How can I stake my dragon fruit that isn't straight?

[CrazyConure]

My dragon fruit cactus is growing to the side. How can I make it straight? If I try to manually fix it, it will crack.

What do I do?

 

[Chuck]

If it were me I would get 3 sticks. I would then stick them into the soil equidistant from each other and lightly tie the plant to the sticks.

 

[MaryMary]

Yep, I agree with Chuck.

You also might try rotating the pot so that it has to lean the other way to get sunlight. We have some houseplants we turn on a weekly basis to keep 'em straight.

Here's a time lapse video of tomato plants turning to the sun. The camera was set to take one picture every minute for a five hour period. (Of course, your cutting has a much thicker stalk than tomato seedlings, so it may take a week or more for it to turn...)

If it were me, I'd turn the planter, and stake them lightly as Chuck said. As you said, you can't just yank it straight, it'll break... you'll want to apply a gentle pressure to encourage it to grow straight, not force it!

- I am seriously LMAO, because I am about to suggest "homework" to a teenager... ... but you might want to do a little research into the art of bonsai. Not so much the pruning to keep it small, but the "training to reach a desired effect" part.

Umm... let's see... it's worth 100 ... no, 50 "extra credit" points, since it's something you want to learn, anyway!

 

[CrazyConure]

Thanks both! I turned to pot the other way. I don't know why I haven't thought of that.

Mary, I watched a video just now on that. Umm. I couldn't relate to it.

 

[MaryMary]

Mary, I watched a video just now on that. Umm. I couldn't relate to it.

I did a little reading on it at one time. I wanted to braid three young trees together, and needed to know more.

The main reason I suggested it is because it would give you a little insight on how to "bend" the plant to your desired shape.

Now, I'm just curious, but why do you want it to be straight? Merely for the look of it? I remember seeing @Corzhens dragon fruit pictures, and I'm not sure it's a plant that will grow straight.

 

[CrazyConure]

Well, I want it straight because I want to stake it. I don't mind if it's crooked. It's more for trellising purposes.

I'm not sure if I remember those pictures by Corzhens. Do you remember the link to the thread?

 

[Corzhens]

I did a little reading on it at one time. I wanted to braid three young trees together, and needed to know more.

The main reason I suggested it is because it would give you a little insight on how to "bend" the plant to your desired shape.

Now, I'm just curious, but why do you want it to be straight? Merely for the look of it? I remember seeing @Corzhens dragon fruit pictures, and I'm not sure it's a plant that will grow straight.

You are right with the dragon fruit, it wants to climb but not straight because the fruits come out from the limbs that are dangling. I have never seen yet a fruit from an upright limb of the dragon fruit. Besides, if you try to grow it straight, it will break when it reaches a height of 10 feet. It is better to just let it go in the direction where it wants to go.