusting the harvesting time. For the local market, fruit can be harvested three to four
days after the skin color changes from green to red or pink color, while for far
markets/export purposes it can be harvested a day after the color change.
The Dragon fruit requires 27-30 days to fully grow. The fruit must be picked as soon it is
fully grown as even a delay of 4-5 days can cause it to rot. The yield can vary depending
on the conditions and techniques used. The methods of picking it are twisting it in a
clockwise direction and plucking it.
Dragon cultivation is a cultivation of hot climate. It has the ability to send back temperature. It has a very high capacity to deflect hot winds.
Dragon plant is planted on the four sides of a pole. Four plants are planted on the four sides of a pole. The distance from pole to pole should be 2 meters. Planting time should be approximately 15 cm to 25 cm. Approximately 1700 plants should be planted in one unit.
