Passionfruit

Grow a passionfruit vine to cover a pergola or screen a fence, says PHIL DUDMAN

The soil is warming up and it’s now ready to receive a new passionfruit plant. Even if you already have a vine growing, it’s worth planting a backup every three years or so to guarantee an ongoing supply of their delicious fruit. The old one won’t last forever, and if you plant now, you may see your first fruit developing in autumn, or at least the following spring.

Passionfruit vines like plenty of sun, and while they’ll happily grow and fruit along a fence or up a trellis, they reach their productive peak when they climb up and over something, such as a pergola, because the broad horizontal surface maximises their sun exposure.

These are vigorous vines, so you need to allow adequate space, at least 6–7m², for their stems to spread over the growing season. Rest assured, you can prune them back each spring before they take off again. When you do this, the flowers and fruit will form on the resulting new growth.

You don’t have to grow a pollinator, but planting a different variety close by definitely increases the pollination rate. Common purple varieties perform in most growing areas. Panamas prefer warm to tropical zones, and grafted Nelly Kelly varieties are your best choice in cooler areas.

Protect your vines from frost and wind. Incorporate a half barrow-load of compost at planting, and if the soil is a little heavy, mound it up to improve drainage. Handle with care when planting; don’t tease the roots, and plant with the top of the pot level with the surrounding soil. Water in with seaweed solution to reduce transplant shock and encourage speedy root formation, and mulch well. Water daily for the first week, then gradually space your watering as the plant settles in.