Does dragon fruit still need fertilizing once it enters the fruiting stage?

The root system of dragon fruit is not very developed; it is a shallow-rooted plant, so when growing it in a pot, it must never be planted deep, otherwise the growth and development of the roots will be affected. But it is a plant that quite likes fertilizer, since its sturdy, plump stems and leaves can also bloom and bear fruit, which inevitably consumes a large amount of nutrients.

When fertilizing dragon fruit, the principle of light fertilizer applied frequently should generally be followed, and avoid overly high concentration or excessive fertilizer, otherwise the roots can very easily be damaged. During the vegetative growth season, generally apply a dilute organic fertilizer solution every 7-10 days, so that it can bloom smoothly.

The fruiting stage of dragon fruit is precisely the period when it consumes a large amount of nutrients, since the fruit must keep growing and develop to maturity, so appropriate topdressing is usually needed. But we must choose the right type of fertilizer, aiming to promote fruit growth and development and to plump up the fruit.

During the fruit development stage, we can spray the potted dragon fruit with foliar fertilizer 3-5 times, preferably potassium dihydrogen phosphate, nucleotides, organic liquid fertilizer, etc. During this period, we can also appropriately topdress with some phosphorus fertilizers such as bone meal and superphosphate, which can help prevent fruit drop.

During the fruit swelling stage, fertilizer and water management should be strengthened even more, but it should likewise focus on topdressing with phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, applied together with watering, which can help promote fruit swelling. At the same time, fermented and decomposed organic fertilizer can be combined with a high-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer for topdressing. Apply once every 10-15 days, and generally only 2-3 applications are needed.