Description
This seed order is for 25 purple passionfruit seeds (Passiflora edulis). The seeds are grown organically on our exotic fruit farm on the East Side of Hawaii Island (Big Island). Passionfruit has a characteristically sweet and tart, aromatic, tropical flavor. The purple variety is less acid and less tart and contains more juice than the yellow variety.
Below I will give more information on passionfruit and several germination suggestions. Your germination success will be based on many factors and on your specific environment and climate. We are not responsible for any faults in germination. Our seeds are freshly collected and mailed out within 1 day of harvest. However, if you have questions or concerns about your order please contact us.
Carefully consider your germination options and perhaps try a few different methods.
Detailed information on Passionfruit:
The fruit itself is almost round or ovoid, and it is usually 1-1/2 to 3 inches wide. It has a tough, pithy rind that is smooth and waxy. Inside, the aromatic pulp is like membranous sacs containing orange-colored, pulpy juice. One passion fruit can have more than 200 small, hard, and dark seeds. The yellow variety of passionfruit has generally larger fruit than the purple.
Passiflora edilus is a fast growing vigorous vine. Not a tree! It grows best in tropical and subtropical climates. These plants like full sun, except in extremely hot climates where partial shade is ok. Passionfruit can grow in many soil types but it prefers light to heavy sandy loams with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. They have shallow roots, but extensive roots so heavy mulching is preferable. In the United States they grow well in parts of California and Florida and Hawaii. The vine can extend 15 to 20 ft. per year and the life of a vine is usually 5-7 years, with productivity declining in the later years. The flowers are fragrant and 2-3 inches wide. They are best pollinated by carpenter bees, but honey bees do ok and wind is also a suitable method of pollination.
GERMINATION TIPS: A few different methods you can try~
~ Soaking in water for 24 hours: Fill a glass with room temperature water and put the seeds in the glass for 24 hours to soften their hard outer coats.
~to break dormancy, gently rub the seeds with fine sandpaper, then soak them in cool water for 24 hours.
~Soak in a small amount of orange juice overnight
~Papertowel method : Soak the seeds overnight and then place them on dampened paper towel (squeeze out excess water) and seal in a zip-lock bag. Place somewhere warm and keep an eye on them. If any signs of mold show up, remove the seeds, clean in a very dilute bleach or peroxide solution and return to a fresh bag/towel environment. Remove seeds as roots appear and carefully pot up. Similarly a ziplock bag with some damp sphagnum moss.
PLANTING: Seeds should be planted 1/2 to 1 inch deep in beds or pots at least 4″ inches wide. Plant seedlings when they are 8 -10 inches tall. If the plant is any bigger than that it will have to be cut back a little before planting. Make sure you plant them very close to a strong support such as a strong fence, we grow ours up invasive trees. Depending on the time of year you plant and your climate passionfruit will take as little as 6 months or as much as 18 months to have it’s first harvest. The vines life-span is usually 5-7 years.
