Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Sulky Incarnatas, 1 by cschx

cschx wrote:
Hello Passiflora gurus. I'm new to growing these plants (and to Dave's Garden) and I was hoping someone could give me advice on a problem I'm having with my Maypops (Passiflora incarnata).

By all accounts these things are supposed to grow like weeds, and I am growing them only a little bit north of their native habitat, so I'm puzzled by their sulky behavior after planting them out as transplants. I started them from seed last spring, growing them in small pots up to about a foot, at which point they were growing quite vigorously. I then transplanted them to larger containers and they stopped growing completely. They have been sitting there sulking for over a month now and showing no new growth at all despite decent weather. The leaves are now exhibiting what I take to be signs of nutrient deficiency (see first two photos) - when I planted them out they were bright green. The tendrils have all curled up into tight little balls and refuse to open (third photo). I dug up the roots a little and they appear healthy.

The potting mix is a fairly rich 50/50 ProMix/forest compost amended with an all-purpose organic fertilizer (Espoma Plant Tone). The container is a milk crate lined with burlap, so it drains pretty well but the soil does stay very moist. I haven't done any additional fertilizing beyond a dose of chelated iron in an effort to combat what I initially took to be signs of chlorosis – this has had no visible effect.

I'm very puzzled by these plants' behavior and would be grateful for any insight you could provide.