Dragon fruit is one type of fruit belonging to the cactus plant family. This plant that comes from Mexiko has a sweet and fresh taste, so that it is spread to Asia and can flourish throughout the Asian region which has a tropical climate. In Indonesia alone dragon fruit began to gaining popularity in 2000. And more and more fans have been cultivated by fruit farmers until now sporadically.
There are several types of dragon fruit that can be cultivated because it has economic value, has a sweet taste and is rich in benefits, which include:
• Hylocereus undatus type dragon fruit which has the characteristics of red skin with white flesh.
• Hylocereus polyrhisus dragon fruit which has a red skin characteristic with red flesh
• Hylocereus costaricensis dragon fruit which has a red skin characteristic with purplish red flesh
• Hylocereus megalanthus dragon fruit which has yellow skin characteristics with white flesh
How to Cultivate Dragon Fruits
How to cultivate dragon fruit is almost the same for all types of fruit. There are two ways that can be done to cultivate dragon fruit, which include generative cera with seeds, and vegetative ways that can be done with stem cuttings. But to accelerate the process of growth and fertilization, the vegetative way is felt to be easier and more profitable. The resistant stages of the cultivation of dragon fruit are as follows:
• Nurseries
The nursery process by clicking can be done in the following ways:
Choose stems with a diameter of about 8 cm and have fruit 3-4 times, and the older the parent plant will be better to be used as the main stem
Cut the stems about 80-120 cm or about 80% of the stems of the plant to be used as prospective seedlings.
Cut back the stem of prospective seedlings with a size of 20-30 cm with the tip cut evenly and the base of the cut merucing to accelerate root growth.
Cut stems that will be used as seedlings must have at least 4 buds to produce fruit quickly.
Then let the stems dry up, and before planting they can be dipped in a fungicide solution beforehand.
Plant dragon fruit seeds in beds or polybags with planting media that have been mixed with goat manure and have been watered to a depth of 5 cm.
Perform regular watering for 2-3 days. And to protect the seeds from direct sunlight, provide shade or cover.
After 3 weeks or after the shoots have sprouted, open the shade and leave the plant in full sunlight.
After 3 months or after seedling height of 50-80 cm the seedlings can begin to be transplanted.
• Land preparation
Dragon fruit cultivation can be planted in the ground or with polybags. But for maximum results, planting should be done on land. in the following way:
• Making climbing poles
Making poles in the cultivation of dragon fruit is very important as a support plant. This climbing pole can be made with concrete with a diameter of 10-15 cm and a height of 2-2.5 m. Insert the supporting pole in a hole as deep as 50 cm with the end of the pole given a + shaped support of iron or wood. And finally add a circular buffer on top. Make these poles in line with a length of 2.5 m and the distance between the poles around 3 m. And between these lines drainage is made.
• Land management
For planting media, you can make beds by mixing sand, soil, compost or manure with a composition of 1: 1: 1. Next add lime or dolomite, about 300 grams to add calcium to the soil. Next make a hole with a depth of 25 cm around the supporting pole. cover the planting hole with planting media then flush until the soil is wet and allow it to dry. After 3 days add TSp fertilizer around the climbing pole and leave it for one day, and your land is ready for planting.
• Planting
After the seeds and land are ready, planting seeds can begin. You can plant up to 4 seedlings for each climbing pole with a distance of 10 cm from the climbing pole. After planting is complete, then tie the stem of the plant until all the seeds are attached to the climbing pole.
•Care
In order for dragon fruit cultivation to grow quickly and bear fruit, regular care must be taken, which include:
• Pollination
Pollination of plants can occur in two ways namely naturally and manually. To speed up the results of fertilization, manual pollination can indeed be done, but this manual pollination can also not be done randomly. Manual pollination can be done when the flower crown has bloomed perfectly to obtain the perfect fruit. You can pollinate by applying pollen to the pistil using