Many people in Sweden want to realize the dream of harvesting their own tropical fruits at home. With the right conditions, some plant lighting, a warm place and patience, you can actually succeed in growing dragon fruit indoors.
Here are our best tips for those of you who want to grow this tropical fruit at home.
1. Start with a cutting (please, save yourself a few years)
Sure, you can grow dragon fruit from seed. But it's a bit like planting an apple core and waiting for apples. It takes time, and you won't get fruit for very long. That's why we highly recommend starting with a cutting or a small plant.
You can buy a dragon fruit plant here!
Dragon fruit grows on a climbing cactus that requires support, so right from the start it's a good idea to have a stable pot and perhaps a stake or trellis ready.
2. Give the cactus a good home, with extra light
Dragon fruit needs a lot of light, and preferably warmth. In Sweden, it does well indoors if you supplement it with a grow light. A simple LED grow light makes a big difference and increases the chances that the plant will both grow and one day bloom.
Plant the dragon fruit in cactus or succulent soil with good drainage. If you want to pamper it, you can mix in some worm compost or other nutrition, dragon fruit is voracious and appreciates extra fertilizer.
3. Water sparingly
Dragon fruit, like most cacti, hates to be wet. Let the soil dry out between waterings, especially during the winter months when growth stops. Better a little too dry than too wet.
We grow dragon fruit in our spring peat-free soil!
Tip: If the stems start to look rotten and mushy, you've probably watered too much. Then just cut off the damaged part and start over with the healthy part that remains.
4. What happens next?
When the plant is healthy, it will start to branch and grow taller. It may eventually need support, like a trellis, as it likes to climb. And if you're patient (and lucky with light and warmth), it can actually bloom with large, white night flowers that look like they belong in a sci-fi movie.
Getting fruit indoors in Sweden is difficult, but not impossible. At best it will bloom after a couple of years and then you can try to pollinate the flowers yourself with a paintbrush to get fruit.
A tropical hobby for those with patience (and a grow light)
Dragon fruit may not be the easiest plant to grow, but it's fun, beautiful, and very hardy. Like a tropical science project in your window. Whether you get fruit or not, the plant is a conversation piece in itself.
Want to try it? We have dragon fruits ready for a new home and we are happy to help you with advice along the way! Buy a dragon fruit plant and try it for yourself!
