Originating in Central and South America, dragon fruit. Although we refer to this intriguing plant as a fruit, it is actually a cactus. Currently, dragon fruit is grown in Israel, Mexico, Central America, Asia, and the Americas. Its meat can be red or white with a few dispersed, tiny, black seeds, and it has a rough, scaly skin that is either pink or yellow. The easiest way to remove the flesh from the skin is with a spoon. It tastes sweet and has a crunchy texture similar to a kiwi or a pear. Lycopene, which has been linked to a lower risk of cancer and heart disease, is present in the red flesh of dragon fruit. You shouldn’t eat the skin.
Few farmers in Kenya have embraced the highly lucrative business of growing dragon fruit. One of the most expensive fruits in Kenya, it sells for roughly 900 Kshs per kilogram in the neighborhood markets. Dragon fruit, also referred to as pitaya or the strawberry pears, grows well in semiarid regions. It is grown across the nation in various regions. Meru, Machakos, Laikipia, Naivasha, Makueni, and more places are included in this.
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DRAGONS FRUIT
You can eat pitayas, also known as dragon fruit, which are highly unusual plants that come in three different varieties.
They are also known as strawberry pears because to the fruit’s vivid crimson hues.
There is other more names for these plants as well. Among the most popular names are Indonesian buah naga, Thanh long, Thai kaeo mangkon, nanettika fruit, Belle of the Night, Cactus fruit, Kaktus madu, and Night blooming Cereus.
The fruit will remain green until it is fully mature regardless of the variety of dragon fruit you are cultivating. When it happens, it will either be brilliant yellow or red in hue.
Small seeds that resemble the seeds found in kiwi fruit will be embedded in the pulp of each piece of fruit.
The three types of dragon fruit are:
• The dragon fruit Hylocereus Megalanthus has a yellow shell and white fruit flesh. This variation’s shell is a little bit thornier than the others, making it less common to find in gardens.
• Hylocereus Undatus – This variety’s fruit has the same white meat as the others, but its skin is red instead of green.
• Hylocereus Costaricensis – The flesh and shell of this kind of fruit are both crimson in color. The flesh frequently has a dark red tint that almost appears unnatural or bloody.
HOW TO GROW DRAGON FRUIT FROM A SEED
Purchasing a dragon fruit from the shop and sowing the seeds is a simple way to create your own dragon fruit cactus. However, keep in mind that it could take a while (up to five years) for a dragon fruit plant you start from seed to start bearing fruit.
i. Make the dirt bed ready. Choose a sunny spot in your garden or a sunny windowsill that receives at least six hours of direct sunlight each day since dragon fruit needs full sun. Dragon fruits are susceptible to “wet feet,” or constantly moist roots, so pick potting soil that drains well and is high in organic matter. Avoid using cactus soil since dragon fruits are tropical plants and require a soil type that keeps moisture a little bit better. They require more water than other cacti do.
ii. Get the seeds ready. Scoop off the black seeds from a ripe dragon fruit after cutting it in half. The seeds should be cleaned of the fruit meat and pulp, then spread out on a wet paper towel for at least twelve hours.
iii. Plant the seedlings. Spread the seeds of the dragon fruit across the soil’s surface, then add a thin layer of dirt on top. The seeds don’t have to be buried deeply; it’s fine if it just barely covers them.
iv. Water. Consistently spray or water the soil bed to maintain a uniform moisture level. Cover the soil bed with plastic wrap to keep moisture in until the seeds germinate if your soil has a tendency to dry up.
v. Thin and transplant. Thin out your seedlings of dragon fruit as they expand to provide room for each new plant. Move them to bigger pots if you’re growing them inside. For optimum health, a ripe dragon fruit eventually requires at least a twenty-gallon pot (which is at least twenty inches wide).
vi. Support. Since dragon fruit plants are climbing cacti, they will require a support system after they are twelve inches tall in order to continue growing. Install a wood post or trellis so that your plant may climb it.
HOW TO PLANT DRAGON FRUIT FROM CUTTINGS
A mature plant’s pruning can produce new dragon fruit plants. From a cutting, produce a dragon fruit:
i. Make the dirt bed ready. To prevent “wet feet,” dragon fruit requires full sun (choose a sunny spot in your garden or a sunny windowsill that receives at least six hours of sunlight daily). It also needs good drainage.
ii. Trim an established plant cutting. Cut a twelve-inch branch from a mature dragon fruit plant with garden shears. Taking too much of the plant will hinder its growth, so be careful not to take too much.
iii. Divide the chopping up. Make three to five slices out of the dragon fruit. A new dragon fruit plant can be propagated from each of these parts. Keep track of which way is “up” for each cutting; you’ll need to plant them upright for healthy growth, so make sure you do that. It is optional to apply fungicide to each cutting to aid in disease prevention, although you are welcome to do so.
iv. Cure the clippings. To give the cuts time to heal around the edges, keep them in a warm, dry environment. It may take two days to a week, but the cuttings are ready when the tips turn white.
v. Set the cuttings in soil. Each cutting should be planted with its base buried one to two inches beneath the earth and its surrounding dirt compacted to keep it erect and stable. Make sure you plant the cutting with the end closest to the base of the original dragon fruit plant in the soil and the end closest to the tip of the original branch sticking out of the dirt. This will ensure that the cutting grows in the same direction as the original branch did.
vi. Water. Consistently spray or water the soil bed to maintain a uniform moisture level. In three to four weeks, you should begin to notice new growth and a growing root system.
vii. Transplant. If you’re growing your cuttings indoors, transplant them as they become bigger into larger containers or into a garden bed with the right environment.
viii. Support. Since dragon fruit plants are climbing cacti, they will require a support system after they are twelve inches tall in order to continue growing. Create a trellis or wooden pole for your plant to climb.
HOW TO CARE FOR A DRAGON FRUIT PLANT
Once established, dragon fruit require little particular maintenance to flourish:
i. Water. To simulate its subtropical home, dragon fruit require moist soil, so make sure to maintain an even moisture level and avoid letting the soil totally dry up. Dragon fruit trees do not like “wet feet,” so try to prevent overwatering, which will make the soil soggy and moist.
ii. Support. A dragon fruit plant needs support to flourish since it is a climbing cactus. With good results, you can plant it next to a fence, under a trellis, or with a wood stake or climbing pole.
iii. Prune. Trim back any dead, dying, diseased, or crowded branches to keep your plant healthy and growing properly on its support system.
iv. Fertilize. Once a month during the growing season, fertilize your dragon fruit plant to provide it with the nutrition it needs.
v. Pollinate. Nighttime pollinators like moths and bats are essential to the fruit production of dragon fruit plants. If you’re growing yours as a house plant indoors, you’ll need to utilize hand-pollination when it blooms: swirl a clean cotton swab or paintbrush in the center of the flower to collect pollen, then brush the pollen onto the flower’s stigma, a tall branching section in the center of the flower. Check your dragon fruit variety to see if you need more than one plant to yield fruit; some types can self-pollinate, while others need a neighboring plant for cross-pollination.
vi. Maintain the temperature. Make sure you can keep your plant between 32- and 90-degrees Fahrenheit; 70 degrees is ideal. Dragon fruit plants are not hardy in cold or heat. Bring your plant inside as the weather cools to keep it warm if your area is warm in the summer but too cold in the winter.
HARVESTING OF DRAGON FRUIT
Whether a dragon fruit is grown from a seed or by taking a cutting from an established vine determines how long it takes to reach maturity.
Dragon fruit is typically green when it is developing. Fruit matures by turning crimson in color.
Dragon fruits don’t spoil. As soon as they are severed from the main plant, they cease ripening, therefore they can be stored for a long time.
PESTS AND DISEASES
A dragon fruit may frequently experience problems with mealybugs and aphids. They are bugs that feed mostly on the plant’s delicious sap and are sap sucking. Ants are drawn to aphids and feast on the plant afterward. Thrips and mites can also be a problem; although they won’t harm the plant, they are bad for its general health.
The presence of Dragon spots on the stems and leaves of your plant may indicate an infection. Bacteria can also result in other problems, such as soft stem rot. The branch ends are affected by this disease. Because these diseases frequently spread from plant to plant, sanitize your clippers.
Health Benefits
Few individuals are aware of the significant health benefits of eating dragon fruit. The following are some advantages of having a fruit-bearing plant of your own:
• This fruit has a lot of vitamin C, which will strengthen your immune system.
• Since these fruits don’t contain any cholesterol, consuming them is healthy for your heart and circulatory system.
• The incredible vitamin content of dragon fruit can help you acquire the vitamins you need to keep your body healthy.
• Dragon fruit has anti-carcinogenic qualities since it contains carotene.
• In addition to all of these health advantages, dragon fruit consumption helps enhance digestion and metabolism. Why not take the initiative and grow your own dragon fruit plant in your garden with all of these health advantages? Since they are fruit-bearing plants, they do require some maintenance, but they are fairly easy to look after. Not to mention that they stand out in your backyard and will spark conversation among your visitors.
DRAGON FRUIT MARKET IN KENYA
The most expensive fruit available in Kenya is dragon fruit. A kilo of dragon fruit will set you back between Ksh800 and Ksh1,500. Of course, the fruit’s high concentration of minerals and antioxidants is one of the factors contributing to these high prices. The fundamental cause of the fruit’s high price is, however, the low availability compared to strong demand. These fruits are actually imported into our nation’s shops from foreign nations. Farmers who want to engage in dragon fruit growing in Kenya now have a fantastic chance.