How much do dragon fruit seedlings cost? A detailed explanation of the key cultivation techniques

Dragon fruit is also known as red dragon fruit, dragon pearl fruit, and fairy honey fruit. In recent years, although the area planted with dragon fruit has expanded somewhat, the market gap remains huge, prices have shown a year-on-year upward trend, the development prospects are very broad, and the prospects for promoting cultivation are good. So how much do dragon fruit seedlings cost? What are the key technical points during cultivation?

1. How much do dragon fruit seedlings cost?

The prices of dragon fruit seedlings differ among varieties, generally ranging from 5-20 yuan per plant, and the cost of dragon fruit seedlings needed per mu is generally about 20,000 yuan. When planting, distribute the root system of the dragon fruit seedling evenly in the planting pit, cover with soil about 3-5 cm and firm it, then tie the dragon fruit seedling to the inner side of a thin bamboo pole with a thin cloth strip so that it can climb and grow.

2. What are the key technical points when cultivating dragon fruit?

1. Growth environment requirements for dragon fruit

Dragon fruit is a tropical and subtropical fruit. It is drought-tolerant, high-temperature-tolerant, and light-loving, and has no strict soil requirements. It can be planted on flat land, hillsides, and sandy-stony 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 tolerant of frost or cold damage, and areas where the winter temperature stays below 8 degrees for a long time are generally not suitable for planting.

2. Reasonably choose the planting method

There are many planting methods for dragon fruit: wall-style planting, bridge-style planting, and trellis planting, among which pillar-style planting is the most common. The so-called pillar style means setting up a cement pillar or wooden pillar, planting 3-4 dragon fruit plants around the pillar, and letting the dragon fruit plants grow upward along the cement pillar. Using cement pillars to plant dragon fruit is the simplest, most economical, most durable, highest land-use-efficiency, and most convenient-to-manage method.

3. Do a good job of land preparation and planting

The orchard site requires sufficient sunlight and well-drained sandy loam or loam, and cultivated land or sunny slopes can be chosen. Open ditches and make beds according to the row direction of the cement pillars. The bed surface width is 1.5-2 m, and the drainage and irrigation ditch and working path width is 0.5 m. During land preparation, bury and apply 300-500 kg of farmyard manure to improve the soil. Plant 4 seedlings at the foot of each cement pillar, planting them in the four directions close to the foot of the cement pillar, with the roots 3-5 cm into the soil, then tie the seedlings to the cement pillar with rope.

For planting density, a spacing of 2 m × 2 m between plants and rows is suitable, that is, 166 pillars per 667 sq m, with 3 seedlings planted around each pillar, requiring 498 seedlings per 667 sq m.

4. Fertilizer and water management

Fertilizer and water for dragon fruit are mainly nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other organic fertilizers, using light fertilizer. April to December is the flowering and fruiting period of dragon fruit. The root system of dragon fruit is relatively shallow, so only by applying fertilizer within the root distribution layer of the fruit tree can the fertilizer achieve its maximum effect. Broadcasting is the main application method, and it is advisable to apply small amounts multiple times, taking care not to damage the roots.

A compound fertilizer can be broadcast once every 8-12 d, with the interval and amount determined according to the number of flowers and fruits and tree vigor. For plants with many flowers and fruits, 0.2-0.4 kg of compound fertilizer can be applied per pillar, and attention should be paid to the application of potassium and magnesium fertilizers to meet flower and fruit development and improve quality. Apply organic fertilizer once every 2 months, each time applying 1.0 kg of soybean cake powder or 5-6 kg of chicken manure per pillar, and 0.05 kg of borax can be added in two of these applications.

5. Pest and disease control

Dragon fruit has relatively few pests and diseases. The main disease is stem rot. If continuous rainy weather occurs and branches show partial necrosis and mold spots, spraying an 800-fold solution of chlorothalonil, thiophanate-methyl, or triadimefon can provide good control. The main pests are ants, snails, and fruit flies. Ants can be poisoned with sugar solution plus trichlorfon: the best method for snail control is manual capture, and mida can also be spread around the dragon fruit trees to poison them: fruit fly control uses trapping.