Dragon fruit cacti are typically very easy to care for, but there are some important fall growing tips that will really set you up for success in the spring. If you skip these steps, your cactus may still fruit next season, but not as prolifically. Pruning, fertilization and disease prevention. are key fall tasks to ensure happy, vigorous plants.
While your cactus may not seem to do much in the fall, the steps you take now can make or break its growing season next year. Epic founder Kevin is obsessed with dragon fruit and has grown dozens of successful cacti. Here we share your essential fall care tips to ensure bountiful dragon fruit crops next season.
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Inspect your cacti
Begin fall dragon fruit care with a visual inspection. Check if the stem pieces are healthy and bright green. If you planted cuttings recently, watch for signs of rooting, such as resistance when you gently pull up.
Make sure there isn’t too much spotting or diseaseBut if so, follow the steps below to prevent rust from spreading during the winter. Make a mental note of where stains accumulate or spread so you can monitor them closely and treat them as necessary.
Near the top of your plant, inspect new growth of this season. Does it look healthy? Are the stems turgid (plump), green and vibrant? If any pieces of the vine are dying or showing signs of deficiency, you may need to prune or fertilize them accordingly.
Form and structure
dragon fruit go dormant in the fallso now it is very important to shape them and place them on trellises. There’s no point in leaving a bunch of stem pieces that won’t produce in the spring. Shaping refers to training plants upwards on the trellis Remember that this crop grows best when it grows upward for the first three or four feet of growth and then spreads outward over the top of the trellis like a cactus vine.
Of course, this unusual growth habit requires sturdy support. Check the overall structural integrity of the trellis. The posts should be upright and no part of the wood should be damaged. it is important secure any falling pieces to protect from winter winds or damage during indoor transportation. Use power tools and wood braces to repair any fallen or broken parts of the trellis.
Prune properly
Pruning ensures that the plant channels its energy towards fruit production. In this subtropical crop, most fruit production occurs at the top of the trellis, so it is advisable to remove any lower lateral branches that will not produce flowers.
look for any branches They are trying to form near the bottom of the plant. Fruit production occurs primarily on the upper shoots, so the lower stems will not be productive.
Wear sharp and disinfected pruners to cut the side shoots from the lower steps. These outbreaks are easy to detect because They protrude from the lower stems. Cut off those stems and use them as propagation material for new cacti! The lower shoots only absorb energy from the plant’s fruiting the next season.
Quick tip: Branching and shoots of the vines. above the square top lattice is a Great sign of productivity. You want lots of side shoots branching off the main stems and starting to fall over the top of the trellis. Leave them in place.
Tying up new growth
If any creeper is not secured to wooden stakes, Now it’s time to tie them with twine or tape. Many of the side shoots were pruned in the previous step, but if a side shoot has become too large or unruly, you may want to let it trail upwards.
Very vigorous varieties It can produce new vines during the summer that grow several feet long. There is no point in wasting the plant’s valuable energy by removing them. Use this fall maintenance tip to keep your dragon fruit vigorous but under control.
Gently bring wild vines closer to the central trellis and tie them with twine or baling twine. Nursery tape can also be helpful. Keep vines growing upward when possible. It is best to wrap the tape around each stem joint or ridged crevice for the best hold. Be careful not to overtighten the tape and avoid bending or breaking the sheets.
fine flowers
If you see small buds forming on dragon fruit, this fall growing tip may surprise you. It’s actually better remove excess flower buds because they may not have the opportunity to produce fruit. Fall buds will take 40 to 50 days to flower, pollinate, and form fruit, meaning they probably won’t have enough warm weather to reach the end of their life cycle. Avoid winter flowering by cutting these buds now.
Use needle-nose pruners to cut the flower buds at the base and rest assured that the cactus will grow new flowers and fruits during the next growing season.
Pay
Fertilizing is technically optional in the fall, but dragon fruit expert Kevin still does it every year. this is because slow release fertilizer It can support your cactus during autumn and winter. Be sure to remove the mulch, sprinkle the product under the mulch, then replace the mulch and water generously.
Generally, a liquid organic fertilizer It is ideal for the flowering and fruiting stage because it is more bioavailable. But during the dormant winter months, a slow-release granular fertilizer is a better option.
Prevent rust
Preventing rust is the last tip for caring for pitahaya in autumn, as it is one of the most common problems for this plant. The dormant winter season may be wetter, which may mean greater spread of disease. Neem oil spray is the most effective way to reduce existing infections and prevent new ones. cactus rust It is a major disease that affects this crop, and is easy to identify by its orange spots that cover the green vines.
To make your own spray, mix:
- A couple of ml of cold pressed neem oil
- Castile soap stopper
- warm water
Mix them in a spray bottle and cover the entire surface of the cactus stems once a week on infected plants, or once a month as a preventative method. Kevin likes to spray nim on all your dragon fruit cacti during the dormant season to prevent new infections.
Bonus tip: Protect yourself from frost in colder areas
If you are an ambitious cactus grower in a cold area, you will need Bring your potted specimens indoors for winter. When it is 45°F (7°C) or colder in your area, you should protect these tender subtropical plants. The ideal container size is about 20 inches in diameter and you will probably need a dolly to move the heavy mature cacti indoors.
Frost damage It bursts the cells inside the dragon fruit stems, causing them to become soft and rotten. This is detrimental to spring growth because the plants will be far behind in production compared to a healthy, protected dragon fruit.
Place the cacti near a sunny south facing window and complement with light if you wish. Additional light is not always necessary, as the cactus remains mostly dormant during the winter, but protection from the cold is absolutely essential.
