how to fertilize dragon fruit native to Central America dragon fruit is popular for its refreshing tropical fruit medicinal qualities and ornamental night blooming flowers the French introduced the dragon fruit to the Vietnamese over 100 years ago today Vietnam is the top commercial producer of dragon fruit in this region dragon fruit is a climbing cactus that is utilized for food medicine decorative landscaping and food coloring the plants genus name tylosaurus means wax or torched lichen grows best in dry tropical climates things you will need six six six or eight or twelve fertilizer water manure or compost step one apply fertilizer two to three months after planting a dragon fruit tree this is when the tree starts growing step 2 during the first year after planting a dragon fruit cactus fertilize every eight weeks with light doses one quarter of a pound of fertilizer step 3 in the second and third years gradually increase fertilizer to 1/3 of a pound for dragon fruit cactus every two months add six pounds of manure or compost around the base of each cactus every six months step four all following years increase fertilizer to half a pound to three-quarters of a pound per cactus plant apply fertilizer every four months add five pounds of manure or compost for each dragon fruit plant every six months you