How to grow a dragon fruit pot plant on the balcony
Let me tell you about how to plant a dragon fruit pot plant on the balcony and the correct maintenance methods for dragon fruit in the field of green plants and flowers, with the following specific content:
Dragon fruit is a cultivated variety of cactaceae, a fruit that grows in tropical and subtropical regions, originally from countries such as Guatemala and Colombia in Central America. It tastes sweet when eaten, and the flesh is rich in various vitamins and other nutrients, as well as having the effects of promoting intestinal peristalsis, lowering cholesterol, and preventing colorectal cancer. Next, let me introduce to you the cultivation methods for a dragon fruit pot plant.
1. Seed selection
You can directly select the seeds from the flesh of the dragon fruit, with the number of seeds depending on the size of the pot. Since the remaining flesh can lead to bacterial growth, it's important to remove the flesh first.
2. Choosing potting soil
Choose a well-drained and breathable sandy soil and an appropriately sized pot for the dragon fruit. Since dragon fruit has shallow roots, the soil's drainage is especially important, and the pot should have drainage holes to prevent waterlogging, preferably a ceramic pot. Also, make sure to disinfect the soil before planting.
3. Cutting propagation
For cutting propagation, you can directly choose cutting seedlings, select healthy and robust branches, and insert them into the soil. You can place some tiles and stones in the soil to increase the potting soil's aeration and drainage. Also, after inserting the branches into the soil, insert a stick and tie the stick and branch together, which can make the plant more upright.
4. Watering
Dragon fruit is drought-tolerant and afraid of waterlogging, so it's essential to drain water promptly during the planting process. Increase watering frequency in spring and summer, and pay attention to timely drainage during rainy seasons.
5. Lighting
Dragon fruit loves light but can tolerate shade. Sufficient light can promote the photosynthesis of dragon fruit, accelerate its growth rate, and increase the sugar content in the flesh. During the hottest part of the day in summer, it's important to provide some shade to avoid direct sunlight, which could cause excessive water evaporation from the plant.
6. Temperature
As a fruit native to tropical and subtropical regions, dragon fruit enjoys warmth and can tolerate high temperatures. Moreover, its ability to withstand cold is also considerable. The optimal temperature for dragon fruit growth is between 25-35 degrees Celsius. It can still grow when the temperature reaches 40 degrees Celsius in summer. However, when waiting for newly planted pot plants to germinate, it's important to keep them warm. If the temperature is too low, you can cover the new pot plants with plastic film to keep them warm.
7. Diseases and pests
White rot disease is one of the most common diseases and pests of dragon fruit, mainly caused by the plant's wounds being exposed to a humid environment for a long time, leading to bacterial infection. In this case, you should cut off the affected area directly or open up the ulcerated tissue, apply sulfur-phosphorus powder to the affected area, or let the affected area dry in a dry environment to heal naturally.
Have you understood the detailed introduction of how to grow a dragon fruit pot plant on the balcony and the correct maintenance methods for dragon fruit shared above?