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How to Grow and Harvest Dragon Fruit

Author Bio

Emma Gallagher is a Brit living in North Carolina. She grows organic gardens and... Read More

Some of you may have noticed articles and TikTok trends promoting dragon fruit, especially the yellow variety. Dragon fruit, also known as pitaya, is a type of cactus and is native to Mexico, Central, and South America.

When shopping in the supermarket, you are more likely to come across the shocking pink variety of dragon fruit. Though it and yellow dragon fruit differ very little in nutritional values, yellow dragon fruit is thought to have much thinner skin. This means more fruit for you!

Though dragon fruit grows commercially in Florida, California, and Hawaii, most dragon fruit found for sale is imported from Vietnam.

When new food crazes hit the scene, it is probably worth taking a moment to check out how the demand might be affecting local growing communities and take a look at the carbon footprint of said foodstuff.

With that in mind, if you live in growing zones 9-11, there is a good chance that you could be growing some of your dragon fruit in your backyard.

What Exactly is Dragon Fruit?

Source: emmymade/YouTube

Dragon fruit, whether it’s the pink (Hylocereus undatus), or the yellow (Hylocereus megalanthus) variety is a type of cactus.

The fruits have bright pink or yellow, leathery skin, bright white or pink pulp, and tiny black seeds.

Dragon fruits grow in hot climates and send out long-reaching limbs that can become entangled with themselves and everything around them.

As a result, if you wish to grow dragon fruit for yourself, you will need to have ample sunlight and heat as well as a decent growing space. Make sure that you provide your cactus with a good trellis or Support to cling to.

Propagating Dragon Fruit

Source: Epic Gardening/YouTube

By far the easiest way to propagate dragon fruit is by cutting. This means finding someone who already has an established plant and asking if you can take a piece or two.

The long branches of this cactus grow in segments of about one foot. All you need to do is cut one of these segments from the mother plant at about one foot long.

Snip about an inch of the bottom growth off the cutting. Plant the cutting ‘wound’ side down in a pot mixed with potting soil and sand. Give it a good watering and leave it in a shady spot for about a week to cure.

Once the cutting is established, you are free to plant it out in its permanent spot.

Ideal Growing Conditions for Dragon Fruit

Should everything go well for your newly propagated plant, you could very well get blooms and fruit in the first year. Here are some tips on how to help that happen:

Soil– Luckily, dragon fruit plants aren’t too fussy about the soil they are planted in. That said, to be on the safe side, give them lots of organic material and a well-draining area. They don’t like to get their feet wet.

If you live in a particularly dry area, mulch around the roots to help lock in some moisture.

Water– Just because this is a cactus doesn’t mean that it thrives in bone-dry conditions. Though it is a somewhat drought-tolerant plant, don’t leave it out there to parch.

Make sure that the plants have ample water during their flowering and fruiting season, but don’t overdo it. They don’t want to be sitting in the water.

Light– To grow dragon fruit successfully, the plant will need a spot in your garden that gets full sun. That said, if you live in a region that has temperatures that exceed 100°F, make sure that your plant gets a little afternoon shade.

Though it loves heat, too much can cause damage to the succulent plant. On the other hand, too much shade will inhibit the growth of fruits.

How to Harvest Dragon Fruit

If you have ever seen a whole dragon fruit, you will have noticed that it has lips protruding from its sides. When on the cactus still, these lips will appear withered when the fruit is ripe.

As well, when ripe, the fruit should come away from the plant very easily when gently twisted.

Never take fruits from the ground that have fallen off naturally. These won’t be any good. Leave them for the earth and the animals.

Once you have picked your ripe fruits, they should keep in the fridge for about two weeks.

What to Do with Your Dragon Fruit Harvest

There are so many delicious OGP recipes that celebrate the joy of dragon fruit. Once you have your harvest in hand, have a go at making one of these yummy dishes:

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