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permaculture - Re: [permaculture] Passionflower

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  • From: Marimike6@cs.com
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Passionflower
  • Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2008 14:15:21 EDT

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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