Dragon Fruit Cuttings No sign of roots??? Why??

We had this email from a customer in regards to his dragon fruit not rooting. I have put this on our dragon fruit blog as we believe information should be shared it is an opportunity to learn something new.

Details of Purchase
The order was placed on the 30th of May 2023
Posted 5 of June and delivered 7th of June at 2.30
Email received 30 of June 2023

Customer

Hi ,

I have received the dragon fruit cuttings from my order # .

Then planted them but no signs of roots instead they are drying up.

I would like to return them and get a refund.

Reply

Good morning.
We do not refund, sorry, for this reason.
But we are happy to help you guide you towards the better growth of dragon fruit.
I think you need to give your plants time.
In Winter the root growth is a lot slower.
All these factors affect the growth of dragon fruit-
Time of year, hours of sunlight, warmth, humidity.
Are they indoors?
What potting mix did you use?
We recommend good quality premium potting mix - Searles, Rocky Point or Mushroom compost. Cheap potting mix will cause drying out, cheap potting mix lacks nutrients and will stunt growth.
How much water are you giving them? Water once the soil has dried out.
Did you use a rooting hormone? Rooting hormone powders and rooting hormone gels can help speed up the production of roots on your dragon fruit cuttings.

Dragon fruit are a subtropical plant so they prefer a warm environment.

Every time you pull the cutting out of the soil you disturb any microscopic growth that is occurring. It is best to leave them in a pot for at least 3-4 months until you notice growth in limbs before disturbing the soil. Even better wait until you notice roots growing out the bottom of the pot.

Your order was only placed on the 30th of May (add on a week in the post). It's now the 5 of July this is too early to see growth unless the conditions are optimal,

You are also located in NSW, Ryde- this is not a subtropical environment so you will need to be a bit more patient and give the plants a bit more TLC.

Keep indoors over winter or in a greenhouse, and replicate some humidity especially if you use indoor heating as this will cause drying.

I hope this helps.

Regards Yana