When do dragon fruits ripen? The latest answer is here
Dragon fruit is also known as red dragon fruit, green dragon fruit, fairy honey fruit, jade dragon fruit, etc. It is a perennial climbing succulent plant of the genus Hylocereus in the cactus family. The fruit is oval-shaped and nutritious, with unique functions. It contains plant albumin and anthocyanins, which are rare in ordinary plants, as well as rich vitamins and water-soluble dietary fiber. Let us take a look below at when dragon fruits ripen!
When do dragon fruits ripen?
The ripening period of dragon fruit is May to November each year. Dragon fruit is a fruit with a very high yield. After planting, it begins to bloom and bear fruit in 12 to 14 months, and can bloom 12 to 15 times each year. The fruiting period is from April to November, and the fruit ripens 30 to 40 days after the flowers fade. It can be harvested when the fruit gradually turns from green to purplish red. A single fruit weighs 500 to 1000 grams. In the second year after planting, each column produces more than 20 fruits, and in the third year it enters the full fruiting period.
Where is dragon fruit produced?
Dragon fruit originated in Central America in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Ecuador, Cuba, Colombia, and other places, and was later introduced to Vietnam, Thailand, and other Southeast Asian countries and Taiwan, China. In mainland China, it is cultivated in Hainan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, Yunnan, Guizhou, and other provinces and regions.
What conditions are needed to grow dragon fruit?
1. Temperature: Dragon fruit is not afraid of high temperatures but is afraid of low temperatures. It requires an annual average temperature of no less than 18 degC, a January average temperature of no less than 8 degC, and an extreme low temperature of -3 degC lasting no more than 6 hours. The most suitable growth temperature is 25 to 35 degC. Growth stops below 10 degC and above 38 degC.
2. Soil: Dragon fruit has extremely wide adaptability to soil and can grow well in mountainous land, dry land, semi-dry land, rocky mountain land, wasteland, and waterlogged low-lying land, especially dragon fruit grafted onto local Hylocereus undatus, which has even broader adaptability.
3. Water: Dragon fruit is a drought-tolerant plant, but its growth requires relatively abundant water. If the dragon fruit planting site lacks water for a long time, it will cause stagnation of dragon fruit growth, and even the original thick fleshy stems will slowly wither.
4. Light: Dragon fruit is a typical sun plant and likes warm, direct sunlight. If the light duration is long and sunlight is sufficient, photosynthesis will be especially vigorous, the fleshy stems will be thick and deep green, and there will be many flowers, large fruits, and high yield. Otherwise, the amount of fruit will decrease significantly.
5. Fertilizer: Dragon fruit grows quickly, and the fertilizer needed throughout the entire growth cycle must be sufficient. In the early growth stage, enough nitrogen fertilizer should be supplied to help the plant grow taller and stronger quickly. In the middle and late stages of plant growth, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers should be applied in a more balanced way to increase the plant's photosynthesis.