Grafted Passionfruit Concern

[phoenixdigital]

Hi all,

I purchased two passionfruit vine from a local supplier and planted them about 4 months ago. These were grafted onto rootstock(not sure which type).

My question is there has been ALOT of growth below the graft point and the vine seems to be doing well. However the grafted portion of the plant has not grown much if at all.

Should I be cutting off the growth below the graft point as this is not the plant that I want?

Will cutting off the growth below the graft point make the grafted passionfruit grow?

What are passionfruit vines grafted to? Is it a similar passionfruit species or completely different low fruit bearing vine.

I am in Brisbane QLD if that helps.

[Sam]

Cut off all growth below the graft point - it won't be helping.

I know our last passionfruit seemed to take forever to do ANYTHING. It was literally months and then all of a sudden it took off. Try some citrus fertiliser and be terribly terribly patient.

[phoenixdigital]

Thanks for the tip. It only occurred to me today the growth below the graft was probably a different species and was probably taking nutrients away from the real vine grafted ontop.

All clipped and waiting patiently.

[phoenixdigital]

Well after about 8 months of these grafted passionfruit vines which pretty much sat there and did nothing at all apart from grow below the graft. They never really made it any longer than 1 meter. Got eaten by the possum etc....

Today I had to go out before the guy came to mow our lawn and asked our builder to get him to mow the lawn if he turned up. I came back and realised that I had forgotten to ask him to steer clear of the vines (If you could call them vines).

So basically they have been cut down to nothing and I will have to buy some new ones.

My question to everyone is what can I do to make this next batch grow a little better?

Fertiliser?
Raised bed?

I have them planted pretty much at ground level on the lawn next to the fence. Was I doing something wrong?

I live in Brisbane QLD if that affects anything The soil isn't the greatest but it's not horrible.

[Pam]

You've GOT to be kidding - you actually paid someone money to cut down your metre-high passionfruits? Either he was blind and thoughtless, or your lawn was awfully long!

It would probably pay to prepare your soil a little before replanting new vines - get rid of any weeds, and if there are any drainage problems etc, deal with them now. Passionfruits hate root disturbance, and even the slightest amount of disturbance will cause the root to send up suckers everywhere, and once they start, it seems impossible to get them to stop, and as you already know, they seem to put all their energy into this rather than growing the bit grafted on top.

[Ann]

A couple of weeks ago Sabrina, the local radio expert had almost a whole hour of nothing but questions on Passion fruit problems from all over WA Apparently wild passionfruit is used as rootstock and can just take over at the slightest sign of stress. I also think she advised cutting your losses and killing off old vines and replanting. I don't have any, but I think she also said to acclimatise them well before planting out, even repotting first.

[sunraysia1]

What type of grass do you have growing near the vines don't plant passionfruit near couch type grasses the roots love to be free

[Ann]

Earlier I told you how my 16 yr old granddaughter cleared my vege patch and next day we had 37 almost killing everything Well, since they have moved she wanted to have her own patch, but has compromised by using polystyrene boxes from Xmas hampers and we all went to buy potting mix and several punnets of quick groing veges My daughter has also been gardening, buying soil and mulch, lots of new plants , a few from me, and even citrus trees. SiL will be down nextweek and we will share the cost of a load of loam from Readymix: mine to put the roses in what is a not too productive vege patch with loads of fertilisers already there. I was trying to persuade her to tub them as it's a rented property. Her thumbs are slowly becoming green.

[kitkat]

Good News Anne, Your Grandaughter is at just the right age to select growing things as a career maybe???:D Good luck with the the new loam.....its almost like Christmas to a Gardener isn't it.