Growing Dragon Fruit in Perth.

Sun: Dragon fruit plants grow best in a full sun position. Choose a position that receives at least six hours of sun each day.

Soil: Plants require well draining soil, high in organic matter. If the soil isn’t well draining, there’s a risk your plants will rot. Organic matter includes well aged compost, well aged manure, and worm castings, among other things. You can grow dragon fruit in containers, but ensure you use a premium potting mix and that your container is big enough (I use 90L pots as a minimum).

Support: Dragon fruit are climbing cactus vines, and natural born ramblers that need containing. They need a strong support, such as a post with frame, trellis or they can be grown along a fence. Tie the stems to the support as they grow with soft plant ties (or something similar), and remove the side shoots until the plant reaches the desired height. You can prune the plant to reduce congestion and increase air flow. Generally this is done after fruiting.

Water: Many think because they’re cactus, dragon fruit don’t require much water, but I water mine regularly, especially in the warmer months. You can help minimise fungal diseases by avoiding overhead watering, and instead water around the root zone. Too much water can result in fungus attack, stem rot, yellowing of the flower buds, flower drop and slow shoot development. Inconsistent watering during fruit development can lead to fruit splitting.

Feeding: I apply a slow-release fertiliser and rock minerals at the recommended rate, and apply well aged compost, cow manure and worm castings often. I also apply a liquid fertiliser at the recommended rate whilst plants are flowering and fruiting. Be careful not to over-fertilise, as this can lead to excessive growth and reduced fruiting.

There’s a number of factors that affect fruiting, including sunlight, warmth, nutrition, watering, pollination, plus more.

What some people don’t realise is although some dragon fruit varieties are self-fertile (meaning a single plant is capable of producing fruit), other dragon fruit varieties are self-sterile, which means they’ll need to be cross pollinated by another suitable plant. If successful cross pollination doesn’t occur, neither will fruit.

Cross pollination can occur naturally, mainly thanks to insects and bats, or you can do it yourself by using a small paint brush, or something similar. Simply collect some pollen from the stamen (male reproductive organ) and gently brush it onto the stigma (female reproductive organ) of the other plant. The stigma is the star-shaped female part of the flower.

I tend to hand pollinate my plants, even the self-fertile ones. Hand pollination can be useful for various reasons:

* Greater fruit yield – hand pollination can increase the chances of successful fertilisation, resulting in greater fruit yield.

* Natural pollinators – in some environments, there may be fewer natural pollinators, such as bats, moths and bees, so hand pollination helps increase the possibility of successful pollination.

* Environmental and weather conditions – on occasions, lack of pollination can be dependant on weather. Rain can discourage pollinators and rinse the pollen away. Hand pollination is a controlled method.

* Genetics / desirable characteristics  – hand pollination allows you to choose particular parent plants for cross-breeding, and reproduce / enhance wanted traits in the offspring.

* Flower timing – flowers are often produced intermittently, and the timing of flower blooms between plants can vary. Hand pollination allows you to potentially improve fruit yields by cross pollinating between flowers that didn’t bloom at the same time.

If a flower is successfully pollinated, you can usually expect a fruit which should be ready for picking about four weeks later. If pollination wasn’t successful, the wilted flower will just drop off with a couple of days.

I usually propagate my plants from cuttings. If you’re unaware, cuttings give you a clone of the parent plant (and it’s more time efficient than growing from seed), whereas seed grown plants give you traits from both parent plants.

My cuttings are usually around 30cm in length. I let them air dry for a few days then plant them in a small pot filled with premium potting mix, and some added coarse perlite. Once they develop a strong root system, I transfer them into a larger container or into the garden. I grow my cuttings in a part shade position as they can suffer from sunburn if left in the full sun.

Cuttings can generally take one to three years before they start producing fruit, and this is dependant on factors such as growing conditions, care provided and variety of dragon fruit.

Dragon fruit are generally pretty tough plants, but they can be susceptible to some diseases and pests.

* If your soil is wet, root rot can occur. Root rot is a soil borne disease, that often kills the plant. You can help avoid root rot by ensuring good drainage and making sure any mulch doesn’t sit against the stems of the plants.

* Rust can be a common issue. Rust is a fungal disease, causing orange patches on the foliage, spread by water and wind from neighbouring plants, especially when humidity is high. You can help minimise rust by giving your plants lots of sun, avoid overcrowding them, and don’t over-fertilise them.

* Sometimes birds, possums and rats can eat the fruit. Homemade deterrent sprays can sometimes work, or you can try netting your plants.

* Sunburn can occur on very hot days, resulting in the hardening or peeling of the surface of the segments. The wound can become susceptible to diseases and rotting. On those really hot days in Perth, you could place some shade cloth over your plants.

* Sometimes scale (sap sucking insects) can congregate on the undersides of leaves and on new shoots, causing damage. You can brush them off, use a soap spray or prune of the affected areas.