Do you have an obsession with quirky flowers and tropical treats? In that case, passion fruit is the ideal option for you! This climber grows quickly and will spice up your dinner table and intrigue your yard.
Vine passion fruits are not for the timid. These are robust plants that will reach the tops of trees, exploding with vibrant flowers and copious amounts of fruit. These plants are simple to grow but require much water, fertiliser, and pruning. But it's worth it for the harvest!
Though the name may suggest that gardeners named these plants because they appreciated the fruit, they have a religious origin. Spanish colonists believed the flower to be a representation of Jesus Christ's crucifixion in the 1700s. They gave it that name because passio means anguish in Latin.
Know How To Grow Passion Fruit
Ideal Weather And Location
The plant that bears passion fruit is tropical or subtropical. Frost-free areas are ideal for passion fruit vine growth.
A few cultivars can withstand temperatures as high as 16 degrees Celsius. Vines may lose some of their leaves in cool winters, but the roots will still generate new growth even if the foliage dies. Passion fruit should be planted in full sun unless the summers are extremely hot in that area; in that case, it should be planted in partial shade.
Plant passion fruit where it can climb a trellis or chain-link fence because it is a fast-growing vine. Passion fruits are naturally climbing plants with tendrils. Sand loams with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5 that are well-drained and rich in compost are ideal for growing passion fruit.
When the soil has a high salt level, passion fruit does not grow well. Don't plant passion fruit in areas with continuously damp soil. Also, avoid planting passion fruit in areas where wind could injure it. Passion fruit shouldn't be planted in low areas where frost or chilly air can accumulate.
If you plant passion fruit inside, it should be placed near a light window that faces south.
Tips To Grow Passion Fruit
- During the growth season, passion fruit requires an average temperature of 20-24°C and frost-free winters.
- If not cultivated indoors, passion fruit thrives in the corner of a sunny patio or up against a south-facing wall.
- When planting melons in late spring, start passion fruit seeds indoors and transplant young plants outdoors.
- Passion fruit should be grown in well-drained, organic soil.
- Give passion fruit vines lots of water and fertilise them with tomato fertiliser, which contains a lot of nitrogen.
- Train vines of passion fruit up trellises or wires. Mature vines can reach heights of 30 to 40 feet and widths of 10 to 25 feet. An extremely large fence or trellis can be completely covered by one plant.
- Cut back last year's side shoots in the winter to within two buds of the main stems; this will prevent them from bearing fruit again. On the other hand, cutting back side shoots promotes the growth of new side shoots in the early spring, which will give fruit in approximately 60 to 80 days.
How To Grow Passion Fruit? Guide
Although passion fruit can be produced from seed, cuttings started indoors or in a greenhouse are typically used to grow the fruit.
- After harvesting, fresh seeds from previously harvested plants can be sowed in the spring. Utilising a sterile seed starting mix, start the seed inside. Before sowing, soak the seed in warm water for the entire night. Months before older seeds germinate, fresh seeds do.
- Raise immature plants until 6 to 8 inches tall at 70°F under grow lights.
- It is also possible to start cuttings and grafted plants indoors. Refer to the propagation section.
- Plant passion fruit in an area that won't be harmed by frost or bitterly cold winter weather.
- Grow passion fruit in soil that drains properly. The ideal pH range for soil is 5.5 to 6.5.
- Grow passion fruit vines in a raised bed or container in areas with clay soils.
- When passion fruit seedlings are 6 to 8 inches (20 cm) tall, plant them out.
- Make a planting hole that is twice as wide and half again as deep as the root ball.
- Before planting, combine two cups of kelp and one cup of bone meal into the hole.
- After placing the plant in the hole, backfill it with aged compost or commercial organic planting mix mixed with native soil surrounding the root ball. Solid in the ground to prevent air pockets.
- Create a tiny dirt basin to contain irrigation water around the plant.
- Young plants should be spaced 10 to 12 feet apart so that vines can quickly cover the void.
- Mulch the area surrounding the plant's base to retain soil moisture, particularly in arid, warm climates. Additionally, mulch damages stem roots.
How To Grow Passion Fruit In Containers?
Passion fruit can be grown in pots, but a trellis is necessary to support the rambunctious vines.
Select a container that is at least 24 inches deep and broad. As long as the vining plant can be supported, passion fruit growing in a container can be transported to a greenhouse for the winter.
Watering Passion Fruit
To ensure rapid, equal growth, keep the soil evenly moist. Do not let the soil get too soggy. Plant in well-drained soil that retains moisture. For optimal fruit production, the soil must remain consistently moist; otherwise, the fruit would wither and fall.
Root rot can result from overwatering. Indoor passion fruit vines should be planted on a pebble-filled saucer; provide water to the saucer to maintain a humid atmosphere.
Harvesting Passion Fruit
Seventy to eighty days after pollination, usually in mid- to late-summer, but sometimes later, the fruit berries are ready for harvest. Fruits may take up to six months to mature. Sow in the spring and harvest the fully ripe fruit in the autumn.
When ripe, the fruit changes from deep green to deep purple or yellow. When the fruit is a little bit shrivelled, it is sweetest. When handled carefully, ripe fruit easily separates from the stem. If ripe fruit is not harvested, it will fall to the ground.
Harvest passion fruit as it reaches its peak colour, or pick fallen fruit daily. The thick-skinned yellow passion fruit can remain on the ground for a few days. Because red passion fruit has thin skin, it should be picked right before it falls to the ground or soon after. Passion fruit that is purple lies in between.
There are more than fifty different types of passionfruit vines, such as Nellie Kelly, Banana, Hawaiian, Norfolk Island, Yellow Giant, Panama Gold, and Panama Red. As the susceptibility to cold varies throughout cultivars, carefully read the label before making a purchase.