Dragon Fruit Plant Indoors: Grow guide and care

The Dragon Fruit plant, scientifically named Hylocereus undatus, is prized for its colorful beauty and delicious fruit. Growing a Dragon Fruit plant offers several advantages and a hint of the tropics to your yard. Fertilizers, light, and watering are necessary to keep plants healthy, productive, and attractive to the eye.

Dragon fruit, a cactus, is characterized by its meaty, oval-shaped fruit and brightly colored skin. The fruit features bright pink or red flesh with tiny black seeds sprinkled throughout. It can be white, pink, or red. The fruit is typically raw or blended into juices, smoothies, and other recipes because of its sweet, tropical flavor.

Dragon Fruit Plant Indoor Care

Indoor dragon fruit care involves creating the ideal growing environment to promote healthy growth and fruit production.

How to care for indoor Dragon fruit plant?

Here is a simple guide:

• The Dragon Fruit’s Light and Soil Needs:

The ideal setting for a Dragon Fruit Tree receives full sun for 6 to 8 hours daily. No matter where you plant it, avoid shady spots since dragon fruit needs lots of sunshine to thrive. Also, it requires sandy soil draining well; avoid planting in soggy, damp soil with standing water. Plant your dragon fruit so that the soil line aligns with it.

• Dragon Fruit Water Requirements

The dragon fruit should only be watered as a tropical succulent when the soil is almost dry. Overwatering is one guaranteed method to destroy a cactus. You can measure the moisture level in the soil by inserting your finger or a yardstick about three inches into the ground. Wait before watering if you find any water at all. Watering a grown dragon fruit requires extra care because the containers might hold more moisture.

• Planting Dragon Fruit Effectively

Before planting, to promote quicker root growth in the soil cut the sides of the root ball with a knife or a pair of garden shears. Provide enough space between dragon fruit trees to allow clumps of cacti to grow properly and give fruit for the full range.

• Improving the Outdoor Growth of Dragon Fruit

As it ages, the Dragon Fruit Tree will need support to climb on the ground or in a container because it is a climbing cactus. To help the cactus reach its complete growth potential, use a nearby framework to support it.

How to support Dragon Fruit Plant?

As the plant expands, give the climbing vines a strong support system, like a trellis or stake. This keeps the plant from spreading outward and promotes upward development. Observe the dragon fruit plant’s growth and modify the support as required. The plant could need more ties or changes, as it gets bigger to ensure it stays properly supported.

Ensure the trellis and support structures are strong and stable daily. To avoid mishaps or harm to the plant, quickly fix any damage or imbalance.

Propagation of Dragon Fruit Plant

For propagation, pick a mature, strong dragon fruit plant that is healthy and has a sturdy stem. Pick a stem cutting from the mother plant that is at least 12 to 18 inches long and has many portions. Use a sharp, sterilized knife to make a clean cut just below the node where the leaves or aerial roots grow.

Let the cutting dry and callus over for a few days to lower the chance of rotting. Then, place it in a well-ventilated, dry, and shaded area. Plant the cutting in a pot once it has become callused. Make sure the cutting is stable by burying the bottom node when you insert it into the ground.

The pot should be placed where it receives bright, indirect sunlight. Use minimal water on the cutting, ensuring the soil is somewhat damp but not soggy. The cutting will grow and form roots during the following few weeks.

How to increase Growth of Dragon Fruit Cactus?

To increase the growth of Dragon fruit cactus, consider following steps:

Growth Stages of a Dragon Fruit Cactus

1. Reproductive development
2. Bud development
3. Shoot development
4. Vegetative propagated organ development
5. Fruit development
6. Fruit Maturation
7. Flowering

Growth Rate of a Dragon Fruit Cactus

• Artificial Light: You can utilize artificial grow lights throughout the year instead of 6 to 8 hours of natural light. They ought to be full-spectrum LED lights to replicate direct sunlight.

• Humidity: Indoor humidity levels between 30% and 50% are usually suitable for dragon fruit cacti. Use a room humidifier, spray the plant from above and set up a humidity tray with stones close by during the winter heating season.

Fertilization: Treat your dragon fruit cactus with a balanced fertilizer during the growing season to promote healthy growth. As directed on the packaging, use a fertilizer explicitly designed for succulents or cacti. Avoid over-fertilizing, as this may cause the plant to become salted and suffer harm.

• Pruning: Pruning regularly will help you eliminate dead, broken, or crowded stems on your dragon fruit cactus. Pruning supports new development and preserves the size and form of the plant.

Can you grow a Dragon Fruit Plant Indoors?

You can grow dragon fruit inside if your house has a bright window or sunroom where the dragon fruit plant receives sunlight daily. Dragon fruit cacti grown indoors may need hand pollination, usually by bats, bees, and insects outside.

The dragon fruit cactus is a vine that may reach a height of 20 feet. Certain varieties, such as ‘Edgar’s Baby,’ ‘Alice,’ ‘Seoul Kitchen,’ ‘Yellow Dragon Fruit,’ and ‘Zamorano.’ are suitable for growing inside.

• Mini Dragon Fruit Plant

Mini Dragon Fruit Plants are great options for home gardeners with limited area because they work well indoors.

Varieties that are smaller and well suited for indoor cultivation:

1. Yellow Dragon
2. Physical Graffiti
3. Condor
4. Haley’s Comet
5. Delight
6. David Bowie
7. Giant Yellow
8. Giant Thai Red
9. Lisa
10. Neon

When you have mini Dragon fruit plants at home, it is simple to obtain fresh fruit for eating. For home gardeners, harvesting ripe fruit is easy because there is no need to travel outdoor gardens. Growing fruit plants indoors provides a satisfying and joyful experience, allowing growers to enjoy fresh fruit.

• Lifespan of a Dragon Fruit Plant

Dragon fruit gives a quick result, with economic profits in the first planting year and a total yield in 3-4 years. The lifespan of a Dragon fruit plan can vary based on several factors, including maintenance, growth factors, and the type or variety of the plant. Under ideal conditions, a well-maintained dragon fruit plant can survive for several decades.

It is important to note that proper maintenance and care may extend the life of a dragon fruit plant. Plant lifespans can be increased by providing ideal growing conditions, such as enough sunlight, water, nutrients, and protection from pests and diseases. Regular cutting and upkeep throughout the plant’s life cycle can encourage healthy growth and fruit production.

Benefits and side Effects of Dragon Fruit Plants

Benefits:

• It has a lot of fiber and is naturally fat-free. It makes a fantastic snack because it can help you feel fuller between meals.
• It may help in lowering blood sugar. 
• According to researchers, the hormone insulin, which helps break down sugar in the body, is produced by damaged cells in the pancreas that are replaced, which may be one reason for this.
• Dragon fruit supports intestinal health.
• It can strengthen immunity. Dragon fruit has high levels of vitamin C and other antioxidants that benefit the immune system.
• Antioxidants such as betacyanin, phenolic acid, and flavonoids are high. These organic compounds protect your cells from the damaging effects of free radicals, chemicals linked to early aging and diseases like cancer.
• It helps in the treatment of breast cancer as well as the prevention of cancer.

Side Effects:

• Eating dragon fruit is generally safe, yet some studies have shown it can cause rare allergic reactions.
• Usually, the body’s immune system reacts negatively to dragon fruit, causing problems.
• Pseudohematuria is another possible side effect of this fruit: reddish-colored urine, stools, or other body parts of this illness.
• If you eat a lot of beets, it may cause a harmless side effect.
• Oxalates, which are present in dragon fruit, can cause kidney stones in those who are vulnerable to them.
• Dragon Fruit contains vitamin K, which can interact with blood-thinning medications like warfarin.
• After eating dragon fruit, some people may feel sick to their stomachs, especially if they consume a lot of it. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, indoor cultivating a dragon fruit plant can be beneficial and enjoyable. Its unique look not only enhances your house’s class but also gives you wonderful fruit to enjoy. You can see your plant grow and produce delicious fruit in your own house if you give it the correct care and create the ideal atmosphere. Having a dragon fruit plant indoors is an excellent way to be in touch with nature and take advantage of the health benefits of fresh, homegrown fruits, regardless of your level of gardening expertise