The
dragon fruit, also called pitahaya or pitaya, is a relatively new crop in
Kenya. Only a few farmers have invested in its cultivation so the information
about how to grow it is still scanty. Good thing we are always here to educate you
on such high value crops. We always want you to start off your project from an
informed position. So please follow through as we guide you step by step on how
to grow dragon fruits in Kenya.
 |
| Dragon fruit farming: Harvesting process |
Best conditions for growing dragon fruits
Being
in the family of cactus, this fruit is adopted to grow in arid or semi arid
conditions. It does not require a lot of water. It is also not selective on type
of soils meaning you can grow it on sandy, loamy or clay soils. However, for
your plants to have good vegetative growth and a high yield, the soils must
have high organic matter and be well drained. You should also ensure that you
give them just a little water during the very dry seasons.
The support structures
Dragon
fruit plants are vines; they cannot grow upright on their own. You must make
them a support structure over which to climb. A post with a wide structure at
the top will be sufficient to support 2 to 4 vines. The plants will climb up to
the top and then spread forming something like an umbrella. This ensures that
the plants receive enough sunlight, which is very important for their growth
and production. If your support structures are arranged in rows, you should
ensure that the rows take an East-West alignment. This helps the plants to
receive sunshine throughout the day.
 |
| Dragon fruit plants in rows: the rows are in an East-West alignment |
How long do dragon fruits take to mature?
It
will take 1 to one and a half years for a dragon fruit vine to produce the
first fruit if you plant it from the cutting of a mature vine. A vine
propagated from a seed will take more than 6 years to mature hence the best
method to propagate dragon fruits is through cuttings. The lifespan of dragon
fruit plants is over 40 years.
A
dragon fruit bud takes 13 days to develop into a flower from a node. This
flower opens up for pollination on the night of the 13th day – just before
the 14th day. This is the only chance that the flower has to get pollinated.
If pollination doesn’t happen then, the flower will not grow into a fruit and
will simply fall off the plant. If it is successfully pollinated, it will
develop into a fruit that will be ripe and ready for harvesting after 38 days
since pollination. That means it only takes 52 days from the day a fruit bud emerges
to have a yummy fruit ready to be eaten.
 |
| Dragon fruit pollination by bees: it happens very early in the morning |
When
the fruits are growing, they are usually green in colour. They start turning into
red colour when they mature and the ripening process starts. The ripening
process takes only 3 days. You must harvest dragon fruits only after they are
completely ripe. This is because, unlike other fruits, Pitaya does not continue
to ripen after being harvested.
Where is the market for Pitaya?
Dragon
fruit is the most expensive fruit on the Kenyan shelves. It will cost you in
the range of Ksh800 to 1,500 to buy a kilo of Pitaya. Of course one of the
reasons for these high prices is the fact that the fruit is packed with
nutrients and antioxidants. However, the main reason why the fruit is so
expensive is the low supply against a high demand. The supermarkets that stock
these fruits in our country actually import it from other countries. This
presents a great opportunity for farmers who would want to invest in dragon
fruit farming in Kenya.
Read Also:
- 3 Reasons Why You Should Invest In Dragon Fruit Farming In Kenya
- Why Dragon Fruit Is Set To Be The Next Big Thing In Kenya’s Farming Business
China
is the largest consumer of dragon fruits and it imports a bulk of the produce from
Vietnam. China is an open market to which Kenya is exporting avocado. With the
necessary volumes, dragon fruit farmers in Kenya can take advantage of the
Chinese and larger international market.
The shelf life of dragon fruit
You
can keep dragon fruits for up to 18 days after harvesting without refrigeration.
Under proper refrigeration, the fruit will remain fresh even for 3 months. This
fruit is not perishable since it stops ripening immediately it is cut off from
the mother plant. Also, the fruit does not oxidize after being cut. That means
you do not have to consume the entire fruit once you have cut it. You can keep
a slice under refrigeration and it will look and taste as fresh as when you
first cut it.
Pest and diseases
The
greatest threat to dragon fruit farming is the fruit fly. Luckily, fruit flies
can be controlled using biological methods.
What you need to get started
A
small space, even 1/8 of an acre is enough to start dragon fruit farming. Being
a very high value crop, a few plants are enough to make you realize economic
gain. You do not need typically fertile soils as the nutritional needs of this
plant are not so high. You can actually plant it even on the edges of the farm.
The
land preparation is not necessarily tedious. All you need to do is set up the
posts that will support the plants. Posts of about 5 feet (150cm) in height are
good enough. Soften the soil around the base of the post and hip it a little especially
if you are planting on clay soils that are not so well drained. Mix the soil with
a lot of manure to give it sufficient amounts of organic matter. You only need soils
that are about 2 feet (60cm) deep since the plants are shallow rooters.
Plant
seedlings developed from cuttings. Get mature rooted dragon fruit cuttings from
Richfarm Kenya, 0724698357. Burry only the rooting section of the cutting and
water just enough to make the soil moist. Tie the cuttings to the post to help
them grow upright before they produce aerial roots and be able to climb by themselves.
 |
| Rooted dragon fruit cutting for sale: Richfarm Kenya |
You have done all you need to. From now on, you will only need to train your plants along the post and wait to harvest the delicious, high value fruit in about 1 years time.
