Dragon fruit Nutrient Deficiency: Signs, Causes and the Fertilizer That Fixes It
Dragon fruit nutrient deficiency is one of the first things to check when the leaves of your saniata (dragon fruit) turn yellow, purple or burnt at the edges. On Philippine farms the usual ones are nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and iron. This guide shows where each one starts, how to be sure, and the fertilizer that fixes it.
Start with one question: did the change begin on the old leaves or on the young ones? Nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium move inside the plant, so a shortage shows on the old, lower leaves first. But iron stay where the plant first put them, so the young leaves and the growing tip show it first. After that, the color and the pattern narrow down which dragon fruit nutrient deficiency you have, and a soil test confirms it. Each one below has its signs, its causes and its fix.
Dragon fruit nutrient deficiency signs, old leaves and young leaves
Shows first on the old leaves
| Nutrient | Where it starts | What you see | Fix with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrogen | old, lower leaves, the whole plant | Stems turn pale green to yellowish all over, new shoots come slowly and thin, and few flowers form. | Complete 14 14 14, Urea 46 0 0 |
| Potassium | old, lower leaves, fruit, grain or tubers | Older stems yellow and dry at the edges, and fruit come small, light and less sweet. | Muriate of potash 0 0 60, Sulfate of potash 0 0 50 |
| Phosphorus | the whole plant, the roots | Plants grow slowly with weak roots and few new shoots, and flower poorly. | Superphosphate 0 20 0, Ammonium phosphate 18 46 0 |
| Magnesium | old, lower leaves | Older stem segments turn yellow while the young shoots stay green. | Magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt), Dolomite |
Shows first on the young leaves
| Nutrient | Where it starts | What you see | Fix with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron | young leaves and the tip | New shoots come out pale yellow on high pH or limestone soils. | Ferrous sulfate |
Before you buy fertilizer for a dragon fruit nutrient deficiency
So use the table to pick the likeliest dragon fruit nutrient deficiency, then read its section below. Also keep in mind that dry soil, standing water, cold nights, a pest or a disease can look the same. That is why it pays to check the roots and the whole field first.
Nitrogen deficiency in dragon fruit
Dragon fruit has no true leaves. So this follows general plant signs, read on the green stems that do the work of leaves. The older stem segments turn pale green to yellowish evenly, without spots. New shoots come slowly, stay thin and short, and the plant fills its post slowly. Fewer flowers and smaller fruit follow. You see it most at this stage: young plants growing up the post in the first two years, and bearing plants that are not fed after harvest.
Why nitrogen deficiency happens in saniata
Sandy soils low in organic matter, heavy rain that washes nitrogen down, and plants left without fertilizer or manure. Dragon fruit is a heavy feeder even though it is a cactus.
How to tell it apart
Sunburn bleaches the sun facing side of stems yellow to white in patches, while nitrogen shortage pales the whole plant. Stem canker shows small orange to brown spots that sink and crack. To be sure, do a soil test before planting. A tissue test of a mature stem section helps. For the tissue test, take a 5 cm piece of fully mature stem.
What to apply for nitrogen deficiency
Give young plants about 118 grams of a complete fertilizer every two months in the first year, 136 to 182 grams every two months in the second and third years, then 227 to 341 grams three to four times a year after that, with manure or compost around the base. Some growers give each plant about 2 kg of organic fertilizer, 25 grams of Urea 46 0 0 and 75 grams of Complete 14 14 14. Repeat it every three to six months.
- Complete 14 14 14
- Urea 46 0 0
- Ammonium sulfate 21 0 0
Sold here with nitrogen: Atlas Granular Urea (46 0 0) by Atlas Fertilizer, Amigo Planters Ammonium Chloride by La Filipina (25 0 0), Agripower 46 0 0 (Locally Blended) Coated by Green Acres Agri Tech and Calcipro by Ramgo (15.5 0 0 with 18.8 percent calcium). Check the FPA registration on the bag and follow the label rate. For the how and when, see our guide to urea fertilizer, and the page on nitrogen deficiency in every crop. In anee.io, Anee, the smart farm technician, reads a photo of the leaf and tells you which nutrient is short.
To keep it away, feed in small, regular doses with plenty of compost or manure, kept a little away from the stem base. Once plants bear, give less nitrogen and more potash around flowering. Let a soil test and the crop's color set the season's nitrogen.
Potassium deficiency in dragon fruit
Dragon fruit has no true leaves. So this follows general plant signs, read on the green stems that do the work of leaves. Older stem segments yellow and may dry at the edges and tips. Stems get weaker, and fruit come small, light and less sweet. You see it most at this stage: flowering and fruit filling, when the fruit pull the most potash.
Why potassium deficiency happens in saniata
Dragon fruit takes out much more potash than nitrogen. The fruit you harvest and the stems you prune carry off about two to three times more potash than nitrogen. Sandy soils and heavy rain add to it.
How to tell it apart
Sunburn scorches the sun facing side of the stems. Stem canker and anthracnose leave sunken brown spots spread over the stem, not a drying that starts at the edges of old segments. To be sure, A soil test and a tissue test of a mature stem section. Bigger, heavier fruit after potash is added point to it.
What to apply for potassium deficiency
Give more potash than nitrogen once plants bear, using Muriate of potash 0 0 60 or Sulfate of potash 0 0 50 with a complete fertilizer. For red fleshed dragon fruit, 60 60 120 kg of NPK per hectare pays back more than 120 120 120. Less nitrogen and phosphorus with more potash earns the most. Follow a soil test for the exact rate. Split it, more while fruits are filling.
- Muriate of potash 0 0 60
- Sulfate of potash 0 0 50
- Complete 14 14 14
Sold here with potassium: Atlas Muriate of Potash (MOP) by Atlas Fertilizer (0 0 60), Simplot Sulfate 0 0 50 by Nutranta, Potassium Nitrate by Parafield (13 0 46) and Qrop Mix Production 14 0 23 plus 13 Cao by Farmtech Agriland (14 0 23 with 9.3 percent calcium). Check the FPA registration on the bag and follow the label rate. For the how and when, see our guide to potash fertilizer, and the page on potassium deficiency in every crop.
To keep it away, return pruned stems as compost only if they are healthy, and add potash at every feeding of bearing plants.
Phosphorus deficiency in dragon fruit
Dragon fruit has no true leaves. So this follows general plant signs, read on the green stems that do the work of leaves. Shoots and roots grow slowly, so the plant climbs its post late and makes few new shoots. Stems may look dull dark green. Flowering is poor and fruit numbers drop. You see it most at this stage: young plants after planting, and bearing plants that flower poorly.
Why phosphorus deficiency happens in saniata
Acid, weathered soils that hold phosphorus tightly and soils with no phosphate at planting. A shortage of phosphorus holds back the growth of both shoots and roots.
How to tell it apart
Waterlogged or rotting roots also stunt the plant, so check the roots and drainage. Nitrogen shortage stunts too, but the stems turn pale, not dark. To be sure, A soil test for phosphorus and pH. A tissue test of a mature stem section helps.
What to apply for phosphorus deficiency
Put Superphosphate 0 20 0 or Ammonium phosphate 18 46 0 in the planting hole and at feedings, following a soil test. Giving 60 300 60 kg of NPK per hectare brings more flowers, fruit per post, yield and return than lower phosphate rates. Give it when the rains begin.
- Superphosphate 0 20 0
- Ammonium phosphate 18 46 0
- 16 20 0
- Complete 14 14 14
Sold here with phosphorus: Philphos 18 46 0 (Di Ammonium Phosphate), Atlas Super Gro (16 20 0) by Atlas Fertilizer, Amigo Planters Granular Single Super Phosphate by La Filipina (0 18 0 with 11 percent sulfur) and Triple Super Phosphate by Newman Chemicals (0 46 0). Check the FPA registration on the bag and follow the label rate. For the how and when, see our guide to 16 20 0 fertilizer, and the page on phosphorus deficiency in every crop.
To keep it away, add phosphate and compost at planting. Keep the soil pH at about 5.3 to 6.7, liming very acid soils.
Magnesium deficiency in dragon fruit
The signs are like those on other plants. So this follows general plant signs, read on the green stems that do the work of leaves. Since dragon fruit has no true leaves, look at the older stem segments: they lose color and turn yellowish while the young shoots stay green. Fruit quality can drop. You see it most at this stage: bearing plants, especially after heavy potash feeding.
Why magnesium deficiency happens in saniata
Acid, sandy soils that have lost magnesium to rain, and heavy potash use, which competes with magnesium. Use a fertilizer that carries 2 to 3 percent magnesium.
How to tell it apart
Nitrogen shortage pales the whole plant, young shoots included. Sunburn bleaches only the sun facing side. To be sure, A soil test for magnesium, potash and pH, and a tissue test of an older stem section.
What to apply for magnesium deficiency
Use a complete fertilizer with 2 to 3 percent magnesium at every feeding. Magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt) can be added to the soil or sprayed. Follow the label. On acid soils, use Dolomite, which supplies magnesium and raises pH. Give 100 to 250 grams of Kieserite or Magnesium sulfate a post a year, or Dolomite on acid soil. Put the soil dose in before planting or when the rains begin. Sprays show results in 10 to 14 days.
- Magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt)
- Dolomite
- Kieserite
Sold here with magnesium: Dolomite by A6 Agrisource (24 percent calcium and 11 percent magnesium), Agsmart Kieserite Granule (20 percent sulfur and 16.3 percent magnesium), DDDD Planter's Choice Magnesium Sulphate Monohydrate by Modern Time (15.1 percent magnesium) and Zetryl MAG 9 by Zetryl Chem (9 percent magnesium). Check the FPA registration on the bag and follow the label rate. For the how and when, see our guide to complete fertilizer, and the page on magnesium deficiency in every crop.
To keep it away, use a fertilizer or mix that contains magnesium, and keep potash and magnesium in balance with a soil test.
Iron deficiency in dragon fruit
Dragon fruit has no true leaves. So this follows general plant signs, read on the green stems that do the work of leaves. New shoots and young segments come out pale yellow, while older stems stay green. Growth of new shoots slows. Pitaya shows minor element shortages on poor, high pH soils. You see it most at this stage: new growth flushes, in the warm rainy season.
Why iron deficiency happens in saniata
High pH, limestone or coral soils, and soils limed too heavily. Waterlogged soil also cuts iron uptake.
How to tell it apart
Nitrogen shortage pales older stems first. Young shoots are often lighter green for a short time and darken as they mature. To be sure, A soil test with pH. A small test drench of iron on a few plants, watching whether the next shoots come out green. In a soil test, less than 4.5 ppm of iron is low.
What to apply for iron deficiency
On high pH soil, drench each plant with 7 to 15 grams of chelated iron in the first year, rising to 22 to 29 grams per plant in later years. On neutral or acid soil, apply small amounts of Ferrous sulfate at the base. You can also give four to six minor element sprays through the warm, rainy season. Spray Ferrous sulfate at 0.5 to 1 percent (80 to 160 grams in a 16 liter sprayer), or an iron chelate at the label rate, two or three times 7 to 10 days apart.
- Ferrous sulfate
Sold here with iron: DDDD Planter's Choice Ferrous Sulphate Heptahydrate by Modern Time (19 percent iron), Ferrous Sulfate Monohydrate by Zetryl Chem (30 percent iron), Ferrous Sulphate Monohydrate by Newman Chemicals (30 percent iron) and Liquid Chelate Iron with Sulfur by Sagrex (5 percent iron and 3 percent sulfur). Check the FPA registration on the bag and follow the label rate. For the how and when, see our guide to foliar fertilizer, and the page on iron deficiency in every crop.
To keep it away, do not over lime, add plenty of organic matter, and keep the soil well drained. Test the soil every two or three years.
A soil test is the surest check for any dragon fruit nutrient deficiency. Before you buy, ask your Municipal Agriculture Office where to send a soil sample. The DA regional soil laboratories test soil, and the result says how much of each fertilizer your saniata needs. That saves money, because extra fertilizer is money lost.
Open the Nutrient Deficiency Finder, pick saniata, say where the leaves changed first and what you see, and get the fertilizers sold here that fix it.
- Anee, the smart farm technician, reads a photo of the leaf
- The cropping calendar dates every fertilizer application of your season
Dragon fruit nutrient deficiency questions
Why are my saniata leaves turning yellow?
What fertilizer fixes nitrogen deficiency in dragon fruit?
What fertilizer fixes potassium deficiency in dragon fruit?
What fertilizer fixes phosphorus deficiency in dragon fruit?
How do I know which nutrient my saniata lacks?
Find the missing nutrient and fix it
With Libre + Anee, read the whole guide: how to tell the deficiency from look alikes, how to be sure, what to apply, and the fertilizers sold here that supply it.
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