The dragon fruit is a cactus cactus family triangular column plants, native to Mexico and other Central American regions. Dragon fruit has the following characteristics:
1, adaptability. Dragon fruit plant appearance and the Guangdong region of the whip (wild triangle column) is very similar. As long as the whip can grow place, can plant dragon fruit. It can be planted on flat land, hillside land, paddy field, dry land or saline land. The cactus planted on the hillside in this farm grows as well as those planted in paddy fields in Taiwan. Because the cactus class is a tropical plant, so in our country is only suitable for planting in the region south of the Tropic of Cancer, a long time frost has a certain effect on it.
2, easy to plant. Dragon fruit is a shallow rooted plants, planting does not need to dig fruit pits, as long as the whole on the ground - fruit plate, mixing fertilizer, set up climbing columns, can be planted, the survival rate of up to 100%. Dragon fruit drought-resistant, buried deep or water will cause skin rot, such as good water and fertilizer, the growth is extremely rapid. Technicians have made observation records, in the summer every day up to 3.5 centimeters of growth.
3, less pests and diseases. Dragon fruit is a kind of fruit tree without disease control. According to Taiwan and other cultivation areas reported, are not found on the dragon fruit pests and diseases. Just in the seedling period, due to the application of farmyard fertilizer and attracted large ants to the seedling bite, with ants can be removed. When the fruit tree grows up, especially from flowering to fruit ripening, there is no need to spray any pesticide. In Taiwan, almost all the fruit fruit to set, but the dragon fruit does not need to bag.
4, easy to get high yield. Dragon fruit cultivation technology is relatively simple, easy to grasp, in Taiwan, more than 3 years of orchards can reach 2500 kilograms per mu. From the situation of the field trial planting, to achieve such a yield is not difficult to mu planted 110 plants, each plant results in 22.5 kilograms, mu yield can reach more than 2,500 kilograms. General single fruit weight of more than 0.5 kilograms, each plant has more than 40 fruiting branches can be. Generally each fruiting branch has several flower buds, need to manually remove the excess flower buds.
5, long fruit production period. Dragon fruit high-yield, while the fruit production period of up to 6 months, in several batches of maturity, so as to ensure that the fruit is balanced on the market, so that farmers are easy to get a stable good price. From the test planting situation, it takes about 40 days from blossoming to fruit picking. And even if the fruit is ripe will not fall off the branch naturally.
6. Fruit storage and transportation. Dragon fruit after harvest, in the high temperature can be stored for 2 to 3 weeks, and refrigeration freshness period of up to several months. Because of the thick skin and wax protection, transportation is not easy to touch the damage, very resistant to storage and transportation. During the shelf life, the red color of the skin becomes more and more colorful.
Management points of dragon fruit planting
1. About seedling selection and propagation. The field trial planting of seedlings from Taiwan directly introduced grafted seedlings. Some people have made a comparison test, that is, the live seedlings, grafted seedlings, cuttings for comparison, the fastest and strongest growth of the grafted seedlings. It is recommended to choose improved grafted seedlings as the best. The best rootstocks are wild triangular columns (king whip), which grow rapidly after being attached to the scion. If there is no rootstock, cuttings can be propagated, the same way as aloe vera.
2. Column dragon fruit for high-yield fruit, fruit plants and fruit weight up to 200 kilograms, need to use cement column support and for adsorption root climbing. Column specifications are: in the planting ground, according to the hole row spacing 2.5 × 2.5 meters column, column vertically into the soil 30 to 40 cm. Column specifications for the height of 2.2 meters, cross-section 10 × 9 cm. The center of the column put a 6 to 8 mm thick wire, protruding from the head of the column and bent into a 1 cm diameter notched circle. So that the top of the column set of wire relying on the stem and branches, so that the plant is scattered overhanging, increasing the area of light, pruning and improve yields.
3. Pit fertilizer dragon fruit planting density for the hole row spacing 2.5 × 2.5 meters, hole planting 2 plants, around the climbing column dug length, width, depth of 1 × 0.3 meters pit. Pit Shi pig manure or chicken manure 25 kg, 1 kg of phosphate fertilizer, compound fertilizer 0.5 kg, 1 kg of lime, and soil mixing under, supplemented by microbial fertilizer effect is better. If the main focus of the seedlings, can be appropriate dense planting.
4. Positioning and watering in the column base next to the whole 5 to 10 cm deep fruit plate, planting seedlings covered with topsoil and slightly pressed seedlings, do not plant seedlings upside down. After planting, water the planting water, and then water every 2 to 3 days for 20 to 30 days.
5. Weeding and mulching Pull weeds in time, cover the fruit plate to play a role in insulation. Because of the shallow root system of dragon fruit, do not use herbicides, so as not to harm the root system.
6. Pests and diseases Young stem growth and flowering and fruiting stage should pay attention to the prevention of snails, slugs, ants, can be smeared on the roots and columns of the plant sulfur lime paste to prevent pests from climbing up the plant, or bait with poisonous bait.
7. Fertilization Every year from April to November for the dragon fruit fruiting period, this time the fertilizer should be organic fertilizer, supplemented by phosphorus, potassium, magnesium fertilizer and micronutrient fertilizers, to promote its flowering and fruiting, improve yield.
8. replanting, pruning For the weaker individual planting hole should be replanted seedlings. Increase the next year's production. To cut off the fruit of the old branches and weak growth potential branches, so as not to consume nutrients, affecting yield.