PASSSION FRUIT - sawarot How to grow.

[pulnamin4]

I have several passion fruit ( sawarot) plants in pots, started from seeds taken from fruits purchased at the market.

They have lush green leaves climbing on the trellis i made. However after a year not a single fruit yet, i have had dozens of flowers... I am in ISAN ( Northeast Thailand ) and i have many questions such as.. ( 1) How long ( years/months ) before obtaining fruits. (2) What s best fertilisers to use to produce fruits and less leaves? ( 3) I water them daily, is it too much ?(4) Should the plants be in full sun ?

On the internet one can find info about Australian growing but nothing about Thailand.

I would appreciate comments about your experience growing passion fruits.. Thanks in advance

[cooked]

I got seeds from Passiflora edulis. They took 9 months to flower and another month to give fruit. No fertiliser, sour (not even our granddaughter will eat them. We are also in Isaan. I am now in the process of trying to eradicate this weed. The stuff you see in the market are likely to be hybrids, so dodgy germination at best.

Nice flowers, but we decided it wasn't worth it. I doubt that any passion fruit you can buy here is from Thailand.

You can always ask this guy: https://www.facebook.com/Passion-Fruit-Field-and-Passiflora-Collection-in-Thailand-%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A2%E0%B8%9D%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%99-154700667921689/?fref=ts

[Thesticle]

I believe I' m right in saying that passion fruit need male and female plants for you to get fruit. If you are getting flowers its strange that its not producing fruit, perhaps they are all female? From what I've been told passion fruit are pretty easy to grow, they like lots of water and full sun when mature. Hope this helps

[djayz]

I'm no expert on the subject, but I had two passion fruit plants growing in the back garden until recently.

The plants got a lot of direct sunlinght and very little water (after they took root that is) and very little fertilizer.

I had a similar experience. Lots of flowers about 6-9 months ago and then nothing, no fruit.

I waited a little longer and about 3 months ago we had tons of fruit. We had so much fruit, it was falling from the plants before I could pick it.

When I built the frame/trellis, I had no idea how much this plant grows and, unfortunately, the trellis couldn't hold the weight and finally collapsed. So I dug up the plants.

I'll grow more again in the future, but not until I have a sturdy trellis.

I also live in Isan (Korat) but I haven't seen anybody else growing this fruit around here. The neighbours were quite surprised and excited to see so much fruit growing. To my surprise, they didn't pick a single fruit from the trees.

Edited February 1, 2016 by djayz

[willyumiii]

Maybe your problem is that you have them in pots and are restricting the root system?

I have grown many over the years, all from volunteers from seeds dropped while eating them.

No fertilizer needed and only watered when they start to look stressed.

I seem to get more flowers and fruit from those that grow in filtered sun, or morning sun and not the hot,direct afternoon sun.

They are vigorous growers, and as mentioned above,can become some what of a weed,

but can be controlled by pruning and respond well to being cut back.

[daoyai]

I have grown passion fruit for decades and will answer the questions, .... first off, the flowers are polinated by carpenter bees, those big black slow flying bees that chew hole in old wood to nest in, no carpenter bees, no fruit. The fruit is always sour but you do not ever pick it, you let it drop to the ground, it drops when ripe if picked from the vine it is not ripe. If you want sweeter, add suger.

Edited February 2, 2016 by daoyai

[joeyg]

Fertilizer and Google. You have heard of them, right? Hope this helps...

http://www.tropicalpermaculture.com/growing-passionfruit.html

[seajae]

I have a vine going here from seeds I got from Australia, it took 2 years to flower then fruit, you need to keep the water up to it(2 to 3 times a week at least) and also feed it every so often. My fruit is great(the red passiflora), I either let it drop or check to see if it will release from the bush with gentle pressure. First time it flowered I had no fruit but the second time I got fruit, very important to water it regularly as they are huge water users. I have it as a vine going along our front fence, great for privacy but if there are trees etc growing near it they will climb up them as well. I have recently planted yellow and purple seeds and more red ones to start vines on our vacant land, will do arches for them to grow along and hopefully get a good variety of fruit. The one I have here is growing in a large pot that is sitting in a soil bed so they will grow in pots but the bed allows the roots to penetrate it for extra nourishment.

Edited February 2, 2016 by seajae

[Jing Joe]

Talked with a commercial grower in Oz and they get twice the amount fruit when bees are bought in by a commercial bee keeper.

If you are keen you can pollinate with a fluffy artists brush.

How about a ladies modified powder blush brush?

Just go from flower to flower.

I did it with tomatoes years ago where there were no bees.

[willyumiii]

Talked with a commercial grower in Oz and they get twice the amount fruit when bees are bought in by a commercial bee keeper.

If you are keen you can pollinate with a fluffy artists brush.

How about a ladies modified powder blush brush?

Just go from flower to flower.

I did it with tomatoes years ago where there were no bees.

And this is why so many Thai women call farang "butterfly"!

[Maejo Man]

Passion fruit will grow from seed, but very slowly and not particularly well. What is needed is a commercial grafted plant. Years ago I snuck a Nellie Kelly graft in from Australia. Travelled well and once in the ground took off like a rocket. It climbed up a 4 meter trellis and was a prolific fruit producer.

I use to get out in the mornings with a small paint brush to" tickle" all the flowers. Passion fruit are only good for about 6-7 years then a new vine has to be planted.

[asdecas]

Any katoey bar will do.

[lvr181]

Is passion fruit something that has a big demand from Thais?

[willyumiii]

So many making such a simple thing so complicated!

Five years ago my daughter dropped a piece of fruit.

It rotted away and later the seeds sprouted and started growing.

I thinned the seedlings and trained them up a pole and on to a 10 meter long length of romex wire.

They grew like crazy and produced many flowers and fruit.

I never gave it any more water or fertilizer than I give everything else in the garden.

When it got out of control, I cut it back to the ground.

Soon new seedlings from dropped fruit started the process all over again.

This has been going on for five years now with really no effort or special care from me.

It is a simple plant to grow.

P.S. I am a retired horticulturist and an arborist and I know difficult plants...this is not one!

[connda]

Grab a fruit - add copious passion. Try not to get arrested.

[sawadee1947]

I bought a small plant on a market (flower shop/nurdery). No special treatment, just put it into soil. Sunny place. After a week it started with climbing. Now, after 2 years it climbs up a neighbouring tree. Dozens of fruits. So what I can tell it's one of my easiest plants.

[HerbalEd]

So many making such a simple thing so complicated!

Five years ago my daughter dropped a piece of fruit.

It rotted away and later the seeds sprouted and started growing.

I thinned the seedlings and trained them up a pole and on to a 10 meter long length of romex wire.

They grew like crazy and produced many flowers and fruit.

I never gave it any more water or fertilizer than I give everything else in the garden.

When it got out of control, I cut it back to the ground.

Soon new seedlings from dropped fruit started the process all over again.

This has been going on for five years now with really no effort or special care from me.

It is a simple plant to grow.

P.S. I am a retired horticulturist and an arborist and I know difficult plants...this is not one!

FWIW ... The "passion" in the name Passionfruit has nothing to do with sexual passion. It's name is based upon the Passion of Christ ... i.e., the story of the crucification of Christ.

[HerbalEd]

Besides the delicious ... albeit very sour ... fruit, Passiflora leaves are an ancient herbal remedy that can be safely used as a relaxingly mild sedative and to induce restful sleep. The dried leaves make a nice tea.

I've been using the wild Passiflora incarnata and the cultivated P. edulis for over thirty years to make an herb tincture and have sold many thousands of bottles of the stuff to herb consumers and healthcare practitioners.

Also, I enjoy putting the just-about-to-bloom flower blossoms in my salads. They kinda taste like cucumbers.

Edited February 2, 2016 by HerbalEd

[jacko45k]

I got seeds from Passiflora edulis. They took 9 months to flower and another month to give fruit. No fertiliser, sour (not even our granddaughter will eat them. We are also in Isaan. I am now in the process of trying to eradicate this weed. The stuff you see in the market are likely to be hybrids, so dodgy germination at best.

Nice flowers, but we decided it wasn't worth it. I doubt that any passion fruit you can buy here is from Thailand.

You can always ask this guy: https://www.facebook.com/Passion-Fruit-Field-and-Passiflora-Collection-in-Thailand-%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A2%E0%B8%9D%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%99-154700667921689/?fref=ts

Passion fruits are grown in the North region and plentiful. Have not had much luck growing them in Pattaya area but soil is also not good, too sandy.

Yes they are sour but, if you don't mind the sugar, the juice is fantastic.

[daoyai]

Since we all now know how to cultivate, a few other related stuff, you separate the juice from seed by putting in the blender for a little swirl, not enough to break the seed , then strain. Use the juice to flavor many things, BBQ sauce, put a bit in pancake, cake or muffin batter... add a bit when whipping cream oh my.... and don't forget passion margaritas. Where I come from, it is call lilikoi.

Edited February 2, 2016 by daoyai

[Farang99]

I got seeds from Passiflora edulis. They took 9 months to flower and another month to give fruit. No fertiliser, sour (not even our granddaughter will eat them. We are also in Isaan. I am now in the process of trying to eradicate this weed. The stuff you see in the market are likely to be hybrids, so dodgy germination at best.

Nice flowers, but we decided it wasn't worth it. I doubt that any passion fruit you can buy here is from Thailand.

You can always ask this guy: https://www.facebook.com/Passion-Fruit-Field-and-Passiflora-Collection-in-Thailand-%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A2%E0%B8%9D%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%99-154700667921689/?fref=ts

I saw a passion fruit farm near Chiang Rai. The plants were growing like long beans, on strings between poles in full sun, and were covered in fruit. Very sour, but made a good drink.

[tracker1]

Grafted root stock make better plants and Magnesiun Sulphate added suppose to sweeten up the fruit

[joeyg]

Any katoey bar will do.

Are Katoeys "self pollinating?"

[joeyg]

I love this thread... 10 Medicinal Properties of Passion Fruit. Just when ya thought ya knew everything. Fascinating ... http://wiki-fitness.com/passion-fruit-health-benefits/

Edited February 4, 2016 by joeyg