How To Grow Passionfruit

The passionfruit vine is characterised by starry flowers and distinctive leathery-skinned fruit.

Native to the Amazon region of South America, it was named by Spanish missionaries who believed sections of the petals resembled the crown of thorns from the crucifixion.

There are more than 50 varieties of passionfruit vine, many of them suited to growing in Australia, including Banana, Hawaiian, Norfolk Island, Yellow Giant, Panama Gold, Panama Red and Ned Kelly.

The wrinkled fruit contains vitamins A and C, potassium and iron, and is good for salads, desserts and in drinks.

The passionfruit pulp can be bottled, made into sauce or eaten fresh.

Passionfruit is also believed to have health properties, with some Brazilian tribes using it as heart tonic. 

How often should I fertilise? 

Overfertilising passionfruit results in flowers but no fruit.

It usually only needs fertilising twice a year, after pruning and again after fruiting.

The best seasons to fertilise are spring, autumn, and early or late summer.

What type of fertiliser should I use? 

A fertiliser high in nitrogen promotes plenty of passionfruit leaf growth at the expense of fruit and flowers.

Therefore, you are better to fertilise with chicken manure, well-rotted cow manure, citrus foods or compost.

You can even put used teabags at the base of established vines, leaving them to seep into the soil as fertiliser.

When should I harvest my passionfruit? 

Harvest passionfruit when they are fully sized and coloured – they are at their best when slightly wrinkled, so pick the fruit when the skins start to wrinkle.

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How often should I fertilise?

What type of fertiliser should I use?

When should I harvest my passionfruit?

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How often should I fertilise? 

What type of fertiliser should I use? 

When should I harvest my passionfruit? 