Passion Flower Fruit / Seeds

Hi novice. We just had this one last week. Someone said you could grow easily from seed, I disagree. I've tried direct planting into a propagator and I've also tried the recommended method of cold stratifying. If you are indeed a total novice then don't worry about that, it involves chilling the seed first then taking it out of the fridge so it thinks it has just been through winter. The important thing is neither worked.

So when I wanted some passiflora I went to a friend who had the ones I wanted and I took some cuttings. Those worked no problem. I suggest that you take the fruits with you just to try growing the seed inside them but that you also take some cuttings off your plant. It is quite easy. I could go into the various ways of taking cuttings but it's best if you know a keen gardener and ask them to do it for you. I thought everyone knew a keen gardener but if you don't then I suggest you look it up on the web by googling 'passiflora propagation' (it really is too big to cover here) or if you are really stuck just google 'plant cuttings' and try one or more of those methods.

It really is a big (but not as hard as you think) subject so good luck. If all else fails you could just go to Morrison's or Wilko next spring and buy a young plant for a couple of quid. Not the gardeners answer but sometimes needs must.

Yes maybe it depends where you live, totalnovice.
I don't know where you are but down here in the south, (Surrey) I have them by the ton. The fruit drops off the plant and grows like weeds. Maybe when you have decided where you want them to grow you could throw your fruit down in the garden and see if they will take.
If you don't have any luck you will have to go down the cutting route.

Marguerite. See my answer on the other thread. I have heard of P. caerulea self seeding Doctorbob, and not needing a hardier root stock, but I think that we are all in danger of confusing P. edulis (which maybe does need a graft, I don't know) with the other 499 passifloraceae

John.

We don't know what type totalnovice has, but it is more than likely the P Caerulia which will very probably self seed.
It's well worth a try anyway.

Certainly worth a try Doctorbob. That is half the fun of gardening. As I said it has never grown from seed for me but I am in the frozen north and it may well work for others. So far this year I have also tried 100 puya seeds without one germinating and 35 acers with the glorious total of one growing, Chinese gooseberries though, I planted, I think 10, and have what looks like 60 seedlings. LoL.

Hey John,
You might have to move to Cornwall to get your Puya to grow, might be difficult up in the frozen North. Acers shouldn't be any trouble though it's a precarious business this gardening, many times i've grown plants from seeds, cuttings, layers etc. only to have to work hard at hardening off when the greenhouse fire went out. (or did I accidentally let it out.)
Glad your chinese gooseberries are a success though.
Rob.

Well. I had just finished telling you nice people that passion flowers are no more for this year when I have to start blushing. If anyone is interested see my latest picture post of today. Oops.

John.