Passionfruit flowering but not fruiting

[Meloncat]

My passionfruit that I purchased from Bunnings has grown like mad and flowers profusely,  however the flowers just fall to the ground and it doesn't produce any fruit, does anyone know why this would occur?

 

 

[mich1972]

@Jewelleryrescue  That’s really interesting information, thanks heaps for sharing 😃🐝

[Jason]

Hi @Roberte86,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. We're really pleased to have you join us and trust you'll get all manner of helpful advice and project inspiration from our clever and creative community members. Feel free to post anytime you need a hand. 

Sorry to read that you don't feel you got the advice you needed in a Bunnings store. If you'd like me to ask one of our resident Bunnings D.I.Y. experts to get in touch with you to get more details and assist, please let me know. 

As others have shared, you might find these guides useful for tips on how to ensure your passionfruit produces plenty of fruit: How to grow and care for passion fruit and What are your tips for growing passionfruit?

Let me also tag the wonderfully knowledgable @Noelle to see if she might like to share her thoughts on why two vines next to each other might produce such different results, and what you could do to encourage more fruit. 

Thanks,

Jason

[Noelle]

Hi @Roberte86 

You don't need two passionfruit vines in close proximity to have good fruit production, but you do need pollination in order for flowers to set fruits.

The Black Passionfruit is the most prolific of the common varieties available and seems to produce a bumper crop even when there is a scarcity of pollinating insects such as bees. However, intervention in the form of hand pollination (see @Jewelleryrescue 's reply in this thread) will increase your harvest even more.

Some of the other types of passionfruit are, for whatever reason, not as adept at setting fruits. It may that the pistil (female floral part) is receptive to pollen before the anthers (male pollen-bearing floral parts) in each flower are mature and ready to shed their pollen.  This is where hand pollination becomes essential. Take pollen from older flowers that have been fully open for a few days and use it on younger flowers newly opened.

You will know within days if your efforts have been successful.  If the flowers wither and fall off, pollination has not occurred.  If you can see a swelling at the base of the pistil like a tiny fruit developing, then pollination has occurred. It may take a bit of practice to get your technique right but the effort will be worthwhile if you get a good amount of fruit.

[Roberte86]

Noelle,

I have tried hand pollination with a negative result, but I will try your method of old flower pollen to new flowers.

I have a lot of bees around my place, and once years ago when I put an electric mosquito killer outside overnight, it killed hundreds of small MOTHS which are also pollinators, so natural pollinators are not my problem.

All the best  

[Roberte86]

Thanks Jason.

[lblack]

I have the exact same variety also bought from Bunnings, experiencing same issue.

Overgrowth of leaves, lots of flowers but never fruits. This is its 3rd season. Have followed the advise from fb but so far no luck and gave even tried pollinating it myself with a brush 😣

I think we may have been sold duds! 

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @lblack. It's great to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about passionfruit.

I'm sorry to hear that you are having issue with your plant not setting fruit.

Given you haven't had any fruit set and you have an overgrowth of leaves I'd be taking a look at the base of the plant to ensure suckers from the grafted root stock haven't taken over the plant. If you can post several photos of the base and try to locate the graft line, then I can advise on whether this growth is from the rootstock of the grafted variety. Let me know if you need a hand uploading images.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell
 

[Mboy75]

Have to agree with you about the duds lblack.

I've had 3-4 previous vines in the same locations and have even been through the grafted ones throwing up suckers everywhere.

Always produced copious amounts of fruit.

For the last 3 + years I have been trying the 'sunshine special' in Perth.

Tried all the different ferts, trace elements, potash etc etc.

Heaps of pollinators in the garden (bees) and tried the hand pollinating, to no effect.

There are also many people on the FB pages with the same issue, flowers will not set fruit. The 3 fruit I have had, have been void of all internals.

All responses on the FB post have stated their frustrations at the sunshine special from Bunnings.

I have massacred my vine and chopped it right back (previous vines would have died from this extent) to see if it shocks the vine into fruiting, but the idea has not worked so far this year.

Imo, there is something that is not right about this strain or maybe supplier to Bunnings, as I have tried everything else.

The responses from Bunnings in this post are just the standard responses.

Mine will be ripped out after this summer if it does not produce and I'll never be buying fruit stock from Bunnings again

Last years pics

[Jason]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Mboy75. Sorry to read you are having trouble with your passionfruit vine.

Let me tag a couple of our most experienced community members in @Noelle and @mich1972 to see if they could share some thoughts and advice for you.

Our resident Bunnings D.I.Y. experts would also be happy to assist as soon as possible.

Thanks,

Jason

[Noelle]

Hi @Mboy75 

I'm not familiar with the passionfruit variety you mention - 'Sunshine Special' - which appears to be local to Perth and environs. Usually abundant flowers and no fruits indicates a lack of pollinators but you have plenty of them from your photos!

If the flowers are not setting fruits then perhaps it may be something to do with the cultural conditions such as soil pH, fertiliser program and watering.

Since this is a variety that originated in WA, it may be worthwhile contacting the business that developed this passionfruit via its web page, which has a  Message us facility for questions.