As the saying goes learn to love and appreciate the small thing in life. It was a very big moment for Rajan Varghese and his wife, Shailaja, as they got to pluck their very first dragon fruit from their terrace garden. Their house is located at Kanippayyur in Thrissur. Rajan said that ” We planned the stem last November and have been looking forward to this day.
A primary school teacher in Kavaratti in Lakshadweep Shamna KP is deliberately waiting for the plant on her terrace to flower and to give them the juicy fruit. ” Ever since I found out that you could grow this at home, I wanted to try it out,” Sharma said.
The couple is very big gardening enthusiasts in Kerela who have planted its amazing dragon fruit. This fruit has emerged as a super crop in the last few years. Dragon fruit farming has grown bigger in the state of Kerela. But besides commercial farmers, the average number of people who are growing it in their homes is also going up rapidly.
So you say what is it that the people of Kerela have been growing this fruit and are loving it so much. It is not the look of the fruit alone that has caught the attention of everyone besides only being fancy. As the fruit is low maintenance, there is no need for plenty of water or nutrition. This plant can grow with less water or nutrition. . It is a climbing cactus vine, it is a plant that yields multiple harvests in the year and has a lifespan of about 20 years. There is quite a lot of health benefit switch this fruit as this is rich in antioxidant and fibers. It ensures a good market and therefore has a reasonable profit. The yellowish-green fragrant flower of dragon fruit is another attraction.
“It is usually grown on the ground with sturdy material (like a concrete pillar) for support and ring-shaped structure (usually a tire) for the vine to droop down. But when you grow it in homes, you can plant it in grow bags, paint cans, or large containers. Ensure that the vines have strong support to climb and spread out in such a way that they are not weighed down by the weight of the fruits,” says Hussain S from Mukkom, Kozhikode, he is the one who has been selling dragon fruit stem cuttings.
They are over 400 plants on the terrace of his home and shop, on around 3,400 square feet. “It is my mission to make dragon fruit farming popular. Besides planting them in containers and grow bags, I am also growing them on soil laid on the terrace of my shop,” he adds. Hussain found more customers after videos of his nursery came out on YouTube. “There has been a huge leap in the number of clients during and post the lockdown. I have sold over 20,000 stems in the last year. Only a few of them have taken it to start farms,” says Hussain.