What are the latest propagation methods for dragon fruit?
Dragon fruit is a perennial climbing succulent, and it is usually not propagated from seed. In our daily lives, the most commonly used method for growing dragon fruit is cuttings, followed by the latest dragon fruit grafting technique. Let us take a closer look at these two dragon fruit propagation methods below.
1. Cuttings
Cuttings are the most commonly used and also the simplest propagation method, and the best time for cuttings is generally spring. First, we need to select thick, vigorously growing stem segments to use as planting stems, then cut the planting stems into small sections of about 15 cm and let the wounds air-dry, while at the same time keeping the planting stems moist. Once the planting stems are prepared, they can be inserted into a sand bed for cultivation. No watering is needed within the first week; generally, you have to wait about ten days before watering. Under normal conditions, roots will form in about half a month, but special cases cannot be ruled out, and at the latest they will root in about one month. When the root system of the dragon fruit seedlings grown from cuttings has grown fairly vigorously, they can then be transplanted to the field.
2. Grafting
Dragon fruit grafting has actually only become popular in recent years, but its grafting technique still involves a great deal of difficulty. This is because there are not many types of rootstock to choose from, and the grafting method differs somewhat from grafting other fruit trees. Let us analyze this in detail below.
1. Selection of rootstock and scion
Because dragon fruit has different varieties, the choice of rootstock also differs. If the rootstock is not chosen correctly, it will also be very difficult to graft successfully. For example, yellow-fleshed dragon fruit requires wild triangle cactus or queen of the night (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) as rootstock, while red-fleshed dragon fruit can use white-fleshed dragon fruit as rootstock. For the scion, we need to select current-year, robust, pest- and disease-free scions of excellent varieties.
2. Grafting time
When dragon fruit is propagated by grafting, it also has requirements for the grafting time. Moreover, the period suitable for grafting dragon fruit is actually very ample. Generally, grafting can be done from March each year all the way to October, and the temperature during this period is basically between 20 and 30 degrees, when dragon fruit grafted seedlings have a strong healing ability, which can increase the survival rate of grafting.
3. Grafting methods
Before grafting, the grafting tools must be sterilized to avoid bacterial infection and prevent it from affecting the survival rate of grafting. Next, there are two methods for grafting dragon fruit, namely the flat grafting method and the wedge grafting method. The flat grafting method mainly involves cutting the rootstock horizontally, then tightly connecting the rootstock and scion, fixing them with a special tool, and at the same time tying them tightly with fine string. The wedge grafting method involves making a vertical slit in the rootstock, then cutting the scion into a duck-bill shape and inserting it into the slit, and finally fixing it with plastic adhesive tape and wrapping it with cling film.
That is all for today's sharing of dragon fruit propagation methods with everyone. In fact, if dragon fruit is grown in pots, it can also be propagated from seed. The temperature for seed cultivation should be kept at around 25 degrees, and it also has relatively high requirements for the growing medium. If you would like to know the specific methods, you can leave us a message below.