How To Grow Sweet Fruits And Keep Your Customers Coming Back For More

As fruit farmers, we know that growing clean and colourful fruits is key to selling: buyers are attracted by the physical appearance of the fruit. However, for a sustainable fruit farming business, we not only want to attract new customers but also keep them coming back everyday. The only sure way to create a huge base of return customers is to produce fruits that are rich in flavour. Taste is unforgettable and irrespective of how good a fruit looks, if it doesn’t taste as good, we lose the buyers. 

So how do we make our fruits sweet?

The amount of sugar content in your fruits is measured in Brix; the higher the brix, the sweeter the fruit. A higher brix is achieved when the plant is able to take up nutrients and water from the soil efficiently and convert them into sugars. Sufficient exposure to sunlight is very important in aiding the process of photosynthesis through which the plants manufacture sugars.

Fruit farming: How to improve the taste of your fruits

Also Read: How To Grow The Best Tangerine For The Market In Kenya

Here are some steps you can take to improve the brix of your plats and keep those customers coming back for more of your sweet fruits.

 

1. Maintain the right soil nutrient ratio

Please take note that we are talking about the ratio and not the amounts of the specific nutrients. Plants essentially need 3 main nutrients for healthy growth: Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P) and Potassium (K). These are the elements denoted by NPK in fertilisers.

During the early stages, the best growth will be achieved if you maintain these elements such that we have about 30% to 60% nitrogen, 30% to 60% potassium and 10% to 30% Phosphorous.

However, when the plant gets to fruiting stage, you should reduce nitrogen and increase potassium. This is because excessive nitrates burn carbohydrates in the plant hence reducing the fruits brix (the measure of sugar content in a fruit).

Passion fruit at fruiting stage

So, if you are still adding lots of manure to your fruiting plants, you are reducing the sugar content of the fruits and damaging their flavour – manure is rich in nitrogen. Also check the contents of the fertilizer you use to top-dress your fruiting plants to ensure they have a higher K than N and P.

Also Read: How to produce Big Juicy Apples

 

2. Ensure sufficient soil moisture

I have heard some people saying that if you irrigate your plants during fruiting the fruits will be tasteless. That is far from the truth. Your plants need sufficient water for them to be able to absorb the nutrients in the soil. Plants absorb nutrients in solution form.

It will be of no use to have balanced nutrients in your soil with no water: the plant will not be able to absorb these nutrients.

Please note that I said sufficient – not too low and also not too high. If you over irrigate your plants, the roots “drown” and absorption of nutrients is again impeded.

 

3. Expose your plants to maximum sunlight

Plants use sunlight in the process of photosynthesis in which the leaves of the plant transform carbon dioxide and water into chemical energy that is stored in the plants as glucose. It is this glucose that gives the fruits the sweet taste.

So, if you grow your fruit plants in a shaded place, do not expect the fruits to be sweet. For this reason, if your fruit orchard is planted in rows, ensure that the rows run from East to West and not from North to South.

If your rows run North to South, the rows to the East cast shadows on the rows to the West of your farm in the morning and the reverse happens in the late afternoon.  As a result, your plants are only exposed to full sunlight around noon resulting in lower photosynthesis hence lower brix (fruit sweetness).

On the other hand, if your rows are in an East-West alignment, all the plants get sunlight all day long.

 

4. Keep the soil pH at the recommended level

Soil pH is a measure of how acidic or basic your soils are. The pH scale ranges from 1 to 14 where 7 is neutral. If your soils have a pH of less that 7, they are acidic and if the scale is higher than 7 then they are basic.

Soil pH affects the availability of nutrients to your plants. In highly acidic or alkaline soils, phosphorous and many micronutrients important in improving the fruit brix are less available to the plant.

Most plants will perform best in soils of pH between 6.0 and 7.5. Out of this range, the plants might struggle and grow but the sweetness of the fruits will be severely affected since the plant’s nutrient uptake is seriously hampered.

Different plants grow optimally in different pH levels. Most fruits will grow best and have higher brix in slightly acidic soils of between 5 and 6.5 pH. But be sure to check the best levels for the specific fruit you are growing.

The good thing is that soil pH can be adjusted to suit your crop. If it is too low (meaning the soil is acidic), use agricultural lime to bring it down to the optimum level. If it is too high, use ammonium-based fertilisers or organic matter. The quantities of the corrective components will be determined by the pH level. Recommendations will be given to you if you use professional soil testing services such as CropNut in Limuru, Soil-Care or KALRO to establish your soil’s pH.

 

Hass avocado tree at fruiting stage

5. Apply seaweed extracts on our plants

Seaweed extracts are products that can be applied on the crop as foliar on drenched into the soil around the rooting area of your plants. Although some brands of seaweed extracts have trace nutrients, they are technically not fertilisers: they are bio-stimulants.

Simply put, seaweed extracts are biological products derived from sea weeds and containing plant growth hormones. When applied on crops, they help to improve the plant’s photosynthesis and efficient uptake and utilization of soil nutrients, irrespective of the composition of the soil. It works like a miracle boost.

From our earlier discuss, you can clearly see that this would result in higher brix. An added advantage is that seaweed extracts also trigger fruit ripening while also increasing the hardness of the fruits. As such, the fruit ripens fast but still with a good keeping quality.

There are many brands of seaweed extracts in Kenya. You can simply walk into an agrovet and ask for a seaweed-based bio-stimulant. Remember, this is not a substitute for fertilizer but a product aimed at helping your plant uptake and efficiently use the nutrients in the soil.

6. Plant the sweeter varieties

We have said much in the paragraphs above but this last one could be the most important: choose the right variety to plant. Fruit sweetness can and actually is influenced to a great extent by the genetic makeup of a specific variety. 

Let me give you an example: the solo sunrise and calina IPB9 varieties of pawpaw are the sweetest compared to mountain pawpaw and others: we cant even mention the big indigenous varieties here because those were actually bitter.  Even if you got all the other 5 points right and missed on this one, all your efforts of becoming a successful fruit farmer will never pay. 

Also Read: Why Solo Sunrise Is the Most Popular Pawpaw Variety in Kenya and the World

Pixie Orange Farming: A Worthy Investment For The Year 2024

Pixie oranges continue to become very popular among Kenyan consumers. This is because this variety of oranges is a lot sweeter than the ordinary large oranges, juicier and their orange flavour is very sharp. Actually, if you cut a pixie orange in one room, its refreshing smell will be calling someone from the next room. Farmers have realized the huge opportunity arising from the demand and are making efforts to fill the gap. However, the few pixie orange farming activities in Kenya are far from meeting the growing demand within the country and even abroad.

Pixie orange farming in Kenya

Pixie farming areas in Kenya

Being a variety of citrus fruits, pixie oranges thrive in hot climatic conditions. Currently, Makueni County leads in the production of this fruit, followed by the other Ukambani counties of Machakos and Kitui. The hot Baringo County is also hot on the trail and gladly, the coastal people of Kwale and Taita Taveta have woken up to the opportunity even though in very small scales.

Also Read: How To Grow Sweet Fruits And Keep Your Customers Coming Back For More

Grafted trees mature faster

Pixie oranges originated from California and are seedless. Therefore, the only available method of propagating this variety in Kenya is by grafting. This brings forth another advantage in that the grafted seedlings mature faster. Grafted pixie oranges will start giving you fruits in the second year and mature after 3-5 years depending on how well they are taken care of. At first, each tree will give a few fruits; about 30 to 50 fruits. This production increases every year as the branches grow wider. The highest yield is attained in the 4^th or 5^th year in which each pixie tree can give up to 300 fruits; about 60 kgs per tree.

A pixie orange tree with fruits

How to grow pixie

Pixie can grow in many different types of soils. However the best soils are the well drained sandy loam soils. Like many other fruit trees, pixie requires fertile soils with a high humus content and a pH level of between 6.5 and 7.4. The planting holes should be prepared well to a size of 2x2 feet – 2 feet wide and 2 feet deep. Separate the top soil from the bottom soil and use the rich top soil mixed with manure to plant your seedlings. Mix the soil and manure at the ratio 1:2 (1 bucket of manure for 2 buckets of soil. When filling back the whole with the mixture of soil and manure, ensure you leave about 10 cm to create space for watering your seedlings.

Also Read: Tangerine Farming: How To Grow The Best Tangerine For The Market In Kenya

Best climate for growing pixie

The best climate for pixie farming in Kenya is warm or hot with temperatures between 10℃ and 30℃. The rainfall should be at least 1,000 mm annually although this can be supplemented through irrigation to achieve optimum yields. The fruit thrives between the sea level and an altitude of about 2100m.

Recommended spacing for pixie

Pixie orange trees grow to a height of 4 meters and spread to a radius of 3m. Therefore the recommended spacing for pixie is 3 by 5 meters: 3m from plant to plant and 5m from line to line. With this spacing, you can plant 270 high yielding trees in one acre. The distance in between the rows of trees is kept at 5 meters to allow sufficient work space for spraying and harvesting. This space can also be used to grow cover crops such as beans.

Why you should do pixie orange farming in 2024

Pixie orange farming is very profitable with an acre giving a turnover of up to Ksh1.2 million per year as reported by farmers in Makueni. These fruits are sold at an average price of Ksh80 per kilo at the farm gate. 

A well tended tree will give 60 kilos of fruits in a year and an acre can accommodate 270 such trees. The cost of starting a pixie farm is just one-time and would be about Ksh150,000. Of this initial capital, you only need about Ksh100,000 for purchasing seedlings (around Ksh67,500) and planting labour (around Ksh33,000) at first. 

The remaining 50,000 is needed over time since it’s used for maintaining the orchard in terms of pest control and irrigation where need be. Once established, the farm will be generating income for you every year for the next 20 to 30 years.

Pixie orange market in Kenya

Kenyans have developed an unmatched liking for this fruit: it's bright colour, juicy nature and sweet taste is simply irresistible. As a result, pixie oranges have a wide market in the country even though they remain quite pricy. Just like apples and the seedless grapes, you will find them being sold even in the fruit kiosks in our estates and roadsides. 

People in hot areas like Kisumu and Mombasa particularly love the fruits for juicing. You can actually feel the sweet orange smell near juice making shops and that is very attractive. For now, the supply still remains low as the demand sores. 

How to start a pixie farm

You can get grafted pixie orange seedlings ready for transplanting from Richfarm Kenya. Kindly call 0724698357 /0723213602 to order for seedlings.

Kamande Farming In Kenya: How To Successfully Grow Lentils For Sale in 2024

Have you ever wondered why Kamande is so expensive in Kenya? Well, there’s just one reason: Kamande farming is done in very few areas in Kenya and by very few people. Honestly, I don’t know why this is so because this country has the best climate and soil for growing these high value legumes. Let me explain this.

Kamande, which are called lentils in English, grow best in hot areas with sandy or sandy loamy soils that drain water fast. Lentils are grown under large tracts of land in Australia and India. India consumes almost everything it produces and even imports some more. Australia exports to many countries of the world.  In Africa, this crop is grown commercially in Ethiopia, Sudan and South Sudan.

Kamande farming in Ethiopia

Best climatic conditions for growing kamande

Looking at these countries that produce lentils in large quantities, you will realize that their climate and soils are very similar to what we have in Eastern and North eastern Kenya, parts of Rift Valley and Nyanza. Kamande requires at least 6 hours of sunshine daily, of which we have more than 10 hours every day of the year in Kenya. It grows best in hot areas and is very tolerant to drought conditions, so areas of Ukambani, Garisa, Wajir, Siaya, Kisumu, Narok South, Kajiado and the entire coastal region would be ideal for lentil farming.

How long do Kamande take to mature?

Lentils are very fast growing taking only 80 days in hot areas and at most 110 in cooler areas to harvest from the day you put down your seeds. Yes, I know that is crazy because most of the crops people run to for fast money take as long as 5 months. It definitely would be a faster money maker compared to onions and tomatoes, and much easier to handle.

What do you need to produce Lentils?

Seeds, land preparation and planting

The kamande you buy at the supermarket or at the cereals shop are the seeds you need for planting. Your land will need to be ploughed well to have fine soils since the seeds are small. Drill lines of about 1 to 2 inches deep with a spacing of 45cm from one line to the next. Drop the seeds in these lines at a spacing of approximately 1 inch from one seed to the next – well that is more like sprinkling the seeds inside the small furrow. Just ensure that the seeds are not too close to each other. Cover the seeds with about 1 inch of soil. You will need 12 – 15 kilos of seeds to plant 1 acre.

Kamande farming and spacing 

Best time for planting Kamande

The best time to sow your lentil seeds is during the onset of the rains. Since this crop doesn’t require a lot of water, it can grow very well over the long or the short rainy season. The seeds will germinate from the 10^th day. Contrary to what most people think, you do not need to support this crop. The plant grows to slightly higher than 1 foot (30cm) and thus is able to stand by itself such like ordinary beans do.

Taking care of lentil plants

Any serious farmer will always start with a soil test. This will help you know if you need to add fertilizers, the type and in what quantities. Kamande is a short term crop hence you may need to have the soil nutrient balance and pH levels right before starting.

Weeding between the rows will definitely be necessary. This will not only help to reduce competition for nutrients but will also help to keep pests away. You also don’t want to harvest other wild seeds together with your lentils.

Pests and diseases that affect lentils

The kamande plants are also susceptible to common beans pests such as worms, thrips and aphids. The good thing is that there are many safe pesticides you can get from agro-vet shops to control these pests. However, the most important thing is to closely observe your farm and scout regularly for signs of these pests. Pests are best dealt with before spreading too much in your farm. You can always talk to our agronomist on 0724698357 if you need any help with pesticides.

Harvesting lentils

The lentils are ready for harvesting when the plants turn brown and dry. At this stage, the plants and ponds will produce a dry matter rattling sound if shaken. You need to be very careful when plucking the plants off the soil to avoid cracking the ponds and losing some of the seeds. For small scale farmers, kamande can be harvested in the same way beans, cow peas or green grams are harvesting – placing the dry plants on a drying mat and shredding the seeds out with long sticks.

Kamande ready for harvesting

For large scale farming, combined harvesters are the best for harvesting the seeds. These harvesters will cut off the plants, shred the seeds out and clean off the chaff. The expected yield of lentils per acre in Kenya is about 600 to 800 kgs.

Profitability of kamande farming in Kenya

Let us take the very conservative figures: assuming you achieve a yield of 600kgs and sell each at a wholesale price of 150 per kilo, you will have a turnover of 90,000 from an acre in about 3 months. This is much better than ordinary beans or maize and you are assured of a ready market even from the grocery shop next to your home.

Dragon Fruit Farming In Kenya: A Comprehensive Step by Step Guide For Growing Dragon Fruit

Dragon fruit farming in Kenya is no longer a foreign concept as it sounded 2 years ago. Today, we have a few hundred small-scale dragon fruit farmers in Kenya and tens of relatively large-scale farmers. The fruit, also called pitahaya or pitaya, is also gaining popularity in Kenya, driving the demand higher, thus offering its local farmers a higher opportunity for making profits.

While information about dragon fruit farming is still scanty in Kenya, Richfarm is always visiting farmers to educate them on the best ways of producing the fruit. We have also been holding dragon fruit farming seminars at our Embu farm. We always want you to start off your project from an informed position. That is why we have also written this online guide on how to grow dragon fruits in Kenya.

Dragon fruit farming: Harvesting process

Best conditions for dragon fruit farming in Kenya

Being in the family of cactus, this fruit is adapted to grow even in arid or semi-arid conditions. It does not require a lot of water. It is also not selective on the type of soils meaning you can grow it on sandy, loamy or clay soils. However, for your plants to have good vegetative growth and a high yield, the soils must have high organic matter and be well drained. You should also ensure that you give them just a little water during the very dry seasons.

Can dragon fruits grow in the Kenyan highlands? Yes, while this crop has the ability to grow even in hot and dry areas, it doesn't mean it can't grow in cooler areas with a lot of rainfall. All you need to do is ensure that the soils are well-drained to avoid soaking the rooting area.

The support structures

Dragon fruit plants are vines; they cannot grow upright on their own. You must make them a support structure over which to climb. A post with a wide structure at the top will be sufficient to support 2 to 4 vines. The plants will climb up to the top and then spread forming something like an umbrella. This ensures that the plants receive enough sunlight, which is very important for their growth and production. If your support structures are arranged in rows, you should ensure that the rows take an East-West alignment. This helps the plants to receive sunshine throughout the day.

Dragon fruit plants in rows: the rows are in an East-West alignment

Dragon fruit spacing?

The recommended spacing for dragon fruit is 2m between the lines and 2m from pole to pole within the line. With this spacing, you will plant 2,000 dragon fruit plants in an acre if you establish 2 plants per pole. That is the number we actually recommend. However, we have seen other successful spacing in practice: the commercial farm in Naivasha has a spacing of 2m between the lines and 1m from pole to pole and 2 plants per pole. In other farms, they plant 4 plants per pole and have had successful yield. 

Dragon fruit farming in Kenya: planting space of 2m by 1m

How long do dragon fruits take to mature?

It will take 1 to one and a half years for a dragon fruit vine to produce the first fruit if you plant it from the cutting of a mature vine. A vine propagated from a seed will take more than 6 years to mature hence the best method to propagate dragon fruits is through cuttings. The lifespan of dragon fruit plants is over 40 years.

A dragon fruit bud takes 13 days to develop into a flower from a node. This flower opens up for pollination on the night of the 13^th day – just before the 14^th day. This is the only chance that the flower has to get pollinated. If pollination doesn’t happen then, the flower will not grow into a fruit and will simply fall off the plant. If it is successfully pollinated, it will develop into a fruit that will be ripe and ready for harvesting after 38 days since pollination. That means it only takes 52 days from the day a fruit bud emerges to have a yummy fruit ready to be eaten.

Dragon fruit pollination by bees: it happens very early in the morning

When the fruits are growing, they are usually green in colour. They start turning into red colour when they mature and the ripening process starts. The ripening process takes only 3 days. You must harvest dragon fruits only after they are completely ripe. This is because, unlike other fruits, Pitaya does not continue to ripen after being harvested.

Where is the market for dragon fruits in Kenya?

Dragon fruits are in very high demand in Kenya at the moment while the supply remains low. That is why it is one of the most expensive fruits on the Kenyan shelves. It will cost you in the range of Ksh800 to 1,500 to buy a kilo of Pitaya. 

Currently, the market for dragon fruits is open and ready for farmers to sell through the many supermarket chains in the country, the open market, fruit aggregators and, of course, the ever-present online market.  The supermarkets that stock these fruits in our country actually import it from other countries. This presents a great opportunity for farmers who would want to invest in dragon fruit farming in Kenya. At this point, we are not even talking about the export market for Kenyan dragon fruits since the supply is far from getting to exportable levels. 

To get a deeper understanding of the dragon fruit market in Kenya, please read the following articles we wrote for you:

- 3 Reasons Why You Should Invest In Dragon Fruit Farming In Kenya

- Why Dragon Fruit Is Set To Be The Next Big Thing In Kenya’s Farming Business

China is the largest consumer of dragon fruits and it imports a bulk of the produce from Vietnam. China is an open market to which Kenya is exporting avocado. With the necessary volumes, dragon fruit farmers in Kenya can take advantage of the Chinese and larger international market.

The shelf life of dragon fruit

You can keep dragon fruits for up to 18 days after harvesting without refrigeration. Under proper refrigeration, the fruit will remain fresh even for 3 months. This fruit is not perishable since it stops ripening immediately it is cut off from the mother plant. Also, the fruit does not oxidize after being cut. That means you do not have to consume the entire fruit once you have cut it. You can keep a slice under refrigeration and it will look and taste as fresh as when you first cut it.

Pest and diseases

Dragon fruit farming in Kenya is the only agribusiness venture I know that you can do purely organically and find it easy to do so. The plants and fruits are not easily attacked by pests and diseases. The greatest threat to dragon fruit farming is the fruit fly. Luckily, fruit flies can be controlled using biological methods. The plant is also very tolerant to diseases. Only mild cases of fungal infections have been reported, and even as such, they do not pose any danger to the plant or fruits. 

What you need for a profitable dragon fruit farming venture in Kenya

1. Space: A small space, even 1/8 of an acre is enough to start dragon fruit farming in Kenya at the moment. Being a very high value crop, a few dragon fruit plants are enough to make you realize economic gain. You do not need typically fertile soils as the nutritional needs of this plant are not so high. You can actually plant it even on the edges of the farm.
2. Support structures: Posts of about 5 feet (150cm) in height are good enough. These can either be wooded or concrete. Concrete ones are best for longevity. Soften the soil around the base of the post and hip it a little especially if you are planting on clay soils that are not so well drained. Mix the soil with a lot of manure to give it sufficient amounts of organic matter. You only need soils that are about 2 feet (60cm) deep since the plants are shallow rooters.
3. High-quality seedlings: Plant dragon fruit seedlings developed from mature cuttings only. Get mature, rooted dragon fruit cuttings from Richfarm Kenya by simply calling or texting 0724698357. When planting, burry only the rooting section of the cutting and water just enough to make the soil moist. Tie the cuttings to the post to help them grow upright before they produce aerial roots and be able to climb by themselves. By the way, do not miss our BIG PRICE OFFER on seedlings: Check this out here: Dragon Fruit Seedlings For Sale: The Best Prices In Kenya

Dragon fruit seedlings for sale at Richfarm Kenya

You have done all you need to. From now on, you will only need to train your plants along the post and wait to harvest the delicious, high value fruit in about 1 years time. 

If you ever have any questions regarding dragon fruit farming in Kenya, or anywhere in Africa, do not hesitate to call us on on (+254) 0724698357, 0723213602 or 0798919007. We are always ready to answer any question and we would also be glad to come to your farm and practically help you in setting up your dragon fruit farming business. 

Other important commercial farming ventures by Richfarm Kenya include:

1. Pixie Orange farming

2.Grapes farming in Kenya

3. Mango farming for export

3 Reasons Why You Should Invest In Dragon Fruit Farming In Kenya In 2024

Dragon fruit farming in Kenya was started by a few daring individuals a few years ago. Typical of the Kenyan style, many potential farmers of the fruit looked from a distance as the pioneers made millions of shillings from the sales of the exotic, high-nutrition fruit. "This is will go the quail farming way..", they would say. 

Fast forward to 2024 and the fruit has grown in popularity amongst Kenyan consumers, something that is taking the naysayers by surprise. Awareness of the health benefits of dragon fruits, their likable taste and the curiosity of consumers have driven the demand high and more people into dragon fruit farming. To the great advantage of "mwananchi wa kawaida" who could not access and afford the fruit, the prices have come down and the fruit can be bought from the open market in Naivasha, Richfarm Kenya outlets across the country and a few more supermarkets. 

Dragon fruit farming in Kenya

Dragon fruit farming in Kenya has since continued to be a highly rewarding venture for agripreneuers as more people get to know about, and access the fruits. This is one of the strongest reasons that you should consider investing in farming dragon fruits in 2024. However, I will give you three other strong reasons why you should invest in farming this new crop. Let me first give you details of what it is...

Dragon fruit, also called Pitaya, is a fruit that grows on a plant of the cactus family. There are many varieties of the fruit, distinguishable by the colour of the fruit skin and flesh. Some have a red skin while others have a yellow one. The flesh can be red, purple or white. The red and purple fleshed dragon fruits are sweet while the white fleshed ones are a little sour.

Dragon fruit farming in Naivasha, Kenya

So why would it be wise to invest in dragon fruit farming in Kenya this year? Listen well...

1) Dragon fruits are easy to grow

New plants are easily grown from cuttings. All you need to do is obtain cuttings from a mature vine, keep them under a shade to dry off their tips for about a week and then plant them. The cuttings are planted by burying the lower tip (just about 1 inch) into the soil. In about 2 weeks the cuttings start developing roots and new shoots appear in about a month’s time. Better still, you can buy already rooted and sprouting dragon fruit seedlings from Richfarm Kenya. They take 9 months to 1 year to start producing fruits.

Being in the cactus family, dragon fruit plants do not need a lot of water. They are best planted in sandy or loamy soils that are well drained. After planting them, they will need very little attention other than the occasional application of manure and pruning.  They are less susceptible to pests and diseases so you won’t have the burden of spraying them regularly.

2) High returns on investment

Pitaya is among the most expensive fruits in Kenya at the moment with a kilo selling for between Ksh800 and Ksh1200. The farmers that are already harvesting in Kenya produce fruits that have between 400g and 1.2kg. The cuttings used in planting cost only Ksh500 each. So essentially, selling just 1 fruit will help you recoup the investment you put in buying planting materials.

Dragon Fruits for sale in Kenya

The dragon fruit plants are vines that have a production period of up to 30 years. So you will need to support them with strong posts that can last as long. Each vine can grow up to 30 feet long and give you 30 to 100 fruits per year upon maturity. Now you can see what that means in terms of returns given the current prices.

The demand for these fruits is very high in Kenya especially among the Asian communities. In fact, anyone who has tasted this fruit likes it. The only limiting factor at the moment is the high price. So if you have a high production capacity, you can reach a very wide market by reducing your prices and still make a kill. Do not forget that the export market in China, the Middle East and Europe is also offering very high prices for dragon fruit. These markets would definitely prefer the high quality fruits grown in our hot tropical climate to the less tasty fruits from sub-tropical regions.

Read also:

Why Dragon Fruit Is Set To Be The Next Big Thing In Kenya's Farming Business

3) They require a only a small space

Dragon fruit vines are planted in groups supported by one post. On each post, you can plant 4 vines. The ideal spacing is 1m from one group to the next and 2m between the rows. With this kind of spacing you can fit 1,000 dragon fruit plants on a plot 50 by 100. This is enough to help you realize a good economic return.

However, for commercial purposes, in which case ease of management of larger-scale farms in a key consideration, we recommend a spacing of 2m between the rows and 2m from plant to plant as well. 

Since the vines do not have deep roots, some farmers even plant them on pots in their backyard gardens. This is an ideal way to grow dragon fruits for your own consumption even if you live in a rented house in which you only have a balcony.

Dragon fruit growing in a pot

So how do I start a dragon fruit farm in Kenya?

If you have a plot of land, anything from a 50 by 100 or bigger, you can easily start this kind of commercial farming. Dragon fruits grow well in areas with temperatures of 15℃ and above. They also like full-day sunshine, therefore ensure that you do not plant them under trees.

Have your land cleared and set up the support structures that will hold your plants. These structures are made with strong posts of about 5 feet and an old tyre mounted on each post. Other farmers construct a square wooden structure on the poles. These are the structures over which the vines will hang.

Dragon fruit farming: How to support the plants

Prepare the base area of each post to have fine soils. Mix the soil with manure: chicken manure is the best for growing Pitaya. Plant your seedlings here making sure not to cover too much of the stem to avoid rotting. Use strings to train the vines onto the post. If the weather becomes too hot and dry, water your plants for faster growth. Wait to start harvesting the precious fruit in about a year’s time. 

If you would like to get more information on dragon fruit farming in Kenya, call Richfarm Kenya on 0724698357 now. 

Make sure you have also read our Dragon Fruit Farming: Step by Step Guide

Grafted Macadamia Seedlings for Sale in Kenya

Our price for grafted macadamia seedlings has been slashed. Every start of the rainy season in Kenya, we ensure that we have high quality grafted macadamia seedlings for sale. We also start off by giving big discounts on prices. This is not only on macadamia seedlings but on all the other fruit and vegetable seedlings that we sell. So make sure that you check out our Products page and get in touch with us on Whatsapp 0724698357 to enjoy the huge discounts.

Macadamia seedlings for sale in Kenya

This season, we have big, well hardened off grafted Murang’a 20 macadamia seedlings for sale. We also have a few seedlings of the Embu 1 and Kiambu 3 varieties. We usually have these other varieties to encourage farmers to plant more than 1 variety on their farms. This helps in improving pollination hence giving the farmers higher yield. You can read more about this in our comprehensive article Macadamia Nuts Farming In Kenya: How to Make It a Highly Profitable Business.

Grafted Murang'a 20 macadamia seedlings for sale

Big Macadamia Seedlings for Sale at Richfarm Kenya

The seedlings we have are over 1 foot tall: see actual photo below. 

Big macadamia seedlings for sale

This is the best size to transplant them. They have active shoots which indicate that they are fast growing. Some of these are actually over 1 year since grafting. We regularly change the potting bags into bigger ones to replenish the nutrients. That is why you see all having a lush green and attractive colour. We also apply organic farmyard manure regularly to ensure that the seedlings have a vigorous growth.

Price cut on Macadamia seedlings

The cost of 1 grafted macadamia seedling is Ksh300. However, we are welcoming you into the season by slashing this price for you all the way down to Ksh250. The best part of it is that you do not have to worry about transportation. We deliver the seedlings right to your farm. This comes with another advantage you won’t find anywhere else; the team delivering the seedlings is specialized in planting. So you get free consultation on the best method of planting. We love to see you smiling so we take off from you all the hustle of establishing the farm.

How many macadamia seedlings fit in 1 acre?

The recommended spacing for planting macadamia is 7 by 7 metres. 1 acre will accommodate 80 seedlings. With our discounted price, you will only need Ksh20,000 to fill up an entire acre. With that, you will have made an investment of a lifetime. Every year, you will be making passive income from that farm. When these trees mature, you will be harvesting 100kgs from each every year. The price for macadamia nuts averages at Ksh100. So each tree will be giving you Ksh10,000. So the one acre will give you Ksh800,000 every year with very little input. Macadamia nuts grow on trees so you do not have to be at the farm all the time like is the case for other crops. You only come to harvest. See why Macadamia Is the Cash Crop to Farm in Kenya in 2020 and Beyond.

How to plant our grafted Macadamia seedlings

Dig the holes with a spacing of 7×7m. The hole should be 2 feet wide and 2 feet deep; that is a square of 2×2×2 feet (2 feet is approximately 60cm). While digging the hole, ensure you separate the top from the bottom soil. Mix the top soil with well decomposed farmyard manure then put the mixture back into the hole. Do not mix the soil and manure inside the hole since you will not get an even distribution of the manure. If some areas have excess manure, the roots of your macadamia seedlings will be burned.

Once you have the holes ready, remove the potting bags that came with the seedlings and plant them at the centre. Ensure that rooting soil is not disturbed. It is better to cut out the potting bag with a sharp razor. The rooting soil should be covered completely to ensure that the roots will not be exposed later.

How to order for grafted Macadamia seedlings

All you need to do is call Richfarm Kenya on 0724698357. They work Monday to Saturday, 8am to 5pm. The good this is that you can engage them on Whatsapp or email on info@richfarmkenya.com even outside the working hours. To get you started, you can read the article Professional Macadamia Farming in Kenya: Full Guide or simply call and ask the questions you might have. 

How to Prune and Train Avocado Trees for Maximum Production

Hass avocado farming in Kenya is no doubt profitable. However, this is only so if it is done in the right way; you must employ all the good practices of avocado production. One of the most overlooked practice is pruning. 

The reason you must prune your avocado trees is to encourage the trees to produce more branches on the side, hence to ensuring that your orchard remains economically profitable all through. These side branches are the ones that carry more fruits.

Hass avocado farming: Lateral branches carry more fruits

Should young hass avocado trees be pruned?

You do not need to do extensive pruning in young avocado trees. However, if you planted grafted seedlings, any branches that grow below the graft or bud union should be cut off. If you don’t do this, the branches of the rootstock (often an indigenous variety of avocado) will outgrow the grafted part (called the scion) and what you will eventually have is a local variety of avocado that might take 10 years before giving you the first fruit.

Pruning to control the height of the tree

Grafted avocado trees require early training to restrict the tree's height and keep it at the desired height. The top shoots of the tree should be pinched off as early as during the first harvest. This practice should continue until the tree grows into the desired shape. Otherwise, the trees will grow too high and narrow. The trees then fruit only in the upper two-thirds of the branches, reducing the harvest and making it difficult to reach the fruits during harvesting.

 

Well pruned Hass avocado tree in Kajiado, Kenya

When should you prune your Hass avocado trees?

The best time is just before flowering or after harvesting. This gives the tree time to naturally adjust and decide which branches will carry fruits during the next flowering season. If there is a need, such as to remove a diseased branch, minor pruning can be done at any time. However, you should avoid pruning just before rains since this can stimulate excessive tender growth that is likely to be injured in case of heavy rains.

 

How to do the actual pruning

Cut off the unwanted branches using a pruning saw. For large farms, there are some specialized power saws that can be used. We use saws to ensure that we achieve an even cut. Avoid using axes or pangas. After pruning, you must ensure that you apply a copper based fungicide on the wound to prevent any opportunistic fungal infection. You must also protect the branches that get exposed after pruning from sunburn and infections by use of water-soluble paint.

While pruning is one of the most important practices for avocado farmers in Kenya, there are a few other things that we must do to get the highest production per tree. We have explained them in detail in this article: Avocado Farming: How to Get the Highest Yield Per Acre in Kenya

For more information about pruning avocado trees, you can always reach us on 0724698357.  Also remember to download the complete Hass farming guide from our Farmers Resources Page.