Have you ever heard of dragon fruits? If not, then probably you are curious how they look like or what they taste like. If you think that this fruit looks like a dragon, its texture is somehow similar to a dragon’s skin because of its spiky features. Dragon fruits come in several varieties, including yellow with white flesh, pink with red flesh, and pink with white flesh. These fruits have thick petal-like protrusions all over them. They look appealing because of their vibrant color, especially the red-fleshed variety. It’s hard to compare the taste of the dragon fruit, but you may find it similar to a kiwi. If you want to grow this fruit in your garden. We’re here to teach you how to pollinate dragon fruit.
What is Dragon Fruit?
Dragon fruit grows on the Hylocereus cactus, also called Honolulu queen. This plant is native to southern Mexico and Central America, in which its flowers only bloom at night. Although many people do not know what dragon fruit looks like, this plant is grown worldwide. You may remember it by its other names, such as pitaya, pitahaya, and strawberry pear. Although there are several varieties of dragon fruit, the most widely available has white pulp with black seeds.
Why Grow Dragon Fruits?
There are so many plants that you may consider, so maybe you’ll ask why plant a dragon fruit? Though you can indeed plant other fruits, there are attractive benefits that you can enjoy once you learn how to pollinate dragon fruit. Aside from making it a business, you can also get a lot of nutrients from this fruit. Dragon fruits can provide you with a high amount of fiber and magnesium. Worry not about eating this fruit because it is extremely low in calorie content.
When you plant dragon fruit, you will enjoy several antioxidants that can protect your cells from unstable molecules called free radicals. Antioxidants are important because the free radicals are linked to chronic diseases and aging. Here are some of the antioxidants found in a dragon fruit: Hydroxycinnamates has demonstrated anticancer activity in test-tube and animal studies, and Flavonoids, which is linked to better brain health and a reduced risk of heart disease.
How to Pollinate Dragon Fruit
Aside from the care tips, you also need to learn how to pollinate dragon fruit. This way, you can reproduce the plant and have more money since you don’t have to buy it from supermarkets. There are two ways to pollinate dragon fruit. You can do it by hand, and the other one is by using a bee-shaped device called a bee knife. To plant dragon fruit seeds successfully, you need to have at least three male and three female flowers nearby each other. Here’s your guide to pollinate dragon fruit:
- Observe if the male flower produces pollen. This should land on the female’s flowers without any difficulty.
- Ensure that the pollen from the male’s flower attaches to the stigma, which is one of the reproductive parts of female flowers.
- The stigma should be receptive to the pollen.
- After the previous steps, there is a possibility for fertilization.
- Once the embryo is fertilized, the dragon fruit seeds will start growing.
Learning how to pollinate dragon fruit is a must if you want to grow this plant in your garden. Remember that its pollination process takes about one to six months. It may seem a long time but compared to other plants; this is faster. If you want to keep the plant thriving, make sure to apply all the necessary care tips.
