Growing passion fruit
from seed
·
Choose a well developed ripe fruit from the vine.
Wash the contents to separate seed and pulp, and then dry the seed in the shade
as seed germination can be reduced by drying in the full sun.
·
Germination
may be improved by softening the seed coat by allowing the seed together with
the pulp to ferment for 1 to 3 days in a plastic container. The passion seed is
then thoroughly washed, dried and sown as soon as possible. Germination can
also be improved by priming which is soaking the seed in warm water for one
hour before planting.
·
Water the seeds using a fine mist from a hand
held sprayer or watering can. Continue watering about twice a day ensuring good
drainage of excess water.
·
Passion fruit seed can be planted in trays or
seedbed. Once germinated and having two true leaves they are transplanted to
bags or bigger trays to ensure more space so that the root do not become
entangled as the seedling grows.
·
Harden off the final seedlings before they are
transplanted to the field by setting them out of the shade in thegrowing area
for 2-3 days in advance.
·
Select only the vigorously growing seedlings
which are dark green and free from nematodes and fungal diseases. They should
not be stunted and leaves should be free of any deformity.
Graft propagation of passion fruit
Grafting is an important means of
perpetuating hybrids as well as reducing pest and diseases damage, by using
resistant passion fruit rootstock.
·
Rootstock material should be planted in a
separate area to avoid crossing with other fruit cultivars through cross
pollination.
·
Scion material is best obtained from young
seedlings planted for this purpose
·
Seed to grafting stage can take two months and
from grafting to planting one month
Cleft or wedge grafting
This is the most efficient method
of grafting.
1. Select
two seedlings to be grafted with the same thickness of stem each about ‘pencil
thick’ to make the grafting easier.
2. Cut
off the top of the rootstock seedling at a suitable height about 20-25cm with a
sharp knife remove the leaves from the rootstock at the grafting point but
retain the leaves below.
3. Make
a split 23-40mm long in the cut end of the rootstock
4. use
tip scions 5-8cm long with the terminal leaves still attached
5. Cut
the scions with the wedge the same length as the split in the stock and insert
to the full length of the cut. use grafting tape or plastic to hold the union
6. Do
not remove the binding tape until the union has grown together
7. It
takes about 2 months for the union to grow together and the passion fruit
seedling to grown enough for transplanting.
Planting time
