Can dragon fruit be grown directly from seed?

Dragon fruit is a fruit of the subtropical climate. Anyone who has eaten dragon fruit knows that the more common types are white-fleshed and red-fleshed. Red-fleshed dragon fruit is a little more expensive than the white-fleshed kind, but its flavor is a bit better and it tastes sweeter. There is also yellow-fleshed dragon fruit, which is generally seen less often on the market.

Can dragon fruit be grown directly from seed

Seedlings grown from dragon fruit seed can generally be planted directly. Because dragon fruit only flowers and fruits after the branches have grown longer than 1 m. Therefore, cuttings or grafted seedlings are generally used for propagation and cultivation. Since cuttings root easily, cuttings are mostly used in production, but the yellow dragon fruit grows and develops poorly from cuttings, and red-fleshed dragon fruit shows self-incompatibility in production. Therefore, for these two varieties, grafted seedlings are suitable to improve quality and yield. For cuttings, in spring and summer select plump branches about 15 cm long (tender stems should not be used), dry them in the sun for 1-2 days, then place them in a cool place for 5-7 days, and after the wound has completely healed, insert them about 2-3 cm deep into loose, well-aerated sandy loam, water after 2-3 days, and after rooting in about 35 days they can be transplanted. For grafted seedling rootstock, yellow-fleshed dragon fruit can use the better-compatible Hylocereus undatus as rootstock; red-fleshed dragon fruit can use white-fleshed dragon fruit as rootstock.

Dragon fruit growing habits  

Dragon fruit is a perennial climbing plant of the genus Hylocereus in the cactus family Cactaceae, native to the tropical rainforest regions of Central America such as Brazil and Mexico in the Western Hemisphere, and is a typical tropical plant. It was later introduced by the French and Dutch to Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam and Thailand as well as Taiwan, China, and then improved in Taiwan and introduced to Hainan, Guangxi, Guangdong and other provinces for cultivation. It is an emerging fruit with good health benefits.  

Dragon fruit is a tropical and subtropical fruit, drought-tolerant, high-temperature-tolerant and light-loving, with no strict soil requirements; it can be planted on flat land, hillsides and sandy gravel land. The most suitable soil pH is 6-7.5, and it is best to choose land rich in organic matter and with good drainage for planting. Dragon fruit is not frost-tolerant; in areas where the winter temperature is below 0°C, simple greenhouses are used for planting.

Field management of dragon fruit  

After planting, dragon fruit begins to flower and fruit 12-14 months later, can flower 12-15 times a year, with the fruiting period from April to November; the fruit matures 30-40 days after flowering, with a single fruit weight of 500-1000 g. In the second year after planting, each column produces more than 20 fruits, and by the third year it enters the full fruiting period; with a higher level of management, the yield can reach 2500 kg/667 sq m. The key points of its high-yield cultivation are as follows:  

1. Apply thin fertilizer frequently. Because the fruit harvest period is long, organic fertilizer must be applied heavily every year, and nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compound fertilizer should be applied in a balanced way over the long term. During flowering and fruiting, potassium and magnesium fertilizer should be added to promote sugar accumulation in the fruit and improve quality. During the fruiting period, keep the soil moist and cover the tree basin with grass or mushroom residue. In dry weather, irrigate once every 3-4 days.  

2. Pinching. When the branches grow to 1.3-1.4 m long, pinch off the tips to promote branching and let the branches droop naturally.  

3. Interplanting and hand pollination. When planting dragon fruit, interplant about 10% white-fleshed dragon fruit. Mutual pollination between varieties can significantly increase the fruit-setting rate. If rainy weather occurs, hand pollination should be carried out. Pollination can be done in the evening when the flowers are open or in the early morning before the flowers have closed, using a small brush to apply pollen directly to the stigma of the female flower.  

4. Pruning branches. After harvesting the fruit each year, cut off the branches that have already fruited and let them send out new branches again, to ensure the yield for the coming year.  

5. Pest and disease control. Dragon fruit has relatively few pests and diseases. Seedlings are easily harmed by snails and ants, which can be controlled with insecticides; in hot and humid seasons it is prone to diseases, with partial branch necrosis and mold spots, which can be controlled with triadimefon, strong copper oxide, etc., with good results.  

Common types of dragon fruit  

1. Red-fleshed dragon fruit: the flesh of red dragon fruit is red or purplish red, with excellent fresh-eating quality; in Taiwan, Guangdong and Guangxi the production period is from May to November, and in Hainan the production period is even longer. Red-fleshed dragon fruit has poor self-compatibility, a low fruit-setting rate with self-pollination, small fruit and poor marketability, and needs pollination by white-fleshed dragon fruit for a high fruit-setting rate and large fruit. At present, the variety names of red-fleshed dragon fruit are chaotic, with no definite variety name, and each grower decides according to their own preference.  

2. White-fleshed dragon fruit: white-fleshed dragon fruit has red skin and white flesh, with average fresh-eating quality; in Taiwan, Guangdong and Guangxi the production period is from June to October. It has good self-pollination compatibility, a high fruit-setting rate, strong disease resistance and high yield, and can be processed into juice, fruit powder and jam. At present, among white-fleshed dragon fruits, Vietnam No. 1 is the best variety. It is the main cultivated variety in Vietnam, with strong adaptability, fast growth, large fruit and a surface without spines, with an average single fruit weight of 420 g and a maximum of 1000 g. Soluble solids 18.1%, high yield, with a yield of 16500-27500 kg per hectare.  

3. Yellow-fleshed dragon fruit: yellow-fleshed dragon fruit has yellow skin and white flesh, with excellent fresh-eating quality, and large, fragrant flowers. It takes 45-60 days from bud emergence to flowering, 90-100 days from flowering to fruit maturity, and in autumn and winter 110-150 days to mature. The fruit does not split; it takes 1 month to turn from green to yellow (in winter), and after turning yellow it can be left hanging on the tree for more than a month without affecting quality. It is the type with the best quality and the best taste and sweetness among dragon fruits. It has a fragrant aroma, and the seeds in the flesh are large and soft, not at all unpleasant in the mouth; soluble solids above 18%, but its fruit is slightly small, generally about 200 g, and the main fruiting period (autumn and winter fruit) is around the Spring Festival, while the summer fruit goes on the market at the Mid-Autumn Festival.

From the above introduction by the editor, everyone must have gained a rough understanding of dragon fruit cultivation. Fellow fruit growers, if you want to grow dragon fruit with high yield and good taste, you must first understand the growing habits of dragon fruit, and second master the cultivation techniques of dragon fruit, so as to achieve twice the result with half the effort.