I need dragonfruit advice

[TxArmour12b]

My dragonfruit is growing tall but thin branches. I water when the top few centimeters are dry and have been fertilizing every 3-4 weeks with fish emulsion. Our temps have been between 90-102 F in southeast Texas (I apologize I don’t know Celsius but do prefer metric lol). I have the plant under a 40% shade cloth to try and take the bite out of the afternoon sun. I think it’s the extreme heat causing skinny growth but I’m curious to hear y’all’s opinions

The variety is American Beauty but I’m seeing similar growth rate on Purple Haze. Sugar Dragon, Edgar’s Baby, Yellow Dragon, and Tricia are all growing nice and thick

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

I haven't personally grown dragonfruit, but usually skinny growth means a lack of light; the plant is stretching up to try and get more sunlight.

 

[Cathy]

I'm going to say this looks completely normal.... I'm not exactly sure what makes them skinny but I have had a mix of fat and skinny.

The skinny ones tended to be the travelling ones up the side of the shed and the fruiting ones are fatter that flopped more horizontally.
This one is the new one at my new house. Cutting came from the one over the shed. You can see the mix of thickness.

Also pics of the fruit I harvested 2 days ago. That big one was 950grams

 

[TxArmour12b]

I'm going to say this looks completely normal.... I'm not exactly sure what makes them skinny but I have had a mix of fat and skinny.

The skinny ones tended to be the travelling ones up the side of the shed and the fruiting ones are fatter that flopped more horizontally.
This one is the new one at my new house. Cutting came from the one over the shed. You can see the mix of thickness.

Also pics of the fruit I harvested 2 days ago. That big one was 950grams

Thank you! it’s my first season with dragonfruit and im feeling like a overprotective parent watching a baby grow lol I hope mine grow as beautiful as yours is and the fruit looks amazing!

 

[Cathy]

Story of these plants was that they lived in a very small pot for 2 yrs while I was planning my new house. They were never watered, dried out all the time, self rooted into the ground and were then ripped up and shoved in this raised bed with good potting mix. The soil underneath is predominantly clay...other than the first several months I never water them and feed them rarely.

Sub tropical heat of 35 degrees Celsius was common this year with sporadic heavy rain. Full sun... 100% sun all day. I did think I might lose them but they lived and flowered!

 

[TxArmour12b]

Story of these plants was that they lived in a very small pot for 2 yrs while I was planning my new house. They were never watered, dried out all the time, self rooted into the ground and were then ripped up and shoved in this raised bed with good potting mix. The soil underneath is predominantly clay...other than the first several months I never water them and feed them rarely.

Sub tropical heat of 35 degrees Celsius was common this year with sporadic heavy rain. Full sun... 100% sun all day. I did think I might lose them but they lived and flowered

That’s incredible how tough these plants are, did they experience any sunburn or heat related problems?

 

[Cathy]

They got sunburn (first picture) when I first harvested the stems from the mother plant.

My main issue now is canker... it seems to blow in on the northerly side of the plant. I treat it with a copper sulfide spray I think it is...

Canker is the orange spots... I think if I fertilise it I need to find the balance because too much fertiliser can reduce flowers.

 

[Clara]

Dragonfruit are succulents, used to hot weather and infrequent watering. They don't need fertilising, ever. My only advice is you are babying them too much, these are plants that you can throw a section on the ground, leave it and you'll get a new plant with no effort. They are difficult to kill except if you water them too much, then they will rot. I don't grow them because they are ugly space hogs but I quite like the fruit. I have seen these completely take over a yard in the space of a few years so all that care could be lavished on something else.