When Dragon Fruit fruits are ready for harvest?
- Plants are ready for harvest after 12 – 15 months from the date of plantation.
- Dragon fruit matures within 30 – 35 days after flowering
How to judge maturity of the fruits to be harvested?
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- Change of fruit epicarp colour from green to red
- Proper harvesting should be done 7days after colour transition from green to red
Source https://krishi.icar.gov.in/jspui/bitstream/123456789/23809/1/Dr.Karunkaran%2C%20vetnum%20proceeding%20.pdf
Materials required for harvesting
- Plastic crates
- Secateurs
Note: Crates should be clean & work friendly so that when it gets loaded with fruits one should be able to lift it with ease.
When to harvest the Fruits?
Harvesting of fruits should be done during early morning or late evening. Since, the temperature is minimum during this period of a day which helps to reduce the field heat enhancing the post-harvest life.
How to harvest the fruits?
At first one should audit the fruit by simply observing its colour. The fruits which fulfill the criteria of maturity should only be harvested.
Always use good quality cutters
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Things to remember while harvesting Dragon fruits:-
After harvest one should not drop the fruit from height or throw in crates or baskets because it may cause bruising on the skin of the fruit which will restrict its shelf-life and open window for infections.
| Keeping of fruits in crates properly after harvest | Fruit dropped from a height causes bruising |
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