Q.
Hi, I have a passionfruit plant that appears to be doing OK. I'm not sure what I have to do to it over winter - is there anything special I need to do to get more fruit and ensure a healthy plant next season? Thanks Trish.
A.
Feed passionfruit a nitrogen rich fertiliser until it reaches the desired height and then start feeding regularly with a citrus fertiliser or Tui NovaTec Premium fertiliser. Both fertilisers are rich in potassium which is required for flowering and fruiting. If your area is frost free then you can feed at 8-12 week intervals as passionfruit grow really quickly in a short space of time.
Regular applications of Seasol seaweed based plant tonic are recommended to ensure good plant health.
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Do I need to do anything to my passionfruit over winter? Comments
passionfruit need to be pruned. They fruit on new growth. Probably too late now, but should be done next early autumn
kathy fathers
When you say prune passionfruit, whereabouts do I start please as mine seems rampant.
Joan
I pruned mine back at the end of summer and it died. Prior to that, I had had a MEAN harvest. Quite annoyed I had killed such a good producer
Sandra
Hi Joan, you can prune passionfruit anytime after fruiting, they are a very rampant vine, you can be quite ruthless and take of more than half the growth. Once pruned spray with a winter spray to keep the plants healthy and to kill any over wintering insects or diseases. Enjoy! A side application of fruit tree fertiliser or citrus fertiliser in spring should set you up for a good crop next year. Thanks, Jenna - Tui Team
jenna
Hi I live in Tennessee and my question is. Should I leave the pa sion fruit plant outside during winter? Thanks., Carmen.
Carmen
Hi Carmen, we aren't able to give you a definite answer as we aren't familiar with the growing conditions where you live. We are based in New Zealand and suggest planting over the warmer months not winter - they prefer a frost-free area. Thanks, Tui Team
jenna
Hi, I planted a passionfruit in early December and it's growing amazingly. Do I need to cover it with s frost cloth over winter? I live in the Waikato and we can get quite heavy frosts. Thanks, Marisa
Marisa
Hi Marisa, yes do put some frost cloth over your passionfruit, and at the same time give it an application of Tui Organic Seaweed Plant Tonic, this will give the plant a boost to get it through the colder months. In spring, trim back the stems, to encourage new growth and add a side dressing of Tui NovaTec fertiliser. Happy gardening from the Tui Team
jenna
My passionfruit has a Lot of fruit on it , will it drop off over this winter period or stay there till it ripens.
Danny Morrison
Hi Danny, it is hard to say, in regions where it gets really cold they may fall off, however if your plant is somewhere warm they may fully ripen. If they are not ripe by September they probably will not fully ripen. Happy gardening ^Tui Team
jenna
I pruned my grafted passionfruit too vigorously last winter and had a miserable crop, now in the Autumn there is huge growth, should I cut the new autumn growth back now or just leave it?
Bob
Hi Bob, leave the new growth as the flowers and ultimately fruit, are produced on new seasons growth. Only remove weak, dead or diseased growth, if the vine is over-vigorous you can trim it to keep it manageable and if too dense remove some foliage to improve air circulation around the plant to reduce the chance of fungal disease affecting the vine. Make sure the vine is protected from frost if in a frost prone area.
The Tui Team