How to Train Your Dragon (Fruit)! | Pro dragon fruit growing tips

Learn how to grow dragon fruit from South Africa's Dragon Fruit Lady. Our seed guru Sean had the rare opportunity to chat to South Africa's very first commercial dragon fruit (pitaya) grower, Jackye Riddle from Dragon's Den Exotics, who gives us the low-down on how to grow dragon fruit at home in your own garden - from planting dragon fruit cuttings to erecting a dragon fruit trellis and general dragon fruit plant care.
Exotic dragon fruit is a superfruit that is indigenous to Central and South America and now grown all over the world - including South Africa. Commercial-grade dragon fruit varieties have been jealously guarded for years by commercial growers. For a limited time, Livingseeds.co.za have 6 stunning dragon fruit varieties available for the South African home gardener. This is the first public release of high-demand commercial varieties with the flavour and health properties that are demanded by processors and customers.
CHAPTERS:
0:00 Intro
1:03 Why dragon fruit?
2:11 Different dragon fruit varieties
4:02 Dragon fruit pollination
6:00 How to train your dragon fruit vines
7:40 Vegetative and fruiting growth
8:34 Can you grow dragon fruit in frost areas?
9:43 Growing dragon fruit in containers
10:32 Does dragon fruit go dormant in winter?
11:21 How to feed dragon fruit vines
12:02 Aerial roots
13:03 How to prune dragon fruit
15:32 How to grow dragon fruit from cuttings
19:55 The DON'Ts of dragon fruit growing
22:03 Wrap-up
Order your DRAGON FRUIT CUTTINGS here: livingseeds.co.za/vegetable-s...
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Livingseeds.co.za provides quality heirloom and open-pollinated seed to private vegetable gardeners and small-scale market gardeners in South Africa - seed that can be harvested and kept from year to year without the need to buy specialist seed from large corporations every season. We would like to see people become more self-sufficient and take back the ability to produce their own food!

[@RAREDRAGONFRUIT]

Great interview, we can’t wait to meet this knowledgeable grower.

[@pepademasson6128]

Thank you for a very informative interview - I learnt so much. :)

[@KBDRAGONFRUIT]

I agree

[@LivingseedsFarm]

Our pleasure!

[@ochwopaul7388]

Exciting to hear more about it

[@carolinevorster9590]

The most delicious dragon fruit grow on your farm and I love the way you have experimented with these fruits making many special and unusual spoils.

[@LivingseedsFarm]

Yes. I agree wholeheartedly!

[@KBDRAGONFRUIT]

I bought my cuttings from you. I am super excited to start this journey.. 🙏🏻 Thank you tannie Jackie for the cuttings.

[@LivingseedsFarm]

Excellent, please keep posting your progress.

[@deltawhiskey2839]

Awesome video and fantastic information, thank you

[@LivingseedsFarm]

Glad it was helpful!

[@leftofright]

Thanks for the video. I have about 30 plants :D its a new adventure in micro farming and this video brought it all together, thank you. Greg from Umkomaas, KZN.

[@LivingseedsFarm]

Glad it was helpful! Keep us posted on your success.

[@DorothyRugara]

Thank you for the information how can we buy seeds in Zimbabwe please help my sister.

[@simonysinclair7163]

Fascinating

[@LivingseedsFarm]

Absolutely!

[@RAREDRAGONFRUIT]

Nice! Paul Thomson’s hybrids!

[@LivingseedsFarm]

Thank you.

[@sandymurray3997]

Perfect 👌

[@LivingseedsFarm]

Glad you think so!

[@dnawormcastings]

Beautiful dragon fruit 🇳🇿❤

[@LivingseedsFarm]

Thank you.

[@StarvrosMitchell]

Thank you for sharing this amazing content.

[@LivingseedsFarm]

It is my pleasure.

[@StarvrosMitchell]

@@LivingseedsFarm Do dragon use ground and foliar NPK fertilizers? Do you recommend concrete post with dimensions of 9 feet long by 3 inches width and thickness? How many feet do you recommend be underground? I am in the planning phase of planting dragon fruit and the information is new to me, thank you so much for answering my questions.

[@Kiwalabyetimothyshsh]

Thanks alot for this opportunity to learn more. Kindly send me a few cuttings to Uganda

[@LivingseedsFarm]

Please contact our offices [phone] and we can see what we can do for you.

[@Kiwalabyetimothyshsh]

Thanks a lot

[@herthamasule4360]

This is wonderful I am from Namibia do you sell seedlings

[@LivingseedsFarm]

Nope we do not sell Dragon fruit seedlings. We sell cuttings that are planted.

[@JaenSwart]

Great advice Thank you. Where is the place for Copper soap then as it will kill all fungus and bacteria but this is also a cure for powdery right?

[@LivingseedsFarm]

Thank you. We use Copper Soap as a last resort in Disease Pro or Pellos does not work. livingseeds.co.za/ecobuz-disease-pro.html livingseeds.co.za/soygro-pellos.html

[@paulvictor9368]

Lekker man!! Here in Australia, dragonfruit is very popular. I wish I can send you some of our best varieties that is even scarce here!

[@LivingseedsFarm]

Thank you bud. It’s starting to take off here. We had a really long time where some suppliers sold and promoted very poor varieties. That has changed now and the market is slowly learning.

[@DorothyRugara]

​@@LivingseedsFarml I need to start growing the plants sister please give me how best l can buy and transport to Gweru Zimbabwe.?

[@calonbungabungai]

Beatyfuul yes oce 💪💪💪💪❤ i nice 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@LivingseedsFarm]

Thank you.

[@kvdw5375]

Hi. If you train up 4 vines per dropper, does it need to be of the same variety, or could one train 4 different varieties per stake?

[@LivingseedsFarm]

It does not matter. If you are limited to 4 plants only use one support. If you have space then use 4 per support.

[@Chepeleonable]

In Nicaragua, my uncle, used to keep 2 or 3, varieties and I don’t remember having any problems. Don’t be afraid to experiment and try. In case you used a pot, make sure is big, 20 gallons and use 4x4 with 2x4 in the form of an X, support in the bottom, they get heavy.

[@GavinSharplesDirect]

can the cutting be tried to old tree stump instead of planted in a pot with a pole ? Got mine today and want to find the best space and place for it

[@LivingseedsFarm]

Yup that would work great, just remember to put the cutting in full sun and once it starts growing, feed it.

[@Chepeleonable]

That’s how they grow in the wild in Nicaragua. Central America-origen of -Pitaya- In the same time if you want a good harvest, the best’s is the umbrella style’s the one that you can see in the video.

[@flipperspro69]

Hello… I want to buy some cuttings and ship to West Africa. Please let me know if that’s possible. Thank you

[@LivingseedsFarm]

No problem. You will first need an import permit. That will come with any requirements. Once the IP has been supplied we can then tell you how we can supply.

[@whiskeythrottle2266]

Do you have a website or link to buy cuttings?

[@LivingseedsFarm]

Yes we sure do. livingseeds.co.za/vegetable-seeds/dragon-fruit

[@amelie2610anam]

Hello. Am in Yaounde Cameroon. I like your farm. How can i get the cuttings and how much do you sell a cutting

[@LivingseedsFarm]

Hey Amelie. Please contact your agricultural dept for an import permit. That will give us the conditions for export to Cameroon. There after we can chat about pricing and how to get them to you.

[@amelie2610anam]

@@LivingseedsFarm ok my dear thank you very much for your quick response. Our Ministry of agriculture here is very slow and the permit can take more than 2 years.

[@ochwopaul7388]

We would like to vist ,

[@eirinieftihia3470]

Hi guys. Last year for the first time, my plant that I received from a friend attempted to make fruit. I got about six flower buds, but four aborted. Two flowered and I hand pollinated. The fruit started growing, but one rotted when it was small and the other after it was quite big. Meanwhile, my Livingseeds plant was badly attacked by both snails and an orange fungus! When I removed it, I found that loads of snails had even hatched inside the original mother cutting! After watching this video, I'm assuming that over watering was the culprit of all these issues, is that correct?

[@LivingseedsFarm]

It’s pretty difficult to diagnose as there may be other issues. However overwatering can be a very debilitating factor. Look at the feeding as well. A foliar spray of Nourish will go a long way to set fruit. livingseeds.co.za/1-l-talborne-nourish-4-1-6-buds-flowers-and-fruit.html

[@eirinieftihia3470]

Thank you :-) @@LivingseedsFarm

[@kerneelsfoord986]

Hi. How do I get my plants to flower and bear fruit?

[@LivingseedsFarm]

The cladodes need to hang to produce flowers. It also needs to be in full sun. Has it been fed?

[@Chepeleonable]

In Nicaragua, -Pitayas, a cactus from rainforest, are from Central America and parts of Mexico-, in the wild, they grow on big trees or death trees on the floor, I do remember my uncle saying that sometimes he used to cut -just the tips- of the ends of some the plants to forced to bearing fruit. How long before bearing fruits?Well, Depending on the climate it can get from 1 year to 17 months, after that, every 2 months or so, you will have fruit. I remember seeing the same pitaya plant last year, after more than thirty years in my uncle’s farm it’s still alive and growing. For a better yield they do use the umbrella style.

[@user-lk5qm2hl8f]

Hie do you sell dragon fruit plant cuttings

[@LivingseedsFarm]

Yes we do. livingseeds.co.za/vegetable-seeds/dragon-fruit

[@cmartin5903]

Those dragon fruits sound like women. ❤

[@LivingseedsFarm]

LOL