Prepare the soil bed. Dragon fruit needs full sun, so choose a sunny area in your garden or a sunny windowsill that gets at least six hours of sunlight a day. For the soil, choose potting soil that is well-draining (dragon fruits are sensitive to “wet feet,” or consistently wet roots) and rich in organic matter. Don’t use cactus soil—as tropical plants, dragon fruits like more water than other cacti and want something that retains moisture slightly better.

Plant the seeds. Sprinkle the dragon fruit seeds across the soil surface and cover with a thin layer of soil. It’s okay if it barely covers the seeds—they don’t need to be planted deep.

Water. Water or mist the soil bed consistently, keeping it evenly moist. If your soil tends to dry out, cover the soil bed with plastic wrap to trap moisture in until the seeds germinate.

Thin and transplant. As your dragon fruit seedlings continue to grow, thin them to give each new plant room. If you’re growing them indoors, transplant them to larger pots. A mature dragon fruit will eventually need at least a twenty-gallon pot (that’s at least twenty inches wide) for optimal health.

Support. Once your dragon fruit plant reaches twelve inches tall, it will need a support system to continue to grow—after all, dragon fruits are climbing cacti. Set up a trellis or wood stake that your plant can grow up.