How to best fertilize a dragon fruit plant

Dragon fruits are known for its delicate and sweet taste. Sometimes they are also called a ‘strawberry pear’. But how does this fruit maintain its taste? When it comes to fertilizers you need to be very careful. Too much can kill the fruit, something you do not want. However, on the other side, too little can also kill the fruit. Then what is the right balance regarding the best fertilizer for dragon fruit? In this article we will help you with making the right decision!

Organic or inorganic fertilizing?

Tempting is to over fertilize the fruit in order to see more immediate growth, but that will not help. However, it depends on the life stage of the fruit how often it should be fertilized. A one-year old dragon fruit should be fertilized more often compared to an older dragon fruit. Not all dragon fruit plants need to be fertilized that often, as an ornamental dragon fruit does require less amount of fertilization. Dragon fruit used for growing food requires much more fertilization. A combination of both organic and inorganic fertilization will create the best result. Why a combination? Because an inorganic fertilizer possesses a formulation which makes sure a quick release of the major plant nutrients, whereas an organic fertilizer has the advantages of releasing nutrients much more slowly. Interested in which fertilizer is the best in our opinion? Check here the top 3 fertilizers in our article to find out what the best fertilizer is.

Life stages of a dragon fruit

A dragon fruit consists of different life stages. It will not be a mature plant right away, and it will take time till it is fully grown out. Each different stage of life will involve different kinds of actions. A 1 year old dragon fruit plant should not be treated the same as a fully developed dragon fruit plant. In the following paragraphs we will discuss the different stages of its development.

1 year old dragon fruit

As mentioned earlier, it differs per life stage of the fruit what the best fertilizer for dragon fruit is. A new planted dragon fruit does not need any fertilizing in the early start.. After the first month, only 4 ounces of a fertilizer needs to be given roughly every 2 months. This type of fertilizer can be 6-6-6 or 8-3-9 as organic fertilizer. Either manure or compost can be used as inorganic fertilizer. It is best and recommended to start in the early spring to early fall, since these fruits do not do well in the winter due to the temperatures. The mix between organic and inorganic fertilizer should be scattered evenly among the fruit. Do not forget to hydrate the fruit. This needs to be repeated during the complete lifetime of the fruit.

2 and 3 year old dragon fruits

At this point the roots have become more established. The advantage of this is that it is a more efficient way of harvesting nutrients from the soil. However, they also need more nutrients due to the fact that they grow faster. The same measurement should be taken into account regarding the fertilization time.

Fertilization for older plants

When the dragon fruit reaches the age of 4 years or older, it can be called an older plant. The best fertilizer for dragon fruit can now be spread evenly. It can be spread during the complete lifestage of the fruit. However, this only counts for the inorganic fertilizer. Organic fertilizer can be applied twice a year, one time around spring and once during mid-summer.

What is the best care for a dragon fruit plant?

To sum it up, the best fertilizer for a dragon fruit plant is to both combine inorganic and organic fertilizer till the age of 4. Thereby, giving water regularly is indispensable. 2 and 3 year old dragon fruits plants require more nutrients as they grow faster. Therefore, more fertilization is required. The needs of older dragon fruit plants are slightly different compared to the younger ones. They still need inorganic and organic fertilization, but they can be applied evenly through the season instead of every two months.