Instructions for dragon fruit care

Dragon fruit has a stable yield of 25-40 tons/ha if cared for properly. Instructions on irrigation, fertilization, pruning and natural flowering management according to the tree life cycle for Binh Thuan and Long An orchards.

Summary: Unlike other fruit trees, dragon fruit can produce 6-10 crops per year when flowering naturally — no pressing required. Proper management helps stable productivity for many years. This article guides the care schedule for four main tasks — watering, fertilizing, pruning and monitoring flowering — suitable for commercial orchards in Binh Thuan, Long An.

Applies to: Dragon fruit orchards operating from the 3rd year onwards. Both white intestine and red intestine.
Duration: Year-round care.
Difficulty level: Basic. The important thing is discipline according to the schedule.
Estimated additional costs: 30-50 million VND per hectare per year for fertilizer, treatment and labor.

Biological characteristics of dragon fruit

Before talking about care, we need to understand a few characteristics:

Climbing cactus: tolerates dryness better than many other fruit plants, but needs enough water to produce high yields.
Shallow root system: main roots are concentrated in 30-50 centimeters of topsoil. Loss of water quickly when the soil dries out.
Short day photoperiod: flowers when the night is short (10-12 pm). Naturally blooms from May to November. From December to April, the nights are longer and need to be lit to flower in the off-season.
The cycle from flowering to harvest: 28-32 days. Faster than many other trees.
Economic life cycle: 15-25 years depending on care.

Four main things in care

Water

Amount of water by stage:

Dry season December-April (Binh Thuan region): water 15-25 liters per post, every 5-7 days.
Rainy season May-November: mainly depends on rain. Add additional irrigation when there is a dry period of 7-10 days.
Blooming — fruit growing stage: increase water by 20-30 percent — plants need a lot of water to grow fruit quickly.
5-7 days before harvest: reduce watering — fruit concentrates sugar, sweeter.

Watering method:

Water the roots, do not sprinkle water. Cactus plants can accumulate water on their branches — sprinkler irrigation increases fungus.
Drip irrigation is optimal — saving water 30-40 percent.
Irrigate in the late afternoon or early morning. Avoid watering at noon.

Fertilizer

Fertilization schedule for commercial crops (1,000-1,100 pillars per hectare):

Early dry season (November-December, after the main crop):

Rotten organic fertilizer: 10-15 tons per hectare, spread around the pillar.
*N-P-K* 15-15-15: 200-300 grams per cylinder.
Trichoderma: 200 grams per pillar — prevent fungus.

Middle of the dry season (January-February):

*N-P-K* 16-16-8 + TE (micronutrient): 150-200 grams per cylinder.
Observe the color of the branches — dark green is enough, light yellow means nitrogen deficiency.

Beginning of the rainy season (April-May):

*N-P-K* 15-15-15: 200-250 grams per cylinder.
Add *Calcium-Boron* to spray leaves once — prepare for flowering.

During the flowering — fruit growing season (May-October):

After each harvest, fertilize 100-150 grams of *N-P-K* 12-12-17 + TE per pillar.
Foliar spray with amino acid + potassium nitrate (KNO3) 1 percent — increases fruit quality.

End of rainy season (October-November):

Reduce constipation. Prepare to rest trees after the season.

Prune branches

Dragon fruit needs periodic pruning to maintain canopy structure:

After the main season (November-December):

Pruning pests and dry branches.
Pruning old branches that have produced many crops of fruit — no longer produces good yields.
Keep 25-35 main branches per pillar.
New branches grow from parent branches — choose to keep good positions, avoid crowded positions.

Regular pruning during the season (May-October):

Prune weak branches and branches growing in the canopy.
Prune flat flowers that do not develop.
When the young fruit has set, prune the deformed and small fruit.

Cutting technique:

Cut close to the main stem, don't let the base of the branch become blunt.
Disinfect shears between posts — prevent transmission of anthracnose and black spots.
Apply lime to large cuts.

Natural flowering management

From May to November, dragon fruit blooms naturally. How to support:

Increase potassium before flowering season — potassium stimulates flowers.
**Spray *Calcium-Boron***: 2 times 10 days before flowering clearly.
Watch for flower buds: good buds are round, not dry. Remove dry buds and double buds.
After fruit set: spray the leaves with 1 percent potassium nitrate 1-2 times in the first week.
Protect young fruit: spray to prevent anthracnose + black spots if the orchard has a history.

After harvesting one crop, the tree will flower on its own in the next crop in 25-35 days — no special intervention required.

Follow all year round

Weekly:

[ ] Branch condition — color, tension. Pale yellow branches = protein deficiency. Wrinkled branches = lack of water.
[ ] Flowers and young fruits — quantity, deformity.
[ ] Signs of anthracnose, black spots — especially in the rainy season.
[ ] Soil moisture level.

Monthly:

[ ] Clean the orchard — clean up fallen leaves and dry branches.
[ ] Check the irrigation system — clogs, leaking faucets.
[ ] Grass around the base of the pillar — keep it low.

Quarterly:

[ ] Fertilize according to schedule.
[ ] Assessing the productivity of the last crop — compared to the same period last year.

Common problems

Golden branches golden the whole orchard

Cause:

Nitrogen deficiency — fertilize N-P-K 16-16-8.
At the end of the season — normal, don't worry.
The roots are infected with fungus — strip the soil to check the root collar.

Flowers fall a lot

Cause:

Lack of potassium and calcium.
Heavy rain while the flowers are blooming.
Water shock (dry-water-dry).
Pests attack flowers.

Small fruit, little rice

Cause:

Lack of water during fruit growing stage.
Nutrition deficiency, especially potassium.
The thick canopy blocks the light — the fruit does not develop.
The number of fruits is too much — the tree cannot feed enough.

Cracked fruit

Cause:

Watering too suddenly after drying.
Ripe fruit meets heavy rain.
Calcium — boron deficiency

Common mistakes

Spray irrigation on canopy: increased fungus, especially anthracnose + black spots.

High nitrogen fertilizer in the rainy season: young branches are soft, susceptible to fungal infection.

Unpruning: thick canopy, reduced yield, increased pests and diseases.

Hold fruit when there are more than 25-30 fruits per pillar: small fruit, sparse rice.

Watering heavily before harvest: pale fruit, reduced price.

Take notes

Fertilizer schedule — date, type, dose.
Number of flowering crops and yield of each crop.
Total productivity per year.
Pests and diseases detected.

References

*Commercial dragon fruit care process* — Southern Fruit Institute, 2023.
*Sustainable dragon fruit production* — Department of Crop Production, 2022.