Buzz
Are you planning to grow dragon fruit? If you live in a warm and humid area, you may be in luck. This plant is easy to care for, but it does require a specific fertilizing routine. Don’t worry – we’ve answered all the frequently asked questions to help you grow healthy dragon fruit plants that yield delicious fruit right in your own garden.
Steps to Follow
What type of fertilizer should you use?
Choose a balanced fertilizer with an even NPK ratio. The NPK ratio is a set of three numbers separated by dashes, indicating the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in a particular fertilizer. A “balanced” fertilizer will have the same number repeated, such as 10-10-10.
- There is no single fertilizer that works best for all plants, but most experts suggest balanced fertilizers like 16-16-16 or 13-13-13 for dragon fruit plants.
- You can use granular fertilizers or dissolve them through a drip irrigation system. Slow-release fertilizers are also a great option.
How often should you fertilize dragon fruit plants?
Fertilize young dragon fruit plants (1-3 years old) every two months. At the same time, use manure or traditional compost. From March to September, apply chelated iron or iron II sulfate 4-6 times in total.
How much fertilizer should be used?
Use 120 grams of synthetic fertilizer and 1.2 kg of manure for newly planted dragon fruit plants. Dragon fruit plants do not require much fertilizer, especially in the early stages. If you're planting many plants, you'll need 120 grams of fertilizer and 1.2 kg of manure or compost per plant.
Are there any additional nutrients you can provide to the plants apart from fertilizers?
Some gardeners use chelated iron or iron II sulfate to adjust soil pH. Dragon fruit thrives in soil with a pH slightly below 7. Experts suggest that to encourage healthy and strong growth, you should adjust acidic soil (high in acidity) with iron II sulfate, and enrich alkaline soil with chelated iron.
- For a one-year-old plant, apply a small amount of chelated iron or iron II sulfate. Spray 7g-15g of chelated iron on alkaline soil, or sprinkle a small handful of iron II sulfate on acidic soil.
- For plants over two years old, you can apply 22g-29g of chelated iron if needed. If your soil is more acidic, continue treating it with small amounts of iron II sulfate.
How should you fertilize the plant?
Use traditional granular fertilizer or a drip irrigation system. If you're only growing a few dragon fruit plants, it's easy to apply fertilizer around the base of the plant. Depending on the conditions, you can also use soluble fertilizer through the drip irrigation system.
Spread manure around the base of the plant. Do not apply manure around the base if the plant is only one year old. Once the plant is two years or older, you can start applying manure around the base of the plant.
What should you do to make the plant bloom?
Wait 7 years for the plant to start bearing fruit. You might feel like the dragon fruit plant will never bear fruit, no matter how much effort you put into taking care of it month after month, year after year. Don’t worry – this is completely normal. If grown from seed, it may take up to 7 years for the dragon fruit plant to produce delicious fruit.
- If you plant the dragon fruit from cuttings, it can start bearing fruit after 3 years.
