The Galston District Garden Club met again on the 12th April welcoming many visitors and two new members. The members enjoyed a very informative talk about “Soil” and in May the guest speaker’s topic will be “ Trees”.
You are more than welcome to come and enjoy the company of gardeners for a chat and supper. We meet on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 7.30 in the Galston Community Hall, 37 Galston Road, Galston.
I want to talk about growing your own passionfruit. They are so expensive and there is nothing more rewarding than picking your own fruit. Not only is passionfruit great for fruit salads, but it can also be an added topping for a homemade cheesecake or Christmas pavlova.
Passionfruit is easy to grow. Infact, it’s a hardy plant that can be grown by those new to gardening as well as experienced green thumbs.
There are several different types of passionfruit available. The type most commonly grown in Australia is the passiflora edulis. This passionfruit has dark purple skin, with a yellow to orange pulp surrounding its black seeds. Varieties of passiflora edulis include Misty Gem and Sweetheart.
Passionfruit vines love warm tropical and subtropical areas, which means they can be great for growing across many areas of Australia. So what are the steps to getting started?
Acquire your passionfruit seedlings or seeds. Prepare the soil. These plants enjoy having soil with plenty of organic matter for nutrients.
You can also place straw on top to help insulate the plant if you live in a less-tropical region. Choose a sunny spot with support. About 6-8 hours of sunlight a day is ideal. Passionfruit vines love to climb, so a space with a trellis is great.
If you don’t have space in your garden, or wish to have the option of moving your plant when needed, you can plant your passionfruit in a large pot, with support sticks or a trellis.
Plant your plant and water it well. Be patient, it often takes between 12 and 18 months for a passionfruit vine to begin producing fruit, so don’t be too worried if your plant doesn’t produce any in the first year. Vines like frequent watering particularly when they have just been planted and when they are growing delicious fruit.
Tips for growing your passionfruit vine:
Plant in the Spring. Weed the suckers. Suckers can go a little wild if left in place and can cause damage to other plants in your garden.
If you see these five-fingered plants with blue and white flowers popping up, remove them immediately. Train the vines. These plants like to have support when growing If your plants won’t stay in place, gently tie them in place with soft plant ties.
I hope you’ve enjoyed learning a little bit about how to grow your own passionfruit vine. Why not think about growing your own passionfruit vine this spring.
Next year you could be enjoying delicious passionfruit grown from your very own garden! For further information regarding the Galston District Garden Club please visit our website: www.garlstongardenclub.com.au or email, [email protected]
