Best of luck in growing dragon fruit; patience not included, but if you like bizarre side projects, growing dragon fruit is a good one (as is making dragon fruit kombucha and growing your own mangoes).

Today the pitahaya continues to be cultivated commercially in its native range as well as throughout Asia, but it is also cultivated in other tropical and subtropical regions, such as Israel and northern Australia. It can help suppress weed growth and prevent water evaporation, meaning less water needs to be dedicated to irrigation. The flesh of a ripe dragon fruit can be enjoyed raw, scooped out of its peel with a spoon – and when enjoyed this way, some find it tastes best chilled.However, the plant will likely eventually grow to a point that it needs a bigger pot, so be prepared to transplant it when that happens. Next, position the dragon fruit cutting or seedling so the top of its root ball is at the level of the soil surface, and the stem is ready to grow up alongside its support system.

If you're in "not tropical" conditions like me, this might save you a few years of wishful thinking. Replace the water in the jar weekly to prevent disease, then, once you can see a good set of roots, pot your cutting into potting compost. These flowers are usually large and showy, with vibrant colors ranging from white and pink to yellow and red. Like aphids, thrips also have mouthparts which they use to pierce plant tissue and suck out nutrients. I’ll preface this by saying that creating a trellis or stake for pitayas can be labor intensive, but since these plants can live for 30 to 50 years with proper care, it’s worth taking time at the outset to create a suitable support system for your cacti.Then, grab either dried cactus cuttings or dragon fruit seeds and plant them flush with the soil line. If you train your plant up a pole, an annual pruning just after fruit harvest can help keep your plant shaped and productive. This plant likes to grow in relatively bright light, but it may resent being in full harsh afternoon sun. Before you transplant, you’ll need to decide what type of post, stake, or trellising system you’re going to use.

Professional pitaya growers often use a four-by-four wood post or a cement post reinforced with rebar, sunk into the ground. Pitaya stems will hang over the edges of the canopy support, trailing down, where they will produce their fruit.

If you are growing them for fruit and not just as a whimsical act of pure fun, then you’re going to need a very sturdy trellis system since they produce masses of heavy foliage and heavy dragon fruit. Also known as Drago Milenario and Drago de Icod de los Vinos, this is thought to be the oldest and largest living specimen of Dracaena draco. If your plant is going to be outside (whether it's in a container or not), choose a place that's at least partly sunny. Often a raised bed or container of some sort is used in conjunction with this type of stake to ensure good drainage. Dragon Fruit plants thrive in warm climates with temperatures between 65°F and 90°F (18°C to 32°C) which serves as the ideal growing conditions for this plant.