permaculture

[Marimike6@cs.com]

California Rare Fruit Growers has this to say about passiflora:

Adaptation: The purple passion fruit is subtropical and prefers a frost-free 
climate. However, there are cultivars that can take temperatures into the 
upper 20's (°F) without serious damage. The plant is widely grown in 
California as 
far north as San Jose, the Monterey Bay Area and the San Franciso Bay Area. 
The vines may lose some of their leaves in cool winters. The roots often 
resprout even if the top is killed. The plant does not grow well in intense 
summer 
heat. The yellow passion fruit is tropical or near-tropical and is much more 
intolerant of frost. Both forms need protection from the wind. Generally, 
annual 
rainfall should be at least 35 inches. Passion fruit vines make good 
container specimens but require maintenance. They perform well indoors. 

http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/passionfruit.html

So Keith, I think you're doing well to get anything at all to grow in 
Vermont. 

In the sandy, hot soils of central NC the stuff has a weedy aspect. That is, 
you get lots and lots of vines growing across the rest of your garden, pretty 
flowers and a tasteless green fruit. It spreads readily if you don't clear 
it. 
Fortunately it's shallow rooted and easy to expunge.

Under local conditions (hot, dry, searing sun) it prefers full shade. And a 
lot of fertilizer. You may find up north it prefers the sun... but if your 
soil 
isn't well drained that could be a real problem. When it dies back I'd cut 
the shoots and mulch the roots.

Michael


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