Hi, can you tell me what to do once passionfruit vines have finished fruiting? Do they need clean up sprays and fertiliser? Thanks.

Hi Glenis, once your passionfruit vine has finished fruiting, collect up all fallen leaves and remove brown leaves off the vine, if left these could harbour pests and diseases which can overwinter in the soil and create a problem next season.

• Feed your plant in autumn with a balanced fertiliser, one not too rich in nitrogen, a general garden or all purpose fertiliser is good, one that contains potassium to help improve fruiting for next season.
• Passionfruit fruit on new seasons growth, they don't need a hard prune each year, so prune to stimulate new fruiting vines in early spring when the risk of frost has passed. Cut vines back by approximately one third. In autumn you can cut out and remove weak, dead and criss-crossing vines, this helps improve air circulation and reduces the risk of disease affecting the plant.
• Reduce watering to once or twice a week, depending upon the weather. At this time of year you don't want the vine to put on a lot of new growth that can get frosted in winter.
• A clean up spray using a copper based fungicide and a horticultural spraying oil applied now, and again in winter is beneficial. Copper and oil can be sprayed right up to just before flowering, your local garden centre will be able to help you with the correct clean up spray for your passionfruit.

Thanks, Lianne ^Tui Team