Germination temperature
Best at 25 °C (77 °F) or alternating 20-30 °C (68-86 °F); poorest at 35 °C (95 °F).
Visit deodar-seeds.in Fruit growing guide
Dragon fruit seed is tiny and needs light, so sow it on the surface of a gritty mix in warmth. Seedlings are easy to raise but slow to fruit, and every plant needs a strong post to climb.
Best at 25 °C (77 °F) or alternating 20-30 °C (68-86 °F); poorest at 35 °C (95 °F).
On the surface; press in, do not cover.
Usually within about two weeks.
Needed: the seed germinates better in light.
None. Wash off the pulp and dry the seed briefly.
Sow in trays, prick out, then plant at a post or trellis.
Scoop the black seeds from ripe fruit, rub them in a sieve under running water until the sweet pulp is gone, and dry them on paper for a day. Clean seed is less likely to grow mould in the tray. Unlike many tropical fruits, dragon fruit seed stores well: seed stored for a year at 10 °C (50 °F) still germinated in trials.
Not needed. The seed coat is thin.
Not needed. This is a tropical cactus; cold does not help.
Not needed. Moist sowing mix is enough.
Keep near 25 °C (77 °F), or at a day/night rhythm of 30/20 °C (86/68 °F). Germination falls off at 35 °C (95 °F), so in Indian summers keep trays out of direct afternoon heat.
Scatter seed thinly on the surface and press it into the mix without covering; the seed is light-promoted.
Fine, free-draining mix such as cactus compost with extra sand or perlite.
Mist to keep the surface moist; cover the tray with clear plastic or glass, and ventilate daily to prevent mould.
Bright, indirect light. Avoid strong sun on the covered tray.
Seedlings usually appear within about two weeks; in a laboratory study normal seedlings were counted at 11 days.
When seedlings have a short stem above the two seed leaves, lift small clumps and pot them into gritty cactus mix. Water when the top of the mix dries.
Seedlings grow slowly for the first year. Shade them for the first few months where sun scorch is likely, then give more sun; too much shade reduces flowering later.
Plant at the foot of a strong post (about 10-15 cm thick) with a frame on top for the stems to hang over, 3-4.5 m (10-15 ft) from other plants and buildings. Tie the stem to the post as it grows.
Cause: wet, airless mix. Fix: use gritty mix, water from below and ventilate the cover.
Cause: seed was covered or kept too hot. Fix: sow on the surface in light at about 25 °C.
Cause: stem canker or other fungal rots after rain. Fix: prune for air and sun, remove infected stems and do not water overhead.
Cause: some types are self-incompatible. Fix: grow two or three different plants and hand-pollinate at night or early morning, moving pollen between flowers.
Cause: strong sun on young or shaded plants. Fix: give light shade during the hottest months, especially above 38 °C (100 °F).
Seedlings differ from the parent and may take up to 7 years to fruit. For quick fruit, root a 15-38 cm (6-15 in) stem cutting; many fruit 6-9 months after planting.
Water regularly in the growing season, but let a dry spell in winter and early spring trigger flowering. Never keep the soil soggy.
Any well-drained soil; organic matter and manure suit it well.
Pick fully coloured fruit with clippers. The large night-opening flowers are a sign fruit will follow if pollinated.
Sow dragon fruit seed on the surface in warm light and raise your own climbing cactus.
No. The seed germinates better in light; press it onto moist mix and cover the tray, not the seed.
Up to about 7 years, and fruit may differ from the parent. Stem cuttings can fruit within a year.
Yes, in a large container of free-draining mix with a strong central post, a sunny position and protection from frost.