How Many Years Until Dragon Fruit Bears Fruit? The Latest Answer Is Here
Dragon fruit is also known as red dragon fruit, dragon pearl fruit, fairy honey fruit, jade dragon fruit, etc. It is a perennial climbing succulent plant of the genus Hylocereus in the cactus family. It is nutritious and has unique functions, containing plant albumin and anthocyanins that are rare in ordinary plants, as well as rich vitamins and water-soluble dietary fiber. Now let us take a look at how many years it takes for dragon fruit to bear fruit!
How Many Years Until Dragon Fruit Bears Fruit?
Dragon fruit begins to bloom and bear fruit 12 to 14 months after planting, and can bloom 12 to 15 times per year. The fruiting period is from April to November, and the fruit matures 30 to 40 days after the flowers fade. 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, with a yield of up to 2500 kg per mu.
The Origin and Environment of Dragon Fruit
Dragon fruit is a tropical and subtropical fruit. It likes light and tolerates shade, tolerates heat and drought, likes fertilizer and tolerates poor soil. It grows rapidly in a warm, humid environment with sufficient light. When cultivated in the open field in spring and summer, it should be watered more to keep its root system in a vigorous growth state. In continuous rainy weather, it should be drained in time to avoid infection by pathogens that causes the stem and flesh to rot. Its stems can also grow attached to rocks. The plant has extremely strong wind resistance, and as long as the support is firm, it can resist typhoons. It can tolerate low temperatures of 0°C and high temperatures of 40°C, and the optimum temperature for growth is 25 to 35°C. It can adapt to a variety of soils, but neutral soil and weakly acidic soil rich in humus and good at retaining water and fertilizer are best.
Common Types of Dragon Fruit
1. Red-fleshed dragon fruit: The flesh of red dragon fruit is red or purplish red, and the fresh-eating quality is good. In Taiwan, China, Guangdong and Guangxi, the production period is from May to November, while in Hainan the production period is even longer. Red-fleshed dragon fruit has poor self-compatibility, a low fruit set rate with self-pollination, small fruit and poor marketability. It needs to be pollinated by white-fleshed dragon fruit, resulting in a high fruit set rate and large fruit. At present, the variety names of red-fleshed dragon fruit are confusing, 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, and the fresh-eating quality is average. In Taiwan, China, Guangdong and Guangxi, the production period is from June to October. It has good self-pollination compatibility, a high fruit set rate, strong disease resistance and high yield, and can be processed into juice, fruit powder and jam. At present, among white-fleshed dragon fruit, Vietnam No. 1 is the best variety. It is the main cultivated variety in Vietnam, with strong adaptability, fast growth, large fruit and no spines on the surface. The average single fruit weighs 420 grams, with a maximum of 1000 grams. The soluble solids content is 18.1%, it is high-yielding, and the yield per hectare is 16500 to 27500 kg.
3. Yellow-fleshed dragon fruit: Yellow-fleshed dragon fruit has yellow skin and white flesh, and the fresh-eating quality is good. The flowers are large and fragrant. It takes 45 to 60 days from bud emergence to flowering, and 90 to 100 days from flowering to fruit maturity. In autumn and winter, it takes 110 to 150 days to mature. The fruit does not split. It takes 1 month (in winter) to turn from green to yellow. After turning yellow, it can be left hanging on the tree and can be kept for more than a month without affecting quality. It is the type with the best quality and the best sweetness and taste among dragon fruits. It has a fragrant aroma, and the seeds in the flesh are large and soft, not at all unpleasant to eat. The soluble solids content is above 18%, but the fruit is slightly small, generally around 200 grams. The main fruiting period (autumn and winter fruit) is around the Spring Festival, while summer fruit is marketed around the Mid-Autumn Festival.