PLEASE HELP ME!

I recently purchased a Fledermouse Passiflora on ebay. It arrived 2 days ago, and the leaves were wilted and turning yellow. Is this normal? It is my first Passie, and don't want to lose it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. thanks in advance
kathy

Was the soil mix wet or dry? Too wet could lead to wilted and yellow leaves. Too dry would also cause wilting, but not yellowing leaves. Yellow leaves could also be due to lack of nutrients, mainly nitrogen. If the potting mix was wet, then you should allow it to dry well between waterings.

Hal

hal, the soil was moist but not really wet. should i repot it?

Do you have a photo?

If it is in a very small pot, then you probably should re-pot it. The problem could also be related to lack of light as well as nutrients. I would re-pot in well-drained soil with just a little fertilizer and see how it responds. If the yellowing is speckled, you also should check for spidermites.

OK...
If you received your plant, and it is less then 12" long, DO NOT REPOT!!!
I sell and ship Passiflora and am very familiar with what can happen. Too many sellers on eBay ship Passiflora that is less than 12" long. Those small plants are too tender to ship. Shipping them in closed boxes through either extreme heat or cold conditions stresses the heck out of them. Think in terms of shipping a newborn baby in a box, via Priority Mail, from where you purchased your plant to you. Stress. Big time Stress.

That being said, the worst thing you can do is remove it from the soil environment it is accustomed to. Place the plant in a location where it may receive filtered light. Keep it moist, not wet. Keep it warm. Don't let it dry out. Do not give it fertilizer! Allow it to become used to it's new environment and straighten out it's own problems before you intervene. If it cannot make the adjustment itself, it is more likely to die if you bombard it with nutrients it is too sick too assimilate.

Be patient, be kind. The plant wants to live, but if the odds are against it from the outset, there's little you can do.
Also, contact the seller and make your problem known.

I will NOT sell Passiflora unless it is at least 18" in length. More often, they are on average around 24". I'm not stating this as a plug for my business. I'm just trying to clue you in as to what you should expect from your Passiflora sources. ALWAYS make sure the plant you wish to purchase has good length! If things go wrong, you may be able to at least salvage a cutting and root it yourself. If plant length is not stated in a seller's add...ASK!

Best of luck to you!!!

gordo, the plant is about 2 feet. i have it under a plant light and has lost all but 3 leaves, but i admit it looks a little better than it did. it is in a plastic cup. when can i transplant it? thanks for the help
kathy

Thanks for more information...
Good! You're holding your own!
Even if it loses all of it's leaves, don't lose heart. As long as the growing tip is green, you're OK. Some Passiflora react this way when under stress. They can't handle their leaves, because they're recovering from shock. The first thing they do is jettison all their leaves. As they settle in, they begin to regenerate leaf growth. Keep an eye on the stem nodes. If you begin to see tiny, green growth emerging from those nodes, your plant is getting back on track! Let it continue to recover on it's own. When it has replaced at least half of it's lost leaf growth, give it a weak drink of Miracle Grow. Just watch that moisture level! Don't transplant until the roots fill the cup, and only then into a 4" pot. After the roots fill that pot, transplant to a mix of 50% perlite to 50% light potting soil in a 6" pot and so on.

Keep us updated.
...to your success!

gordo, thanks so much for the help. will post a picture later
kathy

here is a picture of the poor thing

Kathy,
Your vine looks viable. You need to repot it into a good drainage pot. Passi root system isn't fragile like most other plants (they're fibrous and runs long and wide). Use a gallon pot for now with good potting soil. Don't use those that has fertilizer in the mixture. (fertilizer will burn the injured roots). Wait until the spring to fertilize them when the roots are established.
At the mean time, water the pot once, let most drainage runs out and keep it in a well lit spot in the house. Put up a small trellis of some sort to help it climb, but small enough that would be easy for you to transplant them later.
Happy gardening.
Kim

kim, thanks so much. recomendation on potting soil?

I like 'Promix' or any good ole potting soil that's commercially available. Mircle Grow is great for established plants most time. Look for bags, read the label, avoid those that has added fertilizers in them, it should be fine.

thank you

You're welcome, and best of lucks. :-)
Kim

Kathy; according to plant file at Dave's. It's hardy to zone 8a. That vine maybe tough enough to survive our climate. Wait until spring before you can find a sheltered area in the garden and plant it directly outside. I've discovered 3 different hybrids passi. that survive our zones beside our native Maypop. So enjoy yours.
Happy Holidays.
Kim
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/58607/

This message was edited Dec 18, 2007 8:56 AM

Hi Kim...
She looks a bit run down, but those growing tips are nice and green!

Hello Gordo,
I think the vine would do fine for Kathy. We're here to root her on. :-)
Kim

YIPPEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
it likes it's new pot. i has new leaves! should i fertilize it now?

Very weak solution of Miracle Grow... :-)
Glad to hear she's growing again!

thanks gordo for all the help

A pleasure!
Now, we're all waiting for photos of her blossoms. :-)