Instructions

As a garden crop it’s easy and undemanding to grow so if you have the space, why not give it a go.

Planting

Start by picking a suitable place to plant.

Passionfruit require a warm, sheltered, frost-free, sunny position with good drainage. In clay soils, which tend to be quite damp, 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.

Before planting, dig through your soil to remove any weeds and enrich it with plenty of peat, compost or any well-rotted organic material.

Dig a hole just bigger than the container the plant came in. Line with slow release fertiliser and place the plant into the hole. Fill in with soil then water well. Add a layer of mulch on top to help the soil to retain moisture. Remember you should always handle plants by the root ball to prevent damage to stems and shallow roots.

If you are planting in a container, make sure you pick something big enough. Passionfruit vines can get quite large. Layer the bottom of your pot with drainage material, such a scoria or small pebbles. Add potting mix, mix through slow release fertiliser then place the plant in the pot and water well.

When passionfruit are grown in containers it pays to put them where you can easily monitor them to ensure soil stays moist – particularly in dry weather. Don’t forgot to place against a wall or by the support structure you’re going to use when the vines starts to grow.

Watering, Mulching and Feeding

For continuous flowering and fruiting, regular watering is essential. As fruit matures, plenty of water is needed to prevent the fruit shrivelling up and dropping off the vine too early. To help keep the soil moist, and protect the shallow root system, mulching the vines in autumn and spring with compost, peat or any well-rotted organic material is recommended. Just take care to keep mulch away from the stem of the vine.

Passionfruit vines are fast growing, so require regular feeding with fertiliser –a citrus fertiliser is ideal. Feed plants four times during the growing season but try to avoid applying fertiliser in autumn as this will promote soft growth that will not be adequately hardened off before winter. Always apply fertiliser at the recommended rate of the packet and water in after each application.

Pruning

Pruning can be kept to a minimum with passionfruit with just cutting 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

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

Protect Vines from Pests and Disease

Passionfruit are relatively trouble free however be on the lookout for slugs and snails as they will damage vines. You can regularly spray vines with copper spray to protect against fungus diseases and insecticide to discourage Passionvine hoppers (small sap-sucking moth-like insects). They jump when disturbed and if left unchecked, can cause black sooty mould forms on the honeydew they excrete.