You Don't Need A Fancy Garden For Dragon Fruit: How To Grow It From A Pot To Save Money

It's pretty impressive how simple it is to get once-rare tropical fruits at your local grocery store, such as guava, a tropical fruit that's unexpectedly high in protein, or passion fruit, a tropical fruit that packs more fiber than most others combined. It might be surprising now, but before they were everywhere, even pineapples were a luxury you could rent to prove your wealth. Now you can get them around the corner, almost anywhere you live. While they are pretty available these days, the bright red and leafy dragon fruit may still be at the top of the list.

It may come as a surprise, but dragon fruit is actually pretty easy to grow in a pot at home. It can be incredibly satisfying to pick them right off the balcony or rooftop. First things first, they don't like cold weather; make sure the temperature is above 40 degrees Fahrenheit (they thrive best between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit) or your plant could end up damaged or not grow at all. If you live in a colder area, it's possible to move them inside for the colder months, but they still need a good amount of sun. These tips and tricks aren't all you should know about growing dragon fruit in a pot.

You need a wider-bottomed pot (at least 12 inches deep and 14 to 24 inches wide) to keep the plant from tipping over. The larger the pot is, the better luck you have growing. You also need a pot with good drainage. For the soil mix, you want it fertile and slightly sandy so it can drain well. While many dragon fruit plants can stand under their own weight, it doesn't hurt to surround it with a tomato cage or connect a similar support to the plant so it can grow without toppling over.

You can grow your dragon fruit plant from seed or use a cutting. From seed, it can take five to six years to fruit. A cutting only takes a year or two. They can usually be in full sun until the peak of summer, when they should be moved to slight shade — about six hours of direct sunlight a day is good. They need regular watering, but make sure the soil is draining properly (it should be moist, but not wet).

About four to six weeks after their (incredibly beautiful) flowers appear, tiny fruits begin to grow. You can pick the fruits when the color changes from green to bright red or pink, the fruit has a little give when pressed, and the leaves of the skin have started to wither a bit. Dragon fruit doesn't ripen if picked too early, so always harvest them when fully ripe. From there, you can slice them in half and enjoy the wonderful fruit within.