How do you grow passion fruit in pots? What should you pay attention to when overwintering?

Passion fruit is a fruit with a unique flavor, its rind is hard, and its flesh consists of individual seeds wrapped in a slimy pulp. Some people cannot accept its flavor and find it unpalatable, but actually you just need to try it a few more times, just like eating durian. Passion fruit is rich in nutritional value, and whether you steep it in water or mix it into drinks, it has a distinctive charm. Recently a friend asked, How do you grow passion fruit in pots? What should you pay attention to when overwintering?Let us look at the analysis of the question together below.

1. How do you grow passion fruit in pots?

1. Choosing passion fruit seeds is the key

March to May is the suitable planting period for potted passion fruit. The seeds of passion fruit are actually the flesh of the passion fruit. Take out the flesh and then sun-dry it for several days; this makes it easier to extract the seeds from the flesh. Of course, you can also go to the market and buy passion fruit seeds directly.

2. Passion fruit has low requirements for the growing container

Clay pots, ceramic pots, purple clay pots, wooden pots, plastic flower pots and so on can all be used as containers. Punch a few small holes in the bottom of the pot so that the flower pot has better water permeability and air permeability. In the first year of planting passion fruit, the container diameter should be about 20-25 cm.

3. Soil conditions

Passion fruit has low requirements for soil and is highly adaptable in growth. It can be grown on sandy loam, red loam, kaolin and other flat or sloping land with good irrigation, but passion fruit cannot be grown in places with long-term low-lying water accumulation. Places with fertile, loose soil and good drainage, as well as paddy fields that can be drained and irrigated, are all very favorable for the planting and growth of passion fruit. The best soil pH value is between 5-6; when pH<5, stem base rot will occur, so before the hot and rainy summer season arrives, lime and other soil improvement methods should be used to neutralize the acidity.

4. Seed germination method

Place the seeds in water and soak them for 24-48 hours, then rub and wash off all the gelatinous outer layer of the seeds; before sowing, mix each kilogram of seeds with 10-15 g of carbendazim or thiophanate-methyl for 20-30 minutes. Evenly scatter the seeds on the germination bed to complete sowing, cover the seeds with a 1-2 cm layer of fine river sand, and remember to water after sowing is completed.

5. Watering precautions

Too much water is not suitable for the growth of passion fruit. When the soil is dry, you can water, but when watering you must maintain ventilation and avoid water accumulation. If water accumulates, drain the excess water. In summer when the temperature is high, water once in the morning and once in the evening, but the amount of water should not be too large.

6. Fertilization points

Passion fruit can grow for about five years, and fertilization is different at each stage within those five years. During the seedling stage, apply nitrogen fertilizer; you can prepare some urine water and add a small amount of urea to it for topdressing, then according to the growth of the passion fruit you can increase the application of a little potassium fertilizer. When the passion fruit tree reaches the fruiting stage, fertilization needs to be carried out in batches: before flowering, apply urea to promote the growth of branches and leaves; during the flowering stage, apply phosphorus fertilizer; during the fruiting stage, apply potassium fertilizer; after harvesting the fruit, apply nitrogen fertilizer. Remember to use a smaller amount each time and apply it more times; the amount of fertilizer must not be too much.

2. What should you pay attention to when potted passion fruit overwinters?

20-30 degrees is the best growing temperature for passion fruit. Passion fruit suffers severe freezing damage when the temperature is below minus 2 degrees, so areas where the lowest winter temperature is below 0°C are not suitable for growing passion fruit. If it needs to be grown, then cold protection and warming measures must be taken. The main antifreeze measures are as follows:

1. Sprinkle lime in the pot

Sprinkle lime into the pot. You can also cover with plastic film and weeds for heat preservation and antifreeze, and pruning in winter can also prevent cold and keep warm. However, it should be noted that passion fruit does not need pruning during the first two years. By the third year, old branches can be cut off. In order to regrow new branches, leave three strong branches of about 2 m; it does not matter much if you do not prune, and it is also fine to prune when the temperature drops below zero.

2. Wrap with plastic sheeting

Wrap the roots and soil, the main trunk and one third of the main vine of the passion fruit well with plastic sheeting, and follow the principle of watering less in winter and not watering unless dry, and it can get through the winter.