Does dragon fruit need pollination by hand and which pests trouble it?

Many red-flesh varieties set fruit poorly on their own and give better size and weight with hand pollination, which is done at night or early morning when the flowers open. White-flesh types are more self-fertile but often still benefit from some hand pollination. Keeping more than one variety in the plot also helps cross-pollination. On the disease side, stem canker and anthracnose cause brown or orange spots and rotting on the stems, mostly in wet humid weather, and bacterial soft rot can set in after injury. Mealybugs, scale, ants and fruit flies are the common pests, and birds and rodents damage ripe fruit. Improve airflow, avoid waterlogging, and remove infected stem parts. For any chemical use follow the product label, the PHI and KVK advice for the specific problem you see.