If you’re planting more than one plant, or a hedge, then decide the spacing between your plants. This can vary between plant varieties, so check the instructions on yours.

Place your plants out on the garden while still in their containers to make sure they’re positioned where you want them.

Dig your holes about twice as wide and deep as the plant’s container.

If your soil is heavy and isn’t free-draining, then add some gravel or sand to help with drainage.

Add a good layer of potting mix.

If you’re planting more than one plant, or a hedge, then decide the spacing between your plants. This can vary between plant varieties, so check the instructions on yours.

Place your plants out on the garden while still in their containers to make sure they’re positioned where you want them.

Dig your holes about twice as wide and deep as the plant’s container.

If your soil is heavy and isn’t free-draining, then add some gravel or sand to help with drainage.

Add a good layer of potting mix.

Before planting, dig through your soil, remove any weeds, and enrich it with plenty of organic compost and sheep pellets.

Dig a hole just bigger than the plant’s container. Add citrus fertiliser and place the plant into the hole.

Fill in with soil/compost mix then water well. Add a layer of mulch on top to help the soil to retain moisture.

Handle any plants by the root ball to prevent damage to the stems and shallow roots.

Choose a big enough container as passionfruit vines can get quite large.

Layer the bottom of your container with drainage material like scoria or small pebbles.

Add a good quality potting mix and mix in some slow release fertilizer.

Remove the plant from its container, squeezing the sides gently if it’s rootbound.

Place the plant in your chosen container and water well.

Position your containers where you can easily monitor them to ensure the soil stays moist, particularly in dry weather.

Don’t forgot to place the container against a wall or by the support structure you’re going to use when the vines start to grow.

Carefully remove any existing stakes, taking care not to cut or bend the vine.

Untangle the vines and loosely tie them to your climbing support.

Passionfruit is fast growing, so regularly check the vines and thread them through or around the climbing structure.

If you’re planting more than one plant, or a hedge, then decide the spacing between your plants. This can vary between plant varieties, so check the instructions on yours.

Place your plants out on the garden while still in their containers to make sure they’re positioned where you want them.

Dig your holes about twice as wide and deep as the plant’s container.

If your soil is heavy and isn’t free-draining, then add some gravel or sand to help with drainage.

Add a good layer of potting mix.

Pruning can be kept to a minimum. Just cut out dead stems as needed.

You can remove side shoots to encourage one central leader to grow until the vine reaches the support structure.

Harvest purple passionfruit when the fruit turns from green to purple and falls to the ground.

Fruit can either be picked off the vine when it colours up, or from the ground when it drops.

he fruit is sweetest when slightly shrivelled. Harvested passionfruit will last for about 2-3 weeks. The juice and pulp are also suitable for freezing.

Passionfruit are relatively trouble-free, however look out for slugs and snails as they can damage vines.

You can regularly spray vines with copper spray to protect against fungus diseases and insecticide, and to discourage Passionvine hoppers. These are small sap-sucking moth-like insects. They jump when disturbed, and if left unchecked can cause black sooty mould which forms on the honeydew they excrete.

Passionfruit is a vigorous climbing vine that clings by curly tendrils to almost any support.

The evergreen leaves of the vine provide shelter for the fragrant white and purple flowers that appear on the new growth and attract pollinating insects.

The fruit are small and round with a tough rind that is smooth and waxy. The colour of the rind ranges from purple to yellow and orange.

There are three main types of passionfruit which grow best in the warmest parts of New Zealand:

Black Beauty – Their white and purple flowers 5-8cm across are an attraction in themselves. They form on current season’s wood and will flower in the first year. The fruit is egg-shaped, 4-7.5cm, dark purple, and with a yellow-orange juicy aromatic flavoured pulp filled with small black seeds.

Golden Passion – Attractive white flowers 5-8cm across, formed on current season’s wood and will flower in the first year. They produce heavy yields of round green to yellow fruit with a yellow-orange juicy aromatic flavoured pulp filled with small black seeds.

Red Banana or Vanilla – This produces large ornamental red pendulous flowers followed by yellow oblong fruit. The pulp has a delicate flavour, is sweet, juicy and aromatic. The fruits take longer to form and mature so need a long warm summer.

Passionfruit like a warm, sheltered, frost-free, sunny position with good drainage. In clay soils you can plant into raised beds to improve drainage.

You should also consider planting in pots and tubs as passionfruit can easily be grown on a patio or deck.

Passionfruit grows on a large leafy vine, so will need a climbing frame for support. Trellis, fence, stakes, or even a pergola or shed will do the job.

Spring and summer are the best times to plant. If you live in a frost-free area you could also plant in autumn.

Passionfruit requires a rich and fertile soil. Add a generous amount of organic compost and sheep pellets when planting.