PASSIONFRUIT |
 PASSIONFRUIT is a well known and
loved vine in Australia.. It is very ornamental in leaf and flower and will improve the
appearance of fences, stark walls, tanks, etc. The black or purple passionfruit is a
native of Brazil even though it has often been called the Norfolk Island Black. Where can I grow a Passionfruit Vine? Almost anywhere, If the subsoil drainage is not good then a bed may have to be raised up, The vine of course needs somewhere to run such as a trellis. arbor, or fence. Full sun is necessary for heavy cropping, The ideal trellis is a single or double wire six feet above the ground well supported by posts approximately four metres apart with a strainer posts at each end of trellis. Will Passionfruit tolerate frosts? Yes, The BLACK MAGIC variety is the hardiest and will tolerate -2degrees C when established. In very frosty areas it is advisable to grow the vine on the north side or a building so that is can benefit from the shelter, How long do Passionfruit take to bear? Any good varieties will bear after twelve months. Do I need more than one variety for pollination? No, The flowers are bisexual and one vine will bear quite heavily by itself. What time of year do Passionfruit bear? BLACK MAGIC will bear a large crop in mid Summer from the Spring flowering and a smaller crop in Winter from the Autumn flowering. A larger Winter crop can be attained by thinning the Summer crop heavily, This will also greatly increase the fruit size in the Summer crop, Do they need pruning - if so, when? Yes, If Passionfruit vines get too thick and overgrown, they will suffer from fungal spotting diseases so it is advisable to keep the skirt trimmed up to 2ft off the fround to allow for ventilation, Major thinning of vine may be necessary every two years for the same reason and also to encourage new fruiting wood, This must only be done in Spring when vines are starting to become active. Do Passion vines need spraying? No, not normally, However, if your vine contracts a fungal spotting disease (as mentioned above) due to poor ventilation, it can be easily controlled with regular spraying of copper oxychloride plus a wetting agent. Do Passion vines need to be tied up? Only until your vine reaches the top of the trellis, From then on it will make its own arrangementa as it happily grows along. If it grows more in one direction than you would like then simply tip prune by pinching the growing tip off, Why is the Passionfruit such a good home garden subject? Because anyone can grow it practically anywhere, It takes up little room, improves the general decor of the garden and bears bounteous crops of fruit with very little attention! Why are grafted Passion vines superior to seedlings? Because seedling passions are susceptible to root rot diseases that cause them to die suddenly in their prime. Whereas, a seedling may die in one year after only one crop or no crop at all, Vines that are grafted onto the correct rootstock will last many years, They will also grow more vigorously, Which is the best variety? BLACK MAGIC,. It has all the
hardiness of the old Nelly Kelly variety and the heavy cropping of some or the new hybrids
which are not so hardy. Also check out PANAMA RED - from Yarrahapinni - a heavy bearing
large fruit: Do Not:
Do:
Is there any aftercare needed? Yes, It is a vine and will need a little training to start with. Simply train your vine up to the very top of your trellis before letting it go anywhere else. This will not take long and can be achieved by tying the growing tip to an upright on the trellis. If it strays away from this support before it gets to the top just tie it back again. It is best to use soft material for tying such as budding tape or plastic coated twisties just wrapped around and not tied. Fertilize in Spring and then three times more during Summer with poultry, animal or artificial manures. Keep mulched, Apply .5 kg Dolomite once a year preferably in Winter. It is very important to keep your vine well watered when it is filling out a crop of fruit. If you get too many fruit at once simply scoop out pulp of excess fruit and freeze in small lots for later use. |
