PASSIONFRUIT - BLACK

PASSIONFRUIT - BLACK

Passiflora edulis

This is a vigorous vine The large fruit has an attractive black skin and the plant crops very heavily from Autumn through to Spring. It is self pollinating (it only needs one plant to fruit), very hardy and prolific. The ideal planting position is a west facing wall on a well aired trellis in rich soil aided with seaweed mulch and plenty of water. Seeds will take 10 to 20 days or longer to germinate. Scarify each seed with fine sandpaper and then soak them in warm water overnight before planting. Once the seedlings are 8 inches tall, you can transplant them. Dig a hole at least twice the size of the root ball and mix the soil with compost. Mulch well around the plant. They need fertile soil, so add a balanced, slow-release fertilizer twice a year. Bottom heating the seeds at 21-27C can result in germination in 1-2 weeks, at lower temperatures seeds can take up to 10 weeks to germinate.Vines usually produce by the second year and can yield up to 300 fruits when in full production. Beautiful flowers are borne at the ends of a long stalk. Flowers may attract birds. Fruits can ripen year round.The plants may defoliate or die back in colder areas but will re-grow from the roots next spring. . Because the vine itself is decorative, you will want to plant it in a place where it can flaunt itself. This variety may not have sufficient time to mature fruit properly in cooler climes unless planted in a site protected from cold winds but is worth a try.

QTY 10 seeds

Image by Manfred Richter from Pixabay