How to grow passion fruit from seeds. Indoor passion fruit - a tropical liana in a city apartment

Passionflower has gained universal fame and love from flower growers for its unique, star-shaped, brightly colored large flowers with pleasant aroma. In addition, this vine is unpretentious and, knowing the features of caring for it, you can easily grow an amazing plant at home.

You can decorate an apartment, loggia or balcony with passionflower.

Passionflower - types and description

South American vine, oldflower or passionflower It is a perennial and annual herbaceous plant or climbing shrub with a woody stem. The plant has whole or lobed dark green simple leaves and axillary flowers up to ten centimeters in diameter.

Growing on long stalks, the flowers consist of large bracts, five sepals, five petals and five stamens, which surround an ovary with three stigmas. Buds on the South American liana appear around mid-summer. Flowering lasts until late autumn. Large, fragrant fruits are formed from faded flowers, which are edible in some passionflower species.

Whiskers grow on the vine, which find a suitable support and wrap around it. The plant has a well-developed and strong root system. The thickness of the main root can reach one centimeter, and the length can be several meters.

Main types of passionflower:

Passionflower from seeds at home

For sowing it is recommended use only fresh seeds, since only two percent of the planting material will sprout in the second year. Sowing is done in a store-bought substrate or in a self-prepared soil mixture. Soil for passionflower should consist of the following components:

• leaf soil;
• humus;
• sand;
• peat.

All components are taken in equal parts and mixed. Before planting seeds, it is recommended to bake the soil for ten minutes in the oven.

Seeds must be treated before sowing:

• use fine sandpaper to damage the hard shell;
• soak for two days in warm water;
• floating seeds are thrown away.

Without such treatment, seedlings will have to wait a very long time.

Swollen seeds placed in moistened soil to a depth of half a centimeter and sprinkled with soil on top. The seedling container is covered with glass or polyethylene and placed in a place where temperature changes can be created. During the day the air temperature should be within +30 degrees, and at night – about +10 degrees. In such conditions, almost any seeds will germinate in one to two months.

After the seedlings appear, the glass must be removed and, with the help of artificial lighting, provided with twelve hours of daylight. When young plants have two true leaves, they are picked into separate pots. This should be done carefully so as not to disturb the roots. The plant, along with a lump of earth, is placed in a new pot and not deeply buried.

A South American vine grown from seeds will begin to bloom in about eight years.

Caring for passionflower at home

A flowering plant needs good lighting, so in summer it can be grown on western and eastern windows, and in winter moved to the southern window sill.

Air temperature

To grow vines at home, you need to create an optimal one for it. temperature regime. The plant does not tolerate heat well, so in summer the air temperature should be no more than +30 degrees.

In autumn, when passionflower stops blooming, it enters a dormant period. At this time it is recommended keep in cool conditions with an air temperature of +10 to +14 degrees. The flower pot can be placed on a glassed-in loggia or veranda. The room should be bright and cool. Such conditions are necessary for the vine to gain strength and bloom for a long time for the next season. At this time, the plant is not fed and rarely watered.

If in winter it is not possible to keep passionflower in cool conditions, then its leaves will begin to turn yellow and fall off.

Watering and fertilizing

Watering a South American vine should be regularly. She does not like dry soil, however, she also cannot tolerate stagnant water. Therefore, after each watering, the water that has flowed into the pan should be poured out.

The leaves of the plant love spraying, especially if the room is hot. In summer, the vine can be washed once a week in the shower. During this procedure, you should be careful not to break the stems of the plant.

From mid-winter until autumn, passionflower is fed once every two weeks. mineral and organic fertilizers. They must be alternated and applied only to moist soil. During the dormant period and if the plant is sick, do not fertilize.

Trimming

For intensive growth and stimulation of branching, the vine should prune every year. The pruning procedure is carried out in the spring, cutting off last year's secondary shoots by a third. New buds will form on the emerging young shoots.

In the summer, shoots are cut out at the base of the plant, and in the fall, after flowering, the secondary bald stems are completely removed and the remaining shoots are cut to three-quarters of the length.

You can only prune plants that have reached the age of three.

Transfer

Young vines are transplanted into a new pot annually, and adult plants once every two to three years. The transplant is carried out in the spring at the same time as the pruning procedure. In order for the plant to bloom faster after transplantation, and not to grow greenery, the new pot should be only two centimeters larger than the old one. It is recommended to plant by transshipment, so as not to disturb its fragile roots.

Passionflower's stems grow quickly and become woody, so you need to take care of support for them in a timely manner and direct new shoots to it. A large number of leaves, flowers and buds grow on the stems, which is why they become clumsy and heavy.

Propagation of passionflower by cuttings

In the spring, cuttings can be cut and rooted from new shoots. Each of them must have a growth current and two pairs of leaves. The lower leaves are torn off, and the cut section is treated with a special preparation - a root former.

Cuttings are placed in a container, the bottom of which is filled first with drainage and then with nutrient soil. The soil should consist of black soil and turf soil (1:1). With the help of a stick, depressions are made in the soil, into which segments of shoots are immersed until the leaves are left behind. The soil is moistened, after which the cuttings are covered with a transparent cap.

Caring for cuttings is in daily aeration of the soil and regular moistening. The soil should not dry out, otherwise the young shoots will dry out. With this method of propagation, the cuttings will take root and begin to grow in about two months. The cap must be removed three weeks after planting in the ground.

Young plants that have grown and become stronger are transplanted into a permanent pot with soil for passionflower.

For the cuttings to take root, they can be placed in a jar of water, in which a piece is pre-dissolved charcoal. The water should not be changed until roots appear on the shoots and grow to the required size.

Diseases and pests of passionflower

If the plant is overwatered, especially if it is in cool conditions, it can be affected by fungal diseases. They are manifested by spotting of leaves, which die off over time. In the early stages of the disease, fungicidal preparations and moderate watering will help.

From infectious diseases passionflower can get sick with viral yellow mosaic, scab, fusarium, late blight, root rot, brown, ring and bacterial spot. In these cases, it is almost impossible to cure the plant. To prevent other indoor plants from becoming infected, the flower along with the pot is destroyed.

Various pests love to settle on the succulent leaves of the South American vine. More often the plant is affected by:

• whiteflies;
• thrips;
• aphids;
• spider mites;
• mealybug.

All pests, except the mealybug, are destroyed with the help of insecticides - "Aktara", "" or "Aktellik". To get rid of mealybugs, it is necessary to treat the vine with preparations that contain cypermethrin. These include “Inta-vir”, “Emperor”, “Arrivo”.

At correct placement and care at home, passionflower grows quickly, forms many buds and blooms for a long time. A South American vine with unusual, large, fragrant buds suitable for vertical gardening premises and design of a green corner.

This graceful, beautifully flowering tropical vine is perfect for growing in room conditions or winter gardens. Its homeland is the mountain forests of Central and South America, some varieties are found in Asia and Australia. In general, the genus passionflower includes several hundred species of vines, the most famous of which is edible passionflower or passion fruit. Passionflower is rightfully considered one of the brightest and most beautiful ornamental plants. Caring for it at home is not at all difficult, because this flower is quite unpretentious.

Passionflower. Home care

The main beauty of this ornamental plant consists mainly of huge (up to 12 cm in diameter), fragrant and unusual in appearance flowers. Currently, there are many hybrid varieties of passionflower with large and variously colored flowers, some of them can be grown in open ground (in sufficiently warm climate, for example, Black Sea coast) and used to decorate terraces and gazebos. The most commonly grown flowers in apartments are blue passionflower (Passiflora caerulea) and winged passionflower (Passiflora alata). The leaves are also very decorative: large, bright green, oval or palmately dissected with a glossy surface.

At their base there is a pair of “honey” glands. The fruits are oval edible berries of yellow or reddish color and delicate pulp. Priming Passionflower prefers fairly heavy and nutritious soil; to prepare the soil, you can take leaf soil, garden soil, peat in equal quantities and add a little sand. Pot for young plant It is advisable to take a small one and replant it as needed.

The shape of the pot is classic, with drainage holes at the bottom. Be sure to lay out drainage, such as expanded clay.

Watering Liana loves water very much; its large leaves actively evaporate moisture in the summer, so the plant needs frequent watering with settled, warm water. IN winter time If it is in cooler conditions (at a temperature of about 15 degrees), watering is reduced. Passionflower.

Home care Regular spraying of the plant with a spray bottle is very important, since if there is a lack of moisture, it can drop leaves and buds. Location Passionflower is a light-loving plant; it can grow on south-facing windows if it is slightly shaded from direct sunlight at midday in summer.

The optimal growing temperature is 24-27 degrees. It doesn’t like drafts - it drops its buds. In general, the formula for successfully growing passionflower can be boiled down to the following: plenty of light, regular spraying, absence of drafts.

Features of passionflower growth Like all indoor vines, passionflower needs a support to which it can cling with its tendrils. For this indoor plant Supports in the form of a lattice or ladder are more suitable; the material can be different: plastic, bamboo, thin slats, etc. The support can be located either in the pot itself or on the wall, always with a gap so that the branches can curl freely.

You can also use forms in the form of an arc or a heart; in this case, the passionflower shoots are repeatedly “wrapped” around the ring. The stems and shoots are tied to a support with some soft material, without tightening the knot tightly. You can use ready-made clips and soft special wire, which are sold in flower shops.

The garter allows you to guide growth and give a beautiful appearance.On favorable conditions passionflower responds with abundant flowering. Buds are formed on young shoots, which are formed in large numbers near each leaf of the main trunk. For better flowering It is better to tear off the lower “stepchildren”, and leave a few of the upper ones.

It has been noticed that horizontal staking of shoots has a very good effect on the number of planted buds. If the shoots are directed vertically upward, they will grow in length as quickly as possible, and if directed downward, they will produce many lateral shoots. With the onset of autumn, all old, faded shoots of passionflower are cut off, and long young shoots are shortened.

You can trim and in early spring, this stimulates the growth of new branches and, accordingly, the formation of buds. If the old shoots are not removed, the plant will either not bloom at all or sparingly. In this case, pruning should be gentle; you cannot shorten the shoots too much - this weakens the plant. The flowers are beautiful, fragrant, but short-lived - they last only a day, therefore, the more buds, the better.

Fertilizer for passionflower Typically, during the period of active growth (March-September), fertilizers are applied to flowering indoor plants approximately once every 10-14 days. Pay attention to the composition of the fertilizer: if it contains more nitrogen than potassium and phosphorus, then it will stimulate the growth of shoots and foliage. During the period of bud formation, it is advisable to feed passionflower with potassium fertilizer. Passionflower is very easily propagated by cuttings, and “lower” cuttings taken closer to the ground take root faster. Its shoots are long, so one shoot can be divided into several parts: both the apical ones and those from the middle will take root. The optimal cutting size is 15-20 cm, with 2-3 leaves.

It is better to root in a glass of water with the addition of a small amount of root, this powder stimulates the formation of roots. It can be grown in the ground (in this case, you need to cover the cutting with a plastic bag). Passion flower can also be grown from seeds.

They are placed in moist soil, slightly buried, placed in a greenhouse and wait for shoots. Seeds take a long time to germinate - from 1 to 10 months, most often - about six months. A plant grown from cuttings blooms faster - within a year. Passionflower: care at home.

Diseases and pests Passionflower most often suffers from lack of humidity– the tips of its leaves begin to dry, spots and sooty fungi (spotted black plaque) appear on them on the back of the leaves. The appearance of the latter is facilitated by damage to spider mites, aphids, scale insects, and thrips.

Mechanical cleaning In this case, the first thing you need to do is remove the pests. If the plant is small and can easily be moved, then first you need to wash it in the shower. This will help mechanically remove some of the pests and black plaque.

Treatment with drugs Remains of sooty fungi are removed with a damp swab from each sheet. Then the plant is treated with an insecticide, for example fitoverm, actellik.

The drug is diluted according to the instructions and sprayed onto the leaves and stems using a spray bottle. It's better to do it on outdoors, at least on the balcony, taking precautions, since insecticides are poisonous to people and animals. Passionflower.

Home care Extra hydration It is imperative to take measures to increase air humidity: either regularly spray the plant with water twice a day, or place it on a tray with pebbles, with the lower pebbles in water and the upper ones dry, otherwise the roots may rot from excess water. Also on wet pebbles are placed in a pot with an individual tray without holes. If you have a humidifier at home, this is generally great. Spraying in bright sun leads to burns on the leaves, since water droplets act like small lenses. Suitable humidity is an excellent means of preventing the appearance of spider mites and scale insects. Treatment with the anti-pest drug is repeated 2 more times -3 times with a break of 7 to 10 days (according to instructions). Indoor vine is also susceptible to damage nematodes, small roundworms.

May be affected aboveground part(shoots, leaves) and roots. They are brought in with the soil. In this case, the plant stops growing, the leaves and shoots curl, become deformed, the tops dry out, and galls - swellings - form on the roots. It is difficult to fight nematodes.

If only the roots are affected, then it is easier to cut off a healthy shoot and re-root the plant. Pyrantel (a dewormer for humans and animals) may help. The tablet is diluted in 5 liters of water and the plant is watered.

The soil must be replaced and the pot must be rinsed thoroughly. The treatment is repeated several times. In general, it must be said that passionflower, which is cared for at home according to all the rules, gets sick extremely rarely.

general description

These plants have one rather rare feature for vines with such lush flowers, the cultivation of which is also possible at home - they are edible, even very delicious fruits. These varieties include well-known tropical fruits - edible passion fruit, which can be grown at home ( see photo).The size of the fruits of most types of passionflower is small, from 1 to 9 cm in diameter, and passion fruit is about 5-6 cm. But there are also simply giants, for example, the giant edible granadilla, the fruits of which weigh up to 2 kg and are 15 cm in diameter. wild species, and the weight of varietal varieties can reach 5 kg, and it is quite possible to grow them at home!

Brazilian sweet granadilla is very popular in hot countries not only as a very tasty, but also a medicinal fruit, which can be grown from seeds at home.

By the way, these medicinal (soothing) properties are recognized by official medicine, and in pharmacies you can buy passionflower tincture, as well as a number of drugs from the passit series.

Sowing passionflower seeds

Growing passionflower is not so difficult, and if you provide it with good conditions and do the right formative pruning, you can even get juicy fruits. We will tell you in detail about growing at home separately, but now we will describe how to grow passion flower from seeds, including edible passion fruit and sweet granadilla that can ripen on your windowsill. Scientists consider passion flower to be dioecious - it can have both male and female flowers.

In order for the fruit and seeds to form, male pollen must fall on the stigma of the pistil, that is, at home and even in the garden it is necessary to carry out artificial pollination, since in our area there are no pollinating insects for passionflower. Seeds different varieties vines, including passion fruit, and sweet granadilla are sold in gardening centers (see photo).Their peculiarity is that for growing at home, the seeds must be sown as fresh as possible, literally taken out of the fruit.

With each week of storage, their germination rate decreases. Therefore, when purchasing seeds in a store, be sure to look at the harvest time (indicated on the pack): if they are more than 3 months old, you may not be able to wait for germination. But there are several secrets that will help increase the germination of seeds that you are not sure about, and also significantly simplify growing seedlings.

If you bought them in a store, rub them lightly on both sides with sandpaper or a nail file before planting. And then soak it in fresh milk (at room temperature) for 2 days, changing it morning and evening.

Instead of milk, you can just as easily take fresh orange juice. You can also use ready-made store-bought products to activate germination, for example, gibberellin, but there is one very important nuance with them.

Experienced lovers of growing passionflower from seeds have determined that the holding time should not exceed 3 hours. When the time is more than 5 hours in gibberellin or epine, germination, on the contrary, drops sharply. Sowing should be carried out in a specially prepared mixture of peat, soil from deciduous forest, clay in equal quantities, plus - mineral fertilizers and a little chalk. The substrate for growing seedlings from seeds is moisture-intensive and nutritious, the passionflower roots breathe in it.

They should be buried to a depth of 1 cm (no more!), covered with a cap or spunbond to create Greenhouse effect and make sure that the soil is constantly moist. Coconut fiber briquettes are even more suitable for germinating seeds. It must be filled with water, let it gain moisture and swell (3-5 times its original volume), allow excess water to drain, then loosen and sow the seeds one by one in a glass or all in one pot.

At a temperature of 23-27 degrees they germinate together within a month. The fresher they are, the sooner the sprouts appear. Do not rush to be upset if there are no sprouts after 30 days - wait another 2 months.

Some experts report that passion fruit and granadilla can sprout six months after sowing. In some instructions, which describe the cultivation of passionflower, there is a recommendation to stratify the seeds (expose low temperatures). This is completely unnecessary. Passionflower, passion fruit, and granadilla are tropical plants, and in nature they are never exposed to temperatures below 20 degrees, and the optimal temperature for seed germination and development of young plants is 23-25 ​​degrees.

Caring for passionflower seedlings

As soon as the sprouts emerge from the ground, the cap must be removed immediately to avoid blackleg disease. Young plants should be sprayed at least once a day with a spray bottle. When the sprout reaches 7-8 cm, it is worth placing a support.

Further growth will be very active and by the end of the first season with proper care and periodic fertilizing with liquid fertilizers for flower crops, the length of the shoots can reach 1.5-1.8 meters, and the plant itself will bloom. The shoots are flexible, and can be grown on a support on which they can be carefully wrapped as you wish.

If you choose to grow passionflowers with edible fruits, such as sweet passion fruit, you will have to carry out artificial pollination to obtain the fruits, as they are non-self-pollinating species.

This procedure is performed as follows: in the afternoon, the anther with pollen is cut off from the female plant, and the stigma must be left. Then, with a cotton swab, you need to collect pollen from the male plant and transfer it to the stigma.

Already on the second or third day, an ovary appears, which quickly increases in size. Maturation lasts differently - from 1 to 3 months. At home, quite often only one seed ripens in the fruit.

Try sowing it - perhaps you will get a completely new plant with unique flowers. By the way, growing passionflower has such a nuance - they do not like spacious pots; in cramped containers they bloom more actively and more luxuriantly.

Pruning passionflower

Regarding pruning shoots, you need to remember three basic rules:

1. Passionflower does not bloom on old stems. It is necessary to avoid the lush growth of numerous young shoots - there will be few flowers. It is enough to leave 2-4 pieces. Passionflower does not like short pruning - it is not worth cutting below 30-50 cm from the ground.

Has anyone seen passion fruit blossom? You can’t take your eyes off the rich rich flowers. Just for the sake of such a phenomenon, it is worth acquiring this exotic climbing plant. In circles of home flower lovers, passion fruit is known as passion flower.

It is tempting, of course, to get a harvest of sweet fruits from your favorite loach, but still, most housewives breed it for the sake of aesthetic beauty during flowering. This plant can be propagated by cuttings and seeds. If you prefer to grow with seeds, then all you need to do is buy a fairly ripe passion fruit, remove the seeds, wash them and dry them thoroughly.

It should be planted at the time of active growth of probably all plants, that is, in the spring. There is a belief among gardeners, florists and gardeners that you need to plant when you have good mood. In such a mood - a light hand.

The plant senses the mood, but after a heavy hand, the hair does not grow. Prepare the substrate. It contains one part each of sand and humus, and two parts of fried (disinfested) turf soil. We prepare the pots.

To begin with, it is better to use special pots for seedlings, with large holes in the bottom. In the future, when the seeds sprout and the passionflower reaches 3 - 5 cm, it can be transplanted into permanent pots with drainage at the bottom. We deepen the seeds into the soil no more than 0.5 cm.

Each planter contains 4 - 5 seeds. To improve germination, cover the pot with cling film to retain moisture and place it in a warm, bright place.

If the temperature in the room does not fall below +20 degrees, then seedlings should appear within a month. Passionflower really does not like open windows. Drafts are her enemy.

And here’s another trick when growing this loach - install it so that a lot of light falls on the plant, and the pot itself remains in the shade. You should also take care in advance about the support along which the passion fruit will climb in the future.

Just don’t hang her on strings and strings with twines - she doesn’t like such support. It’s better to use special grilles. And finally, a couple more recommendations. Fertilize the plant once every two weeks liquid fertilizer for tomatoes.

Do not flood it - watering should be done as the soil dries out. You will have to pollinate manually - with a soft brush, before noon at a humidity of 65 - 70 percent. The result of your care, in a year, will be edible, grown with my own hands passion fruit.

It is believed that passionflower (or passion flower) is not easy to grow from seeds. How surprised I was when Nastasya Kravchenko, a well-known fan of these plants and the author of an Internet site dedicated to them, cut off a cutting before my eyes and simply stuck it into the ground.

And after a couple of weeks, a new vine with strange leaves grew on my window from this cutting. Now it has bloomed, and the 10 buds that formed in the last five centimeters captivated me with their love of life.

I suspected some kind of mysticism, because this fall I personally put a bunch of cuttings of the most common blue passionflower (P. caerulea) into the water; the roots produced only two cuttings, and even those tended to rot. It turns out that passion flowers aren't that hard to tame if you know what they need.

Well, in such a situation, in addition to passionflower, how could you not beg Nastasya for an interview? - Nastya, how many different passionflowers do you have?- About two hundred.

To be honest, I haven’t done an “inventory” for a very long time, so I won’t give the exact number. - More than eight hundred. A huge number of new hybrids are developed every year, so it is almost impossible to say exactly how many passionflowers exist at the moment.

I think the ease of breeding new hybrids, accessible even to beginners, makes the plant attractive, and the process of hybridization itself is a real adventure. Even by repeating well-known and popular combinations, you can get a completely different plant and give it any name.

- Mostly blue passionflower is common in our country. Why such monotony?

Liana flower or passion flower

This question should be addressed to plant suppliers. I can only assume that it is imported because it is especially easy to care for. In addition, I’m not sure that suppliers consider passionflower a popular plant.

Recently they took another step that does not add to her good reputation. Blue passionflower has appeared on sale, intended for... open ground, which is sold together with clematis.

Unfortunately, passionflower can only overwinter in the open air in areas with a warm climate, since when the temperature at the roots drops to minus 15°, even the most “winter-hardy” species die. Plant sellers do not know this and recommend that everyone plant it in open ground V middle lane Russia.

- Why do passionflowers from the store die?- Let’s first define what “perishes” means. If passionflower has become bald, even if the main shoot has dried up, this does not always mean that the plant itself has died.

Unfortunately, many amateur gardeners often throw away such a plant. And in vain: most passionflowers after some time form many basal suckers. For example, P. caerulea and P. incarnata are practically “unkillable” plants.

Even having lost the entire ground part, they quickly recover to their original size. Passionflower is generally a very strong plant and can withstand serious tests. The only thing she tolerates with great difficulty is excess moisture and hypothermia.

In most cases, passionflowers die for this reason. - What can be done as an emergency?- First of all, as in the case of a disease of any plant, try to determine the cause of the disease.

As I said, in 99% of cases this is a banal bay - the problem of all beginners. If the damage is not too severe, the plants can be easily saved by simply limiting watering and placing them in a warm, bright location.

In case of “moderate severity” damage, it is advisable to provide bottom heating. If the matter has gone too far, they will help standard recommendations- complete change of land, dry and warm conditions.

It is important not to cover a flooded plant, since in this case stem rot will be added to the root problem, and then it will be difficult to save the plant. - Traditionally recommended: rich soil, good drainage, abundant watering, heavy autumn or spring pruning and summer feeding with fertilizers. Which of these is really beneficial for passionflower?

The fruit of the vine is edible

Species such as P. caerulea, P. quadrangularis, and P. alata tolerate oilier soil well. However, all passionflowers grow best in cactus soil. Recommendations for abundant watering are valid only in very hot weather (plus 30-35°).

In winter, it is enough to water them once a week, completely soaking them. earthen lump. Plants in large pots (over 20 cm) can be watered even less often. I advise you to water when the turgor decreases.

The plants make their first “cry for help” by drooping the tips of the shoots - this is the optimal stage for watering. If all the leaves have drooped (this happens quite often in extreme heat), the plant should be watered, even if the earthen ball is wet, since these symptoms indicate overheating of the roots.

The most common and dangerous misconception is the need for heavy pruning. Usually, incompetent authors of publications argue for this by saying that passionflower blooms on the shoots of the current year. In fact, in order for passionflower to produce a new shoot, a painful pruning procedure is not at all necessary, which is harmful because many thin roots die, and this in turn can lead to rotting and even death of the entire plant.

So, there is absolutely no need to prune passionflower. To stimulate the formation of new shoots, simply point the main shoot down. In a few days, a large number of new ones will appear from dormant buds.

The procedure can be repeated ad infinitum. If we talk about fertilizers, then, like any plant living in the non-ideal conditions of our apartments, passionflowers need nourishment. But here it is important not to overdo it, because... More precisely, they love him, but if you want to get flowering plant, and not green mass, you need to choose fertilizers with a minimum amount of nitrogen. It is difficult to recommend any one brand of fertilizers, since their choice, as well as the frequency of fertilizing, is determined by the conditions in which the plants are kept and the composition of the soil.

Obviously, the richer the soil, the less fertilizer is required. I can recommend giving the so-called starting fertilizers with an NPK of 10-10-10 or even higher (up to 40-40-40) once during the first spring feeding. Of the Russian brands, Ideal is suitable for this purpose.

In summer, during the period of active growth, flowering and fruiting, potassium fertilizers are of great benefit. Passion flowers usually respond very well to fertilizing with formulations with an NPK equivalent to 1-1-2. The first two are applied no more than 2-3 times per season. In summer, plants are fertilized every 7-10 days.

Natural fertilizers include infusions of chicken manure, mullein, and banana peels. - What books do you recommend passion flower lovers read?- Alas, in Russia I have not come across a single specialized publication on passionflowers.

As a bible for beginners who know English language, I can recommend J. Vanderplank “Passi-flora”. - Seeds of various passionflowers have appeared on sale. Is it possible to grow passionflower from seeds without sufficient experience?

Passionflower blooms very beautifully

Yes, it is quite. You just need to remember a few simple rules. First of all, you should lightly file the seeds (you can use a regular nail file), the main thing is not to overdo it.

Then soak for 2-3 days in lemon, orange or passion fruit juice (the appearance of mold on the surface of the container should not be alarming). Finally, sow in light, poor soil (for example, for cacti or a special seedling mixture from the German company ABC Greenworld) and wait. Most seeds sprout within 3-4 weeks.

But some of them may sprout only after a year, so don’t rush to throw away the bowl. Often the seeds sprouted when another plant had already been planted in the ground in which they were sown.

My personal “record” is eight months from the date of sowing to the emergence of seedlings. (Fresh passionflower seeds germinate actively and quite quickly, although the very last shoots can suddenly “come to life” even after a year. And Nastya is right when she says that passionflowers bloom quickly.

For example, R. sar-sularls, being sown in the fall, sprouted all winter and bloomed in mid-July. Naturally, the soil was loose - German, for cacti - and even with sand. It was rarely fertilized, with a phosphorus-potassium ideological bias.

By the time of flowering, the plant had reached 20 cm, lived in a 125 ml yoghurt cup and had just begun to produce tendrils from the axils of the leaves. In general, do not believe encyclopedias and do not set yourself up for a 2-4 year wait.). - Which passionflowers are the most unpretentious?

It is difficult to answer this question unequivocally. For shady places(for example, a bright northern window or at a distance of half a meter from the southern one) P. boenderi, P. tulae, P. stadley, P. suberosa, P. coriacea are suitable - all these plants do not like direct sunlight and, since they can most likely be classified as Decorative deciduous species reveal themselves most fully in a shaded location. Almost all types are suitable for a sunny and hot southern window.

But passionflowers such as P. molissima, P. ligularis, P. trisecta, P. tarminiana and others from the subgenus Tacsonia die if the ground temperature exceeds plus 25-30 °, so on very hot days they need to be brought indoors. And do not plant in black pots that get very hot in the sun. Passion flowers such as P. coccinea, P. vitif olia, P. actinia (which, by the way, can tolerate temperatures down to minus 5°), P. quand-rangularis, P. alata, P. will grow magnificently even in the brightest sun. standley, P. x Violacea, p.x Victoria, P. x mem-branacea, P. menisper-mifolia and many others.

Features of cultivation and care

It's easier to say that a hot south window is the optimal place for most passionflowers. Of course, you need to understand that even the most heat-loving of them will die if it grows in a small pot that is exposed to direct sunlight most of the day.

Not a single plant can withstand an increase in earth temperature to plus 50°. The same applies to a glazed balcony, on which, with the windows completely closed, without shade or ventilation, the temperature in summer can also go beyond plus 50°. Only some species need to be provided with high humidity.

However, for everyone it should be at least 50%, otherwise the edges of the leaves will begin to dry out, which gives the plants an untidy and unhealthy appearance. Good air circulation is much more important for passionflowers.

Therefore, in the summer, leave the window where they grow at least ajar, and take the plants out to the balcony. In winter, carefully ventilate the room or install a fan. There are passion flowers that can be grown in open ground in the subtropical regions of Russia.

For example, P. in-carnata, P. edulis, P. caerulea and many of its hybrids grow well. All you need to do to enjoy flowers and even fruits every year is to cover the plant for the winter, especially paying attention to the roots.

If minimum temperature in your region does not drop below minus 8-10°, then all these species can be grown as open ground plants. The most frost-resistant are P. caerulea and P. incarnata, which can withstand temperatures at the roots down to minus 15°. Passion flowers prefer partial shade or grow well in partial shade: P. tulae, P. mollissima, P. trisecta, P. boenderi, P coriacea, P. capsularis, P. rubra, P. sanguino-lenta, P. citrina, P. biflora, P. multiflora, P. x Jelly Jocker, P. x Cary.

On the contrary, almost all species and hybrids will feel good on a south window, including such beauties as P. x Jeeny, P. x Lady Margareth, P. x Cory Roomans, P. x Elisabeth, P. x Insence, P. x Purple Haze, P. alata, P. x Marijke, P. x Monique Klemann. The smallest-flowered passionflowers belong to the subgenus Decaloba, but these plants have magnificent leaves, such as the handsome P. boenderi, named after the naturalist who discovered it in Brazil. This passionflower has claw-like leaves that are dark green with yellow dots on the front and burgundy on the back. Of the largest flowering species, I would highlight such beautiful ones as P. x Blue Moon, P. alata, P. Elisabeth.

The exotic name of the fruit “passion fruit” was once completely unfamiliar, but today it has become familiar to many. Passion fruit can be bought at any supermarket and is used as a topping in yoghurts, juices and teas. This fruit has become popular due to its piquant taste as well as beneficial properties. Let's pay attention to it and talk about where passion fruit came from in our area, how this interesting fruit is eaten, what is needed for growing it at home to work as it should and, of course, why the fruit is good for health.

A few words about the history of passion fruit

This plant belongs to the passionflower family, it was called the flower of suffering and sadness because of its amazing appearance. Back in the seventeenth century, the monk Ferrari learned about this flower after seeing it on Brazilian soil. The monk was struck by the shape of the plant, clearly reminiscent of a flower crown with wavy threads of bright color. Thus, the flower reminded him of the bloody crown of thorns, and the large stamens were associated with the wounds of Christ the Savior. The beauty was complemented by snow-white petals, which symbolized innocence and purity. Upon returning to his homeland, the monk spoke about his acquaintance with the flower, and as legend says, passion fruit was approved as a symbol of the church in the Vatican itself.

However, over time, the legend has sunk into oblivion, they don’t remember it now, but the fruit itself is valued for its beneficial features, beautiful exotic look and amazing taste.

About the invigorating effect and vitamin value of passion fruit

Today there are already many people who have managed not only to try passion fruit, but also to love it. It is important not only to appreciate the exotic taste, but also to understand that this fruit contains a huge amount of vitamins A, C, E, B. 50% of the fruit consists of pure juice, so passion fruit has a pronounced diuretic effect. For this reason, it is recommended to eat it regularly for those who have problems with the functioning of the kidneys or intestines: passion fruit helps remove excess fluid from the body, makes the intestines work, improving its peristalsis and having a mild laxative effect. In general, the fruits of this plant are useful for diseases of the urinary tract and liver dysfunction.

Back in its homeland, in South America, in Hawaii, passion fruit was used as a natural antibiotic, gifted by nature itself. It was used as an antipyretic and also an antimicrobial agent. In addition, passion fruit has long been considered a natural aphrodisiac.

One of the properties of this fruit, which makes it extremely valuable and interesting, is its tonic effect: passion fruit juice is considered a natural tonic, it invigorates, relieves fatigue, restores strength and performance. But, what is noteworthy, if you consume the seeds of this overseas fruit, you can get the completely opposite effect: they have a sleeping pill and a strong sedative effect. Therefore, at the end of the working day, before going to bed or with regular insomnia, it is recommended to chew the pulp with seeds, but before the start of the working day or before the upcoming party, you can drink pure maarkuja juice to be in good shape.

As for the chemical composition, passion fruit contains a fairly decent composition of useful microelements, namely: fluorine, iodine, zinc, manganese, chlorine, sulfur, copper, magnesium and sodium. Passion fruit also contains valuable protein, and even healthy carbohydrates and organic acids.

How to eat passion fruit correctly?

To fully enjoy the taste of an exotic fruit, you will need fruits with slightly wrinkled skin and a dark purple color. This is the sweetest and juiciest variety of passion fruit of all four hundred known in nature. Many people mistakenly choose passion fruit with clean, smooth fruit. The skin should be soft, this indicates that the fruit is ripe and sweet.

When choosing passion fruit, lightly shake the fruit. In ripe fruits, there is a strong pressure of liquid from the inside, which means the ripeness and juiciness of the fruit. The aroma that comes from the fruit must be well expressed and perceptible: then the fruit can be safely purchased. Fruits without tropical aroma will be tasteless.

Before use, the passion fruit is thoroughly washed and cut into two halves. To prevent valuable juice from leaking out, do this in a plate or on a semi-deep dish, without inserting the knife more than 0.5 centimeters. The pulp along with the seeds can be eaten with a spoon. If desired, the seeds can be removed from the pulp.

Passion fruit is suitable both for consumption on its own and in combination with other products. It harmonizes perfectly with seafood, is suitable for dressing fruit salads and added to cocktails.

How to grow passion fruit at home?

In order for passion fruit to ripen right on the windowsill of your apartment, you will have to try and pay a lot of attention to the plant. There are two ways to grow this exotic yourself: using cuttings, which sometimes remain on purchased fruits, or using seeds.

The seeds are removed from the pulp, dried, then wrapped in damp gauze and left for 3-4 days. After this, they are planted in the soil in an ordinary flower pot, deepening them no more than 0.5 cm. The composition of the substrate for passion fruit should include one equal part of humus and purified sand, as well as two parts of turf soil that has undergone disinfection.

Over time, several sprouts will appear, when they become crowded in the pot, they can be transplanted in groups of 4-5 into separate larger pots. Since passion fruit is a vine, it will need reliable support in the form of trellises, stretched ropes or other devices that will allow it to cling and grow. A suitable place for the plant is a window facing east or west, without too much sunlight, but also without shade. The plant will begin to bloom only after 1-2 years, and the first fruits will appear after 2-3 years. If after 4 years there are still no fruits, we can assume that the conditions, light conditions or air temperature are not suitable for your plant.

A good fertilizer for passion fruit would be a fertilizer for tomatoes. It needs regular spraying and watering as the soil dries out.

Remember that the plant needs proper care, patience and attention. Only if you follow all the care recommendations over time will you finally be pleased with your passion fruit - growing it at home was successful... Then you will be able to taste the juicy useful fruits. This is a reward for your efforts. Bon appetit!

Exotic fruits are gaining popularity as indoor plants. Passion fruit is no exception; growing this plant at home requires some knowledge and effort, but the result is worth it.

How to grow passion fruit

Passion fruits are used as food, but this plant is grown for home decoration. Edible passionflower (genus of plant) has very beautiful flowers that will not leave anyone indifferent.

From seeds

Note! To obtain a plant from a seed, fresh seeds that have not had time to dry are used.

Seeds are selected only from ripe fruits. Unripe fruits contain unripe seeds and nothing will grow from them.

Before planting, the seeds must be placed on a cloth and gently rubbed to remove the outer shell. The prepared seeds need to be slightly dried and filled with water for 1-2 hours and dried again.

1. The planting container should have a shallow depth. To grow healthy plant, you need to mix the soil yourself using compost, sand and garden soil in a 1:1:1 ratio. Store-bought ready-made soil will not work.
2. The mixture must be poured into a ready-made container, and depressions should be made on the surface of the soil at a distance of 5 cm from each other. Seeds should be placed in the furrows, 1 cm apart between them, and sprinkled thin layer land.
3. You can germinate seeds in wet gauze, but there is a possibility of damage to the sprouts when transferring them to the ground.

Planted seeds should be watered with warm water and placed in a warm place, away from heating devices, since they dry out the air and the soil quickly loses moisture. As the soil dries out, it needs to be moistened.

Sprouts should be planted when their height reaches 20 cm. Growing from seeds will take more than one month.

From cuttings

When growing a plant from a cutting, a successful outcome is achieved in 90% of cases. For cultivation you will need a deep container. The soil is prepared from 3 parts sand and one part garden soil. The soil should be mixed until uniform. In such soil you can get good plant at home.

To get a beautiful plant at home, you should choose and prepare the cuttings correctly. For planting, it is necessary to cut off young shoots that have 3 buds. The incision should be made along an oblique line.

The cutting is placed in the ground immediately after separation from the parent plant. The plant must be kept in greenhouse conditions before rooting. To do this, it is covered with a jar. The soil is always kept moist; the jar is not removed from the fruit until rooting.

Before roots appear (2 weeks), the plant should be placed on a windowsill under Sun rays. This will lead to increased evaporation of moisture and increased humidity in the improvised greenhouse. After 14 days, the plant can be transplanted to a permanent location.

Home care

At home, the fruit needs special care, without which it will not grow, bloom or bear fruit.

Watering

Passionflower Brazilian passion fruit needs high humidity. The soil in which the fruit grows should not dry out completely; it must be fully watered at least once every 7 days. The plant itself should be sprayed daily.

Daily spraying not only allows you to maintain an optimal level of humidity, but is also a good prevention of pests. Pests appear on plants with contaminated foliage.

If the air humidity in the room is low, then it would be a good idea to install a humidifier or containers of water close to the plant. Boiled water should be poured into the humidifier, otherwise a white coating will remain on the leaves of the plant.

Top dressing

Caring for the fruit is carried out not only by watering, but also by feeding the sprout. The soil should be fertilized 3 times a year, but generously. For fertilizing, you should choose fertilizers with a low nitrogen content and long-lasting action; chicken droppings in granules are best suited.

Support

Passion fruit is a vine-like plant that requires good support. A fruit always grows upward; if you do not give it this opportunity, it will not produce edible fruit.

A metal frame with a small mesh is best suited for support. As soon as the sprout sprouts its first tendrils, they must be carefully tied to a support. All branches formed on the main trunk should be directed in the direction opposite to it.

Trimming

Passion fruit should be pruned once every 2 years in the spring months. Old and weakened shoots are pruned.

Note! Old branches should not be cut to the ground. There should be a couple of buds left on them, from which new shoots will appear in the future.

Pollination

Regardless of the planting method, after 2 years it is required to pollinate the passion fruit. This process must be carried out manually, since the anthers ripen somewhat earlier than the stigmas are ready for pollination.

Diseases

As for viral diseases, everything is much more complicated. Passionflower does not respond to any treatment, so the only way to save healthy vines from infection is to completely get rid of the diseased plant.

Passion fruit is a fastidious indoor vine that can decorate any interior. If you follow all the rules of care, you can get not only a beautifully flowering exotic plant, but also delicious fruits. According to the presented principle, it can be planted useful plant granadilla, which looks like passion fruit.

passion fruit - a heat-loving plant that is grown in many countries on all continents. South America is considered the birthplace of this plant. Nowadays, the largest distributors of the fruits of this plant are Brazil, Mexico, South America, Africa, and Australia. The first fruits were brought to Europe and Asia from Brazil. The fruits of the plant are most often used to make drinks and desserts.
What does the Passion Fruit plant look like?
Passion fruit is a climbing perennial plant that grows in dry tropical climates. The fruits of the plant are round or oval fruits that are removed from the Passion Fruit vine when ripe. The finished, ripened fruit has a yellow or purple color. The fruits of the plant are used to make juice and desserts, have a pleasant aroma and sweet taste. Sometimes passion fruit is added to juices to add flavor and aroma. It is worth noting that the fruits of this plant have many positive properties, including vitamins and acids. All parts of the fruit can be eaten, including the seeds, but if you want to grow your own plant, it is best not to eat the seeds, but to plant them in the ground.
How to grow at home?
There are two ways to grow passion fruit using petioles and seeds. Let's consider growing using seeds, since this method is more accessible and widespread.
First of all, in order to grow Passion Fruit from a seed, you need to choose the right fruit; to do this, you just need to buy it in the supermarket. When choosing a fruit, you should pay attention to the color and roughness of the fruit. It is worth noting that the sweeter and juicier fruits are those that are rougher and have cracked skin.
After you have chosen the fruit, cut it, rinse the seeds with warm running water and dry. It is best to plant in the soil in early spring, when all living things begin to sprout. The soil for planting should be prepared in advance, bought in a store or made yourself. The soil mixture should include sand, disinfected soil, and humus. Also, for future seedlings, you need to purchase special pots. Can be used peat pots, which after germination of the plant will be easy to transplant into larger pots.
Landing
It is recommended to sow at a shallow depth, 5-6 seeds per pot. The optimal pots will have a diameter of 5-10 cm. In order to speed up the process of germination of seedlings, it is necessary to cover the pots with cling film and place them in a warm place. The temperature during germination should not fall below 20-22 degrees; under such conditions, the first shoots will appear in about a month.
After the seedlings have 4-5 leaves, they need to be transplanted into separate larger pots, about 40-50 centimeters in volume. The composition of the soil does not need to be changed; drainage can be placed at the bottom of the pots.
Watering
It is necessary to water the plant regularly, but do not allow the soil in the pot to dry out or become overly moist, as this can lead to drying out of the leaves and rotting of the roots. In the summer months, it is recommended to spray the trunk and leaves of the plant with settled cool water.
Temperature and light

Large and beautiful, that’s why many gardeners and flower lovers use this plant not so much for fruit production, but more for decorative purposes. With proper care, fruits can be obtained within the first year. You need to pollinate the plant yourself, for example, with a brush. This should be done in the middle of the day with an average humidity of 65-70%. If you do everything correctly, you will soon get tasty and juicy fruits that contain many useful substances, minerals, vitamins, acids.

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Passion fruit is an unusual plant that came to our latitudes from the hot, humid tropics. Nevertheless, this one has taken root well here, so many gardeners are happy to grow it at home. Next, about the features of growing passion fruit (from seeds, from seeds, cuttings), as well as about caring for the plant at home (photos and instructions are attached).

Scheme for growing passion fruit from seeds, seeds, cuttings

Passion fruit (edible passion flower) – climbing plant from the Passionflower family. This is a magnificent fruit known throughout the world, which is much loved due to its delicate sweet pulp, used as a dessert or base for making drinks.

At home, this plant is grown not so much for its fruits, but for decorating the house, because passion fruit blooms exceptionally beautifully, and it is worth the effort spent on it.

Since we are talking about growing passion fruit at home, the plant will safely “survive” to adulthood when grown in any of the following ways.

Seeds. To really achieve a worthwhile result, you need to use only fresh seeds: dry ones may not even sprout. Therefore, a couple of days before the planned passion fruit planting Buy a fresh ripe fruit at the store and select a few seeds. Place them on a cloth and rub them gently until the juice sacs open. After this, you should wash the seeds and dry them. Then wash and dry again (never in the sun).

Now you can start preparing the container for growing passion fruit: it should not be very deep. Pour the prepared soil mixture there ( garden soil, sand, compost in a ratio of 1:1:1). Make small furrows in the soil, keeping a distance of about 5 cm between them. Place the seeds in the furrows at a distance of about 1 cm from each other and cover them with a thin layer of soil. Water the seedlings and leave them in a warm place. Moisten the soil periodically. When the sprouts reach a height of about 20 cm, they can be transplanted to a permanent place.

Cuttings. Similar method cultivation is very simple and can give the desired result in most cases. So, first of all, prepare a deep container for growing. The soil mixture for growing cuttings should consist of fine sand and fertile soil(3:1). The soil and sand should be thoroughly mixed so that the growing mixture is uniform.

Advice. There is no need to worry about using such a specific soil mixture (after all, it practically does not retain moisture). The fact is that passion fruit cuttings do not have roots at the time of planting, and the main goal at the first stage of cultivation is to strengthen the above-ground part of the plant; accordingly, it should receive the lion’s share of moisture.

The cutting must be chosen correctly: only young shoots with at least 3 buds are cut (the cut is made obliquely above the lower bud). The soil is prepared in the same way as for growing by seed. The cutting should be planted in a container immediately after it has been cut. Cuttings must be kept in a humid environment. You can create such an environment using an improvised greenhouse: it can be made from a box-shaped frame covered with a polymer film.

The created camera is moved to sunny place With high humidity. The cuttings should take root in just a couple of weeks. After this, you can transplant to a permanent place.

From the seed. This method is quite exotic and will require special efforts (at least patience will probably be required). The fruit is thoroughly cleaned, the pit is freed from pulp, and then thoroughly dried. The seed is planted not very deep into the soil. The seedling is watered. The container with the planted seed should be in a warm place with high humidity. This will provide the passion fruit with optimal conditions for sprouting.

Subtleties of caring for passion fruit at home

Passion fruit is a rather capricious plant, which means it will require careful and serious care. Basic measures for caring for passion fruit:

• Watering. Since passion fruit is a resident of humid climates, it needs to be watered thoroughly and quite often. Remember: the soil in which the fruit grows should never dry out completely. If the air humidity in your home is not very high, be sure to water the plant at least once a week.
• Feeding. Passion fruit loves to “eat”, so feeding should be generous and regular. You should start applying fertilizers in the spring, then add them once in the summer, and then last time- at the beginning of autumn. Slow-acting organic matter with a low nitrogen content (for example, granular chicken droppings).

• Creating a support. Since passion fruit is a vine-like plant, it will need a strong support to guide its movement. Passion fruit always strives upward, and if you give it this opportunity, it will turn into a strong, healthy plant that also produces fruit. When the first tendrils appear on the plant, they should be carefully tied with a thin rope and tied to a support. It is advisable to place the side branches in the direction opposite to the main stem.
• Trimming. Passion fruit must be pruned, and it is advisable to do this no more often than once every 2 years, in the spring. First of all, all old and weak shoots are removed. Never cut off an old branch at the base - leave a few buds, because a new shoot may grow from it.

Advice. Pruning passion fruit should be carried out exclusively before flowering: if you delay the procedure and carry it out during the flowering period, you can greatly weaken the plant and reduce the yield.

That's all the subtleties you should know about growing passion fruit at home. Good luck!

Planting passion fruit with cuttings: video

Passion fruit varieties

Before planting passion fruit, you need to decide on its type: the growing conditions required for each of them are different.

Passion fruit is grown from seeds. They can be bought in a special store or obtained from the fruit of a vine. You can also grow a vine at home from a vine that needs to be rooted, but it is usually quite difficult to obtain a plant cutting for planting.

In what conditions to grow passion fruit?

Passion fruit loves warmth, thanks to which it grows quickly, while clinging to almost any support. For this reason, to successfully grow vines, it is necessary to organize a hanging system. It is best to make it in the form of a grid. As passion fruit grows, its vine and leaves grow very quickly, so it is worth initially organizing a very strong base for the plant. Additional garters for passion fruit are not needed, since it itself acquires strong tendrils for fastening, like grapes.

The seed must be removed from the fruit right before planting. It is desirable that the fruit be overripe, its surface wrinkled. The seeds of such fruits are in the active phase, so they will sprout quickly - in about 2-2.5 weeks.

If these are purchased seeds, then shoots will appear in about a month, since these seeds are “dormant”, dried. But in this case, you can be sure that the seeds are ready for planting; there is information about the variety and rules for caring for the plant.

Advice

Growing vines at home should occur in a mixture of turf and peat. The seeds should be sprinkled with a small layer of soil. For planting you will need several seeds, each of which should be placed in a separate pot. This way, it will be possible to choose the strongest plant and safely transplant the grown passion fruit.

Passion fruit is unpretentious in choosing soil for growing at home, so it can be planted even in the ground from the nearest forest. Since the influx of natural nutrients into closed ground absent, the plant needs to be fertilized with organic matter. To ensure a uniform supply of substances necessary for growth, it is necessary to periodically add upper layer compost soil.

When growing a tropical plant, special attention will have to be paid to high-quality watering:

• Although passion fruit loves moist soil, you should not over-moisten it, much less allow the water to stagnate.
• The vine should be watered frequently as soon as the surface of the soil dries out.
• Portions of water should be small, and drainage should also work well.
• In winter, the plant needs to be watered only once a week. The temperature around it must always be positive.

When passion fruit grows in its natural environment, it has to pass through many barriers to reach the light. Growing at home allows you to give it the opportunity to fill both shady and sunny areas of the room. The pot with the plant should be placed in a cool, shady place. In spring (March) you can prune the vine; this will not harm it.

If the vine is grown under ideal home conditions, it can bear fruit within a year after germination. IN wildlife this occurs after about 6 months. The plant begins to bear fruit so quickly because the life of the vine is short - only about 6 years. Already 3 years after the plant has sprouted, its yield is greatly reduced compared to the first year. For this reason, those who love this plant plant a new one every year in order to receive annual good harvest passion fruit.

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Violets or geraniums on the windowsill are unlikely to surprise anyone. Another thing is passion fruit, blooming with amazing colorful “stars”. Such a flower not only attracts the attention of all household members and guests of the house, but becomes a real highlight of the interior. But growing an exotic plant at home is not so easy, much less achieving flowering and fruiting. There are many subtleties and features here.

How does a plant grow, bloom and bear fruit?

In the humid and warm tropics, amazing vines grow - passionflowers. They are also called granadillas or passion fruit. The last name is more familiar to our ears. Fruit exotic plant can be found fresh on the shelves in our supermarkets; they are used in the production of yoghurts, curds, and desserts. But fruits are not the only thing this plant is interesting about. Passionflower flowers and its evergreen leaves are incredibly decorative. It is precisely because of its high decorative value that many gardeners decide to grow it at home.

The liana blooms with interesting flowers, from 8 to 12 centimeters in diameter. Depending on the variety, passionflower flowers may have a different number of petals and the color of the bract. In the center of the flower there is a three-stigular ovary, surrounded by five stamens with large anthers. A pleasant subtle aroma emanates from the flowers.

Note: the flowering period of passionflower is mid-summer - early autumn.

The first time passion fruit blooms at home is 3 to 4 years from the moment of planting. One does not have to rejoice at the amazing beauty of passion fruit for long, since the bud blooms for only one day. In its place, an ovary appears, from which a round fruit is subsequently formed, with a diameter of up to 8 centimeters. Ripe passion fruits have a dark burgundy hue, their pulp is juicy and has a sweet and sour taste. The pulp contains many seeds that can be used to grow passionflower from seeds in your window.

Note: passion fruit is a cross-pollinated plant. This means that to obtain fruit you must have at least 2 plants of the same species. At home, pollination will have to be done manually.

How to grow exotic at home?

Among several hundred varieties of passionflower, only a few are able to grow in greenhouses or windowsills. Moreover, flower growers often manage to grow passion fruit with lush greenery, but which does not want to bloom - passion flower is so capricious. It is easier to grow edible and blue passionflower from seeds at home. Banana granadilla with sweet yellow fruits is also popular among gardeners.

There are 2 ways to grow passion fruit at home - from seeds and cuttings. Propagation by cuttings is easier and gives positive results more often. Another advantage of this method is that vines grown in this way begin to bloom already in the second year of their growth. But since the liana grows in the tropics, and you can rarely find it on windowsills, it is easier to get seeds than a plant cutting. To plant passion fruit, a cutting is cut from a young shoot so that it has at least 3 buds. The cut is made at an angle. The cuttings are immediately buried in moist soil. After 2 - 3 weeks, roots will form on it. Then the young flower can be planted in a larger pot.

Passion fruit seeds for growing vines at home can be purchased at gardening stores or collected yourself. But it is worth keeping in mind that the germination capacity of seeds that are no more than a year old is 30%. If the seeds were collected more than a year ago, no more than 3% of them will germinate. Therefore, it is safer to grow passion fruit from seeds prepared at home.

Seed preparation

Let's talk about how to grow passionflower from seeds collected yourself. You will need a ripened exotic fruit. They cut it and take out the core, which contains the seeds. They are washed to remove the pulp, after which they are transferred to a napkin and rubbed to completely remove the perisomal sacs covering each seed. After this, the seeds are washed again and laid out in one layer on a napkin to dry.

Important! Seeds should not be dried in the sun. Leave them to dry naturally.

Seeds can be sown immediately after drying, but the probability of germination in this case is low. It can take several months, and sometimes about a year, for a sprout to hatch from a seed. Many gardeners, without waiting for shoots to appear, get rid of the empty pot. To speed up seed germination, they are pre-stratified. This will increase your chances of growing passion fruit from seeds.

There are several ways to do this at home:

• place the seeds in a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution (first the seed shell will burst, then a sprout will appear from it);
• rub the seeds sandpaper or a nail buff;
• immerse the seeds in raw milk for two days (you need to change the milk twice a day);
• place the seeds in a glass of orange juice for 2 days;
• pour the seeds with a special solution to activate germination, for example Gibberellin or Epin (for 3 hours).

Soil selection

Passion fruit grows best in light, moisture-intensive soil saturated with fertilizers. To obtain soil, you need to mix 2 parts of turf soil, 1 part of sand and 1 part of humus. Instead of 2 parts of turf soil, you can take equal amounts of turf and leaf soil.

Landing

For the plant you need to choose a small pot, about 10 centimeters in diameter. Before planting the seeds, place drainage (expanded clay stones or gravel) on the bottom of the pot. This is necessary in order to prevent stagnation of water in the soil and protect the roots from rotting. Then a layer of soil is poured over the drainage. It is compacted and moistened with water.

You can plant 2 - 3 passion fruit seeds in a pot. They are slightly deepened into the ground (about one and a half centimeters), then water is sprayed onto the ground from a spray bottle. It is advisable to cover the ground with film; this will create a microclimate at home that is comfortable for seed germination. You need to remove the film before watering. It is finally removed from the pot after germination.

It is better to place pots with seeds in a well-lit place (on a window “looking” east or west). The room should have a constant temperature of 22 - 27 degrees.

When growing granadilla, the seeds need to be watered periodically, but it is important not to flood the soil. It is better to spray water from a spray bottle. Passiflora from seeds at home can appear in at least a month.

Features of care

All that remains is to wait until sprouts appear above the soil level - the future passion fruit vine. Growing a sprout in a small pot continues until it forms 3 - 4 full leaves. After this, you can transplant the plant into a pot 3-4 times larger. The soil is prepared in the same way as for growing granadilla seeds. In order for the plant to bear fruit at home, you can plant 2 vines in one pot. Then pollination will occur more efficiently.

The pot with the vine should be placed in a place protected from drafts. The plant is thermophilic, so you can choose the sunniest window sill for it. But it is worth placing the pot so that the stem is in the sun and the root part is in the shade.

The basis of liana care is constant watering, since it is almost impossible to grow passion fruit in dry soil. If the air humidity in the apartment is low, you need to water the plant at least once a week.

Important! Like drying out the soil, excessive moisture is dangerous for passion fruit. To grow a strong and healthy plant at home, you do not need to water it too often.

Generous feeding is no less important for vines. Applying fertilizers to the soil once a season will allow you to grow beautiful and strong granadilla at home. This could be a slow-acting organic material, such as granulated chicken manure. Passion fruit grows well if you fertilize it under conditions home flower garden complex fertilizer for tomatoes.

If you decide to grow passion fruit at home, make sure that the plant has strong support. The vine has very tenacious tendrils. If you give the shoots the right direction, they will firmly entwine any support, forming beautiful green fences. The tendrils of the plant can be tied with a thin thread and tied to a support.

At home, you can not only grow passionflower from seed, but also pick exotic fruits directly from the windowsill. But for this, during the flowering period, you will have to pollinate the flowers of the plant manually. This procedure is simple: pollen from one flower is transferred to another flower with a brush. For passion fruit pollination to be most effective, the air humidity at home should not exceed 70%.

Growing a beautiful passion fruit vine at home from a small seed is a fascinating activity. Not every gardener will be able to see flowers and fruits. But those who manage to wait for the exotic plant to bloom will be fully rewarded for their efforts.

Passion fruit, also known as edible passionflower – tropical, evergreen family Passionflowers. It looks like a wide bush or woody vine. It is worth growing for its decorative flowers and tasty fruits. For such tender plant, like passion fruit, cultivation is only possible at home. The liana does not tolerate cold; in open ground it grows exclusively in subtropics or temperate climates.

In this article we will examine in detail how to grow passion fruit at home: popular varieties, propagation methods, planting and further care.

Description of the fruit, popular varieties

Passion fruit is an annual herbaceous vine, one of the passionflower species. The genus includes up to 2 thousand species of passionflower. Some of them are grown as garden or ornamental crops. Where passion fruit grows naturally, it is an evergreen, woody vine. The homeland of passionflower is South America. It is grown as a cultivated species in Australia and Central Asia.

The stem of passionflower is thin and curly. An adult bush grows into green “lashes” up to 2-3 meters. The leaves are large, smooth, and oblong in shape. In May-June large ones appear, bright flowers with a pleasant aroma. How passion fruit grows on the site can be seen in the photo.

Round fruits appear in July-August. Ripe fruit has a smooth orange or light purple skin, with juicy, sweet flesh inside. Popular varieties for growing at home, in open ground:

• yellow passion fruit;
• sweet granadilla;
• purple passion fruit;
• passionflower laurel leaf;
• banana granadilla;
• banana passionflower.

Depending on how a particular variety of passion fruit grows, the cultivation format is chosen. Only passion fruit incarnata can overwinter in open ground (in subtropical climates).

Reproduction methods

For a plant such as passion fruit, cultivation is possible in several ways:

• seeds (ready-made or obtained from the fruit);
• cuttings;
• rhizome segments.

The choice of propagation method depends on where the passion fruit grows: in open or closed ground. Growing from seeds is the most labor-intensive option. Needed for the first planting, when there are no other types of planting material. The disadvantage of this method is that the grown vine does not always retain all the positive qualities of the variety.

Growing using cuttings is easier. Young shoots from an adult bush are used as planting material. They need to be cut with pruning shears at the level of 2 buds. Algorithm of actions:

1. Rooting cuttings. It is done in water or a nutrient soil mixture. In the first case, all the cuttings are placed in a jar of water. For the second method you will need cups with universal primer for seedlings. It is advisable to use a mixture containing peat. A hole of 2-3 centimeters is made in the soil using an awl or a small screwdriver. The cuttings are lowered into cups, the soil is pressed down and watered abundantly. The same is done later with cuttings germinated in water, when roots appear.
2. Creation of a greenhouse. For active growth you will need a temperature of + 25°C and high air humidity. Use a plastic bag or plastic bottle as cover the right size with the bottom cut off. The greenhouse needs to be ventilated every day and condensation removed. For cuttings germinated in a jar, it is recommended to change the water every 2 days.

For cuttings germinated in soil, roots will appear in 15-20 days. In water, this process will take up to 30 days. These are the main ways in which exotic passion fruit propagates. How a vine grown from a cutting grows can be seen in the photo.

The rhizome for propagation is dug up in September-October after harvesting the fruits. Carefully dig up and use pruning shears to cut the roots into cuttings up to 10 centimeters long. It is convenient to store them in a container with damp sand or perlite. Planting material is stored in the cellar, basement or refrigerator until spring.

Growing from rhizomes:

1. Germination. It is done in a container with wet perlite, you can use moss - sphagnum. Planting material placed in a plastic “bath” with a substrate, buried 1.5-2 centimeters. Cover it with glass to make an impromptu greenhouse. Every day the greenhouse must be ventilated and condensation removed.
2. Transfer. After 20-30 days, small shoots will appear on the root. The root is cut with pruning shears into pieces according to the number of shoots. Each shoot is transplanted into a glass with a nutrient soil mixture and watered with warm water. Covered again with a greenhouse made of plastic bag or cropped plastic bottle. It also needs to be ventilated every day and condensation removed.
3. Planting in open ground. After 25-30 days, shoots with 2-3 true leaves will appear. They can be planted in the ground after the end of spring frosts.

Growing from rhizomes is the most long way propagation of passionflower. Next, the seedlings are moved to a warm windowsill. Young shoots should be protected from direct sunlight.

Planting a plant

Rooted cuttings are grown as a house plant or planted in open ground. In the first case, passion fruit grows all year round, like ornamental culture.For this:

1. A 1-2 centimeter layer of drainage (expanded clay or crushed polystyrene) is poured into the pot. Fill in the soil mixture for flowering crops.
2. The rooted cuttings are carefully removed from the cup with a lump of earth. Transfer to the pot using the “transfer” method. Empty spaces in the pot are covered with soil. The planted plant is watered abundantly.

The vine will need support along which the stems will curl. It is convenient to use a special “ladder” for indoor plants. It is advisable to place the plant on a window on the southeast or southwest side, as it will need enough sunlight. The plant lives up to 6 years.

Transplantation into open ground is done according to the same principle. Grown cuttings with new shoots are planted in early May, when spring frosts end. The distance between bushes is up to 1 meter to provide space for growing shoots. You should use a cucumber net as a support. You can plant passion fruit bushes along the fence, they will curl beautifully along it.

Care

Passion fruit is demanding in terms of care and does not tolerate cold and drafts. In order for the vine to bloom actively and produce a good harvest, it will need abundant watering, a lot of sunlight and regular fertilizing. If you follow the rules of agricultural technology, it is possible to get a harvest of the exotic fruit passion fruit. How the vine grows depends on how carefully it is cared for. Basic principles:

• watering (a moisture-loving plant, it will need to be watered abundantly as the soil dries out, in dry weather 3-4 times a week);
• fertilizing (fertilizers are applied every 10 days during active growth, bird droppings or complex mixtures for tomatoes are used);
• trimming (for house plant you will need a shaping one; in the spring, overgrown shoots are cut off);
• pollination (in closed ground the plant is pollinated artificially, using a soft brush).

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