I won’t whine about the weather… I won’t whine about the weather…
We had a few days of sunshine and we’re winning the cricket. Life is grand.
My passionfruit vines are a year old now. I planted grafted Nellie Kelly black and panama gold vines next to each other and I finally have flowers.
Flowers, but no fruit.
After searching (fruitlessly, hehe) for a solution, I’ve concluded that whoever cracks this nut will be the hero of thousands of backyard passionfruit growers everywhere. Forum upon forum, hundreds of people have the same problem.
Flowers but no fruit.
I am normally appreciative of the good folk at Gardening Australia, but on this one they have failed to come up with the goods. In fact their patronising responses mock me.
POLLINATION IS NOT THE ISSUE!
I have plenty of bees, ants, and beetles. Heck, a few of my chickens flew past before they had their wings clipped – I have pollinators galore. I’ve even hand pollinated a few flowers just to prove my point, but the flowers still drop.
I’ve fertilised with dynamic lifter, with potash. The rootstock hasn’t suckered – the graftline is clear and healthy.
I’ve run out of ideas. I think I will just blame the weather. I think it’s just too cold and wet.
Any ideas would be gratefully received.
500m2 in Sydney 
Isn’t that odd – you may hate me, but my passionfruit is bearing fruit (it started setting them in Nov) – it hasn’t really producing much for the past 2 years (prior to that it was very productive) but it seems to have decided to give it one last go this year. The graft has pretty much had it so I reckon this will be its last year though. This year I did feed it with Blood & Bone (in Sept from memory) and it got more water in Spring as it rained more and thats about it. Incidently my root stock has suckered everywhere and the graftline is a mess so if you wish to throw that back at anyone being patronising then please be my guest! Interestingly the year we moved into this house – about 5 years ago the passionfruit had ripe fruit on it and we moved in in July, perhaps it just doesn’t want to set fruit yet but will later in the year….
Well maybe I *am* being impatient. I guess it is only a year old and all… I do note though that your average maximum temperature for December was 2 degrees higher than ours, and we’ve had very few sunny days. Not sure it makes a difference, but I’m grasping at straws 🙂 It certainly has affected the tomatoes – no-one seems to have any ripe fruit around here as yet.
Hey! I’ve got ripe tomatoes! Must be because I don’t eat them! 😛 But I do think the weather isn’t helping things much. My silverbeet isn’t even growing well due to little sun and that’s one thing I’ve never had much trouble growing!
I should add that the tomatoes are taking forever though… Some of the green ones on the bush have been there since before Christmas…
Hi, I live in the Caribbean and have a passion fruit too in my backyard. The same happened to me, I thought it was going to be fruitless, but when I saw the second blooming the fruit started to come. So maybe give it a little more time. 😀
Well I’ve had a few handfuls myself, but not the quantity normal for this time of year. I’ve had to keep buying tomatoes, and I’m still running out by the time I get another delivery on Mondays, even with the odd home-grown one to supplement!
Just wondering if it is an ‘age’ thing. I’m in Launceston, TAS, as well as maybe postition. Your’s looks happy enough on the bricks though. I got nothing the first couple of years but this year the ones I didn’t expect anything from have gone crazy with lots of fruit just now starting to yellow. They also got lots of water last year.
I *think* the position is OK – gets sun for most of the day until late afternoon, then still some on the bits that have grown above the garage roofline. Age is a very good possibility though – thanks for the suggestion.
I think the vine may be a bit too young. Are you definitely cross pollinating across sexes? At least *you’re* getting flowers! I might move my passion fruit (in a pot) to my friend’s place to try and encourage both of them to flower.
As to tomatoes, I’m excited about my ones! They seem to be pretty happy, but I’m tempted to harvest them green because they taste much better. 🙂
Pretty sure I’m doing the pollination thing right- I’ve read a few photo tutorials, but I’ve never been good with a paintbrush ;p
Green tomatoes – you’re kidding, right?
I visited a friend today – this is the first year her passionfruit has fruited and its 3 years old. The too young suggestion seems a good one….
Thanks (I think, hehe). I’ll count myself lucky if I get anything then!
Passionfruit 2 years old have black & gold planted side by side getting sun up till 3.00 in the afternoon and warmth of shed wall. Lots of flowers not fruiting, has been suggested by local nursery in South Australia too much fertiliser, I admit very heavy handed with it and use a lot of varities due to proximity to the coast, and the varied plant life in the garden.
It is now Jan 2013 my panama red vines are thick and very healthy looking have been covered in flowers but no fruit set. Have crosspollinated thousands but to no avail. Also the bushes are full of little winged creatures, the plants are 18months old and are in full sun. Tomatoes have been the best crop in twenty years, no fruit fly as yet, touch wood.
Never happened to me before.
Hi, my passionfruit is in its 3rd year and once again plenty of flowers but not producing fruit.
There are plenty of bees, ants and bugs. Its situated in a warm sunny position with plenty of water and regular feeds.
In my previous home I had planted one vine and it produced straight away and continued with bumper crops each year for eight years before we moved.
After peaking with other growers in Perth with the same problem, I wonder if this is a common phenomenon?
*speaking