i have tried my hand several times at growing passifloras, and i have had the best success with p. caerulea. i never seem to be able to get them t bloom reliably though. can y'all give me some basic care tips to help get buds and eventually fruit?
thanks,
trent
i need help
anyone?
The only things I can think of off the top of my head is they don't like too much water or waterlogging, and they prefer soil on the alkaline (higher pH) side. If you're wanting flowers/fruit, if fertilising keep nitrogen (N) low and potassium (K) higher. They like chicken manure, but it needs to be old.
ok thanks!
If the plant looks healthy, and has growing tips, then all should be well. Some passies seem to go through phases where they bloom well for a while, then take a breather. Others take a few years to get to the point where they bloom more consistently. I use Osmocote granules to fertilize in the spring (just after the frost date), and then again (more lightly) about 4 months later. That works pretty well. Most of mine seem to be quite happy in Miracle Gro potting soil, except for P. retipetala which apparently doesn't tolerate that level of acidity. But I do get an occasional bag of Miracle Gro that was shorted on fertilizer--those vines just sit there and don't do anything--a good sign that they need fertilizer. I don't put passies in the ground--in my climate they would become invasive.
Good luck!
Mark
And I forgot to add, I don't use black pots anymore after I discovered how much they can absorb heat and heat up the potting mix.
Mark
thanks! my passiflora is growing like a weed. it is planted under a pine tree the soil is sandy but has a lot of organic matter in it, and i imagine it is to some degree acidic. i have fed it with some slow release bloom booster. should i have done that differently? the soil never dries out all the way but it is well draining. as far as watering goes, it may get a tiny bit from one of the sprinklers, but other than that, it only gets watered when it rains, which has been quite a lot as of late. the only thing is that i have noticed its leaves are not nearly as nice and plump as they were last year, or as lush as the ones in plant files. they are just long and stringy. i'll put up pictures tomorrow.
I didn't know that bit about spare the water. That why some of my others may not be blooming.
X
Not sure about the bloom buster--what are the numbers on it. You may be a little nitrogen deficient if the foliage doesn't look right. Also, pine needles are supposedly acidic, so maybe the soil is a little too acidic? The over watering is much more of an issue in the winter when there is little or no growth--thats when the root rot usually happens.
Mark
the numbers are 10 12 10
That sounds like a well-balanced fertilizer, and should be enough nitrogen. You might want to get a soil test from your county agent to make sure everything is OK with the soil. If it is, then just be patient--they will eventually put out some blooms. My caerulea vine is just finishing a blooming phase (for the last month or so), and now has no new buds on the vines. In a few weeks, it will probably start again.
Good luck!
Mark
ok. thanks! youve been a big help. do you know anything about propagating passifloras by cuttings?
I use the Oasis foam cubes, but you could use small cups with regular potting soil or sphagum moss. Here is a link with pics that shows how I do it (scroll down about halfway). If you just got the cuttings, keep them in gallon ziploc bags to keep the humidity high.
Good luck!
Mark
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/915758/
thanks.
I find that once the nights are hot (74*) my vines quit flowering. They prefer warm-hot days and cooler nights then we have in summer down here.
Johanna
Our nights have been very warm...upper 70's pushing 80. Was 80 when I got up at 5:30 this morning. My lady Margaret is loaded w/ buds...so hopefully won't drop them.
same thing here.... and rain every day, it seems!