Growing Dragon Fruit

Growing dragonfruit is as simple as any seed. Though they are very small so you have to be careful you don’t wash out the seeds when watering them.

First clean the seeds from the flesh and let them dry. You may wish to rinse them first as they can get stuck together ’cause of the sugar content, though not necessary as they are too small to handle.

After the seeds are fully dry you can sprinkle them where you want to grow, or in pots and cover lightly with soil. Use a watering can or a fine mist hose to water to prevent blowing the seeds away. Plant them in full sun.

As with any cacti or succulent, they prefer sandy well drained soil, but can tolerate most soils as long as it doesn’t get wet feet.

Growing mangoes

I love mangoes, but then again who doesn’t? That’s probably the reason why I wanted to grow my own. The problem is, I don’t live in the tropics nor anywhere near there. I live in a temperate climate in Canberra, Australia and makes it pretty risky to how long my mango tree would actually survive. It’s been one and a half years now since I planted them and they have survived one winter so far.

June is the start of another winter and I believe they’ll make it through again because I keep my plants indoors away from frosts. Just make sure they get enough sunlight and warmth. I keep them near a north-facing window to catch all the winter sun.

Here is a pic of one of my beloved mango plants. They’re pretty easy to look after, but prolonged periods without the occassional fresh air, they can get infected by mites which make the bottom side of the leaves sticky and wet. I just clean it with a moist sponge dipped in water. I heard that a little bit of light soapy water is ok to use, but haven’t really tried it.

Want to know how to grow mangoes from seed?

After enjoying your ripe mango, leave the seed to dry out a bit in the case for a day or two, this will make it easier to open. Then carefully cut an edge with scissors or secateurs to make a gap big enough for you pull open the seed case.

Now plant the seed as soon as possible, don’t let it dry out. Insert it into a good grade potting mix and cover with about 2-3cm of the mix. Water and leave in a sunny position. All day sun is ideal. Make sure you don’t let the pot get dry, but don’t water more than once a day or the seeds might rot. Your mango seedlings should emerge in about 7-14 days after planting.

PS. If you live in a cool climate area make sure you only plant them in spring or summer to get the best results.