Can Passion Fruit Be Grown in the North?
Abstract: This article discusses whether passion fruit can be grown in the north and the correct planting methods for passion fruit in the field of green plants and flowers. Let's find out more from the introduction below.
Passion fruit, also known as egg fruit, is native to the tropical and subtropical regions of America. It thrives in temperatures of 20-30°C and requires greenhouses or even heated greenhouses in colder regions to survive the winter. Sufficient sunlight and long-daylight hours are beneficial for flowering, with soil layers of over 50cm, loose and well-draining, and a pH of 5.5-6.5 being ideal.
Planting:
1. Variety selection: Currently popular varieties include Tainong No. 1, Zixiang No. 1, Mantanxing, and Golden Passion Fruit. Be cautious when choosing seedling sources and their health.
2. Equipment: A wire mesh frame should be set up for vines to climb, a water and fertilizer spray system, and an external elevated fine mesh covering the area to prevent needle bees and insects.
3. Planting: Plant 50-80 plants per mu, dense planting in the first year, and remove some plants in the second year. Good drainage and raised beds should be built for planting. For areas with insufficient soil depth and low terrain, root-limiting devices can be used to elevate the planting. Seedlings should be acclimated and disinfected, and cuttings should be set up in a seedling room.
4. Management: Prune the vines to have a single or double main蔓, guide the sub-vines to grow properly after climbing, reduce density and overlapping, and pay attention to and carry out pruning in the middle of the fruiting period. Apply a small amount of base fertilizer before planting according to the current soil condition. Apply liquid top dressing and foliar fertilizer according to the physiological state of vegetative growth and reproductive growth. Reduce or avoid using herbicides, and control weed growth with weed suppression mats.
5. Fruit: Mature plants normally have 6 batches of inflorescences per year, and good management can increase 1 or 2 batches. The Golden Passion Fruit variety has a low self-pollination rate and requires manual pollination, while other varieties can have a good pollination rate under appropriate conditions. During the middle fruiting stage, guide the fruiting vines to fall below the greenhouse. Passion fruit can be harvested manually or left to fall naturally. For the latter, a bird net can be stretched under the greenhouse to catch the fruits. Passion fruit harvested manually requires post-harvest treatment, with 2-7 days of ripening and acid reduction depending on the growth season and harvesting maturity, achieving the sales target. The sweetness, sourness, aroma, flesh fullness, proper fertilizer and management, and harvesting techniques are the main conditions determining quality.
6. Summary: There is a lot of information available online on passion fruit planting techniques, and the details of operation are not discussed here. The following points 1-5 are summarized as follows: selecting healthy seedlings, disinfecting before planting, adjusting and repairing the soil, designing water and drainage systems, preventing and treating diseases and pests, proper fertilizer management, cultivating healthy roots, not using herbicides, thinning fruit appropriately without using fruit enlargement agents, achieving the best flavor, and not force-picking.
7. Passion fruit can be planted throughout the year in tropical regions, with staggered planting to ensure fruit availability all year round. In tropical regions with distinct seasons, fruit harvest is from July to November. In the first year, the yield can reach 1000 kg per mu in tropical areas and 1400 kg per mu in subtropical areas in the second year. Market prices are: Golden Passion Fruit > Mantanxing > Purple Passion Fruit.
The above information is about whether passion fruit can be grown in the north and the correct planting methods for passion fruit, hoping it will be helpful to you!