Detailed Guide to Dragon Fruit Planting Methods and Management Techniques
How to plant and manage dragon fruit? Please provide guidance. The reference for dragon fruit planting and management is as follows: 1. Site selection and soil requirements. The suitable growth temperature for dragon fruit is 25-35°C, and it can be planted anywhere south of the Tropic of Cancer. For planting, choose loose, fertile sandy loam soil with good granular structure, pH 6-7....
How to plant and manage dragon fruit? Please provide guidance
The reference for dragon fruit planting and management is as follows:
1. Site selection and soil requirements
The suitable growth temperature for dragon fruit is 25-35°C, and it can be planted anywhere south of the Tropic of Cancer. For planting, choose loose, fertile sandy loam soil with good granular structure, pH 6-7.5, and good drainage.
2. Planting and support
Dragon fruit can be planted in all four seasons, but March to November is preferable. In terms of variety selection, excellent varieties such as Baiyulongguo and Zhulong can be chosen for the Meixian area, and grafted seedlings should be used. Interplanting two varieties can increase the fruit-setting rate. Before planting, cement poles should be erected as support for dragon fruit growth. The specifications of the cement poles are 10 cm x 10 cm x 210 cm, with steel bars inside the pole body, and a symmetrical small hole at the top for future use in setting up supports. The row spacing specification for erecting cement poles is 2 m x 3 m, with 110 poles erected per mu, each cement pole buried 50 cm underground and 160 cm above ground. Plant 440 seedlings per mu of orchard, with 1 plant around each cement pole. After the fruit seedlings grow, tie them to the cement poles so they grow upward.
3. Fertilizer, water and soil management
The root system of dragon fruit grows relatively shallow, and the roots 2-5 cm below the soil surface are the most active in growth, so fertilizer, water and soil management should be carried out according to this characteristic. Dragon fruit is relatively drought-tolerant and intolerant of waterlogging, but its rapid growth still requires sufficient water, so water thoroughly, watering toward the roots, and do not spray the whole plant or flood-irrigate the field, as flood irrigation can cause root oxygen deprivation and death. Fertilization is mainly based on decomposed farmyard manure, and the best formula is 1:2:7 of oil cake residue, chicken manure and pig manure. The amount of fertilizer applied depends on growth conditions and soil fertility. During the stages of new branch growth and flowering and fruiting, quick-acting nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers can be applied as a supplementary dressing, and the fertilization method is mostly drenching. After fruit set, plants are generally fertilized 4 times in spring, summer, autumn and winter, with the functions being to promote sprouting, promote spring shoot growth, flowering and fruiting, and recovery after harvest. The soil should be kept loose, and loosening the soil can be done together with fertilization and weeding, without damaging the root system. For the aerial roots on the aboveground part, measures such as guiding and tying can be used to lead them to the ground and take root in the soil, enhancing the plant's absorption function and promoting growth.
4. Shaping and pruning
During the seedling stage of dragon fruit, keep one main branch growing upward and remove other side branches. After the fruit seedling grows along the cement pole to a height of 1.5 m, the top branches spread out in all directions into an umbrella shape. At the top of the cement pole, use steel wire to form a circle for guiding, fixing and supporting the plant. After the fruit seedling grows vigorously, select 2/3 of the branches and guide them downward as fruiting branches, and let 1/3 of the branches grow upward as vegetative branches and backup fruiting branches. Old branches after fruiting are gradually thinned out.
5. Pest and disease control
Dragon fruit has relatively few pests and diseases and is an environmentally friendly green food. The main pests and diseases include: rot disease, termites, red and yellow spiders, scale insects, etc. Among them, the more threatening one is rot disease, which is mainly caused by insect wounds or mechanical injuries. The treatment method is to cut off the diseased part with a knife or cut open the diseased part for drainage on a hot sunny day. For other pests and diseases, simply choose the appropriate pesticide for spraying control.
6. Harvest
After the top branches droop and mature, they will flower and set fruit from April to November each year, and the fruit can be mature and picked 35-45 days after setting. The branches, fresh flowers, dried flowers and fruits of dragon fruit can all be supplied to the market as commodities.
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