Dragonfruit

[brycebozarth]

Hello everyone! I'm new to these forums and gardening in general but I really do want to learn. The thing is I live in an apartment and it's hard to do. Now I really want to grow a dragonfruit cactus, because I love cacti and succulents and especially if you can get an exotic fruit out of it! I've seen pictures of bonsai dragonfruit trees and I have no clue if they are real or not. But if they aren't is there any way to maintain them for indoor spaces, and could I use a plant light go grow them? (Now that I look at the picture it looks like they have somehow trimmed the plant and tied it so that it's small? any advice on this)

 

[mahmoud]

they are real and do well in a pot, but you need something to climb on so can you give them that?

 

[Beth_B]

Hi!

Where do you live? If you have a real sunny window, or an outdoor space to put a succulent out in the sun when it's warm enough, I think you'll be fine. When I lived on Colorado, I had several really healthy succulents, for years, because it's mostly really sunny there.

Without warmth and enough light, you won't be able to grow most succulents, but if you can provide those two elements you are good to go.

 

[Stevenlin]

So i have a question. Someone accidentally cut a part of my dragon fruit that is growing fruits. Does the fruit still grow if i replant the part or will the fruit die out?

 

[Marck]

There is a lot of stored energy in a succulent stem so if the fruit is fairly far along in development, it may continue to grow and ripen.
However, at some point, the stem will need to develop new roots or it will begin to dry out and wither, as will the fruit.
Normally one wouldn't choose to root a stem with fruit on it, but in this case you might as well try.
Let the stem callus for a few days re-pot the stem, and then treat the cutting the same as you do the mother plant. Cacti are amazingly resilient plants, you just might get ripe fruit and a new plant in the bargain.

 

[davidinsydney]

Hello, also new to this forum. Sorry for hi-jacking this thread.

I have recently discovered gardening a hobby, particularly growing fruits and veges. I live in Sydney, where Spring has just started, so I have been blessed with lots of sunlight, warm weather and a background.

So far, I have only been using containers and grow bags since they are easy to set up. I’m starting off leaving the easy plans like tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant and herbs at this stage.

A friend gifted me a small dragon fruit seedling today. I have mostly been getting tips and advice from youtube channels. It seemed most of then advised successful dragonfruit plants are from grafts, otherwise it will take years to mature if it even gets to that stage.

Any advice as to what I should do with this plant now. At this stage, its the same size of a small succulent. I have attached a photo for your reference. The tag on the pot says “dragon fruit hylocereus undatus”

Thank you!

 

[Marck]

Hello, welcome to the Forum.

Your dragonfruit pot contains numerous seedlings, unless that is a single plant that is branching abnormally... If those are many seedlings, you will want to separate them into separate pots. It will take awhile to get fruit from small seedlings, but they will be interesting and attractive plants in the meanwhile. The care instructions given are basically correct. You should also fertilize your dragonfruit during the growing season.

Grafting seedlings onto a mature dragonfruit will make them grow faster. This is usually done either because the fruit of the seedlings are considered superior to those of the stemstock plant or because the grafts will give the plant more branches on which to fruit.

 

[davidinsydney]

Hi Marck

Hello, welcome to the Forum.

Your dragonfruit pot contains numerous seedlings, unless that is a single plant that is branching abnormally... If those are many seedlings, you will want to separate them into separate pots. It will take awhile to get fruit from small seedlings, but they will be interesting and attractive plants in the meanwhile. The care instructions given are basically correct. You should also fertilize your dragonfruit during the growing season.

Grafting seedlings onto a mature dragonfruit will make them grow faster. This is usually done either because the fruit of the seedlings are considered superior to those of the stemstock plant or because the grafts will give the plant more branches on which to fruit.

Hi Marck,

Thank you so much for your advice, I appreciate it.

Sorry for my ignorance as I am still learning the ropes. But what exactly does “growing season” mean? Is it referring to when the plant is ready to bear fruit, or simply when the weather is right for then to start going.

I am going to take your advice and separate them into individual plants.

I have seen a few instructional videos on grafting? Is grafting a highly skilled technique, or is it something a beginner can attempt to do successfully?

Thanks again!

 

[Marck]

Growing season is whenever the plant is actively growing. In the tropics that would be year round, in a warm-temperate climate the plant may slow its growth in Winter. Sydney is quite mild so you may get growth year-round, though it will probably slow a little in Winter.

Grafting is a skill, but of course you can learn it. Fortunately, with the Internet, there are so many instructional videos to help guide you along.

 

[Kevinseed]

Your dragon fruits looks great