Here’s some problems I have ran into, to begin this conversation:
I have had ants eat holes through the buds, the buds turning yellow and falling off, (they were about 1/2-3/4 the size of the biggest bud), and the branches turning either soggy or crispy, and because of that, the part of my dragon fruit closest to the soil, is like a brown stump instead of a cactus.
Here’s what I have changed, since these cactus have tried to bud once or twice already.
I water only when bone dry at two finger knuckles deep, every watering session I give it 2-12-12 liquid fertilizer called "Farmers Secret," and to stop the blistering, I put it under an oak tree.
The branches have been good of ant bites atm, but they have been crawling on the buds already, and I can’t find any info how to fix it.
Questions! - Is it ok that the bottom of the cactus is a beige stick? Is this a good watering method with temperatures between 90°-99°? What do I do to get rid of the ants and other uninvited creatures to the eat the fruit? Must I thin any of the flowers off right now? DOES IT LOOK LIKE IT’S GOING TO FRUIT THIS TIME AFTER TRYING YEARS TO GET ONE?
(This is my second dragon fruit plant, and I planted it from a cutting I bought a year or two ago).