Plantation of Dragon Fruit plants
Plantation of Dragon Fruit plants is one of the most important activities.
Time of Plantation:
It depends upon the availability of water and weather conditions prevailing in the region. Plantation should be avoided during extreme hot, severe cold temperatures & heavy rains. This activity can be undertaken in the month of Feb. / March with recommended practices.
Steps of plantation:
| 1. | Carrying Plants to Field |
| 2. | Pit digging |
| 3. | Media Packet tearing (not cutting) |
| 4. | Placement of plant in pit |
| 5. | Soil Filling |
| 6. | Watering |
Step 1. –
Carrying Plants to Field
The following should be taken care of while carrying plants to field.
Use crates or baskets for carrying plants.
Keep the plants upright and straight during transport.
Avoid overloading the crates or baskets to prevent damage to the plants.
Plants being carried in crates-
Step 2: Making Hole for Plantation
At the time of plantation, a hole slightly bigger than the size of packet containing soil and plant is dug.
| STEPS | IMAGES |
| A hole slightly bigger than the size of packet is required. Remove the soil around the pole Hole dug around the pole should be slightly bigger than media packet. |  |
Step 3: Tearing the polybag
Before plantation, the polybag containing media / soil needs to be removed.
| Dos’ | IMAGES |
| Remove media packet manually |  |
| Don’ts | |
| Do not use sharp tools like cutters or scissors to remove the polybag. Reason: Using sharp objects may accidentally cut the main roots, which can lead to plant mortality. |  |
Step 4: Placement of plant in the pit
Proper placement of the plant in the pit is crucial for successful transplantation. The depth of the pit should be slightly larger than the media packet.
| Dos’ | IMAGES |
| Top layer of soil media (plant) should align with surface of bed. |  |
| Don’ts | |
| Avoid placement of plant above pit level. |  |
| Deep placement will provide an opportunity to scion for root development and emergence of such roots will ultimately lead to infection. |  |
Step 5: Soil Filling
| Fill soil in the cavity of pit. While filling, ensure that soil is not raised towards the stem of the plant and be kept only at ground level. |  |
Step 6: Watering
- Dragon Fruit plants need almost 10 liters of water immediately after plantation.
- Regular watering / irrigation ensures development of a better root system.
- Initial watering / irrigation facilitates joining of plant soil with field soil.
| Post Plantation – Watering of the plant |  |
