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?

 

 

[Mboy75]

Thanks for the reply Noelle.

The variables are all in check and I have been through all options, including PH, ferts (less nitorgen, normal nitrogen), spray (potash, chelates etc), full retic and mulched,

That business you suggested is a back yard nursery, who didn't develop the strain.

I'm not the only one who has had these same issues with this strain, most mentioned they had bought from Bunnings and a few (as I) had questions for the supplier to Bunnings.

[MitchellMc]

Hi @Mboy75,

I'll reach out via private message to gather more information on your purchase so we can verify who the supplier is of the plant. We'll then be able to contact them about your questions.

Mitchell

[4chazza]

I have the same problem- this is my second summer and the vine has grown well but the flowers just drop off, not a single fruit. A Black Nugget variety from Bunnings in Perth region. Very disappointing, not really sure what to do, already wasted all this time and water on it 🤷‍♀️ how many years does it need to grow before it fruits or I give up?!?

[EricL]

Hello @4chazza 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's wonderful to have you join us.

Black Nugget passionfruit usually starts fruiting within 1–2 years, so by the second summer, you’d expect at least some fruit to set. If the vine is flowering but the flowers are dropping without producing fruit, the most common reasons are lack of pollination, too much nitrogen, or environmental stress.

Passionfruit rely on bees and other insects for pollination, and if there aren’t enough pollinators around, you might need to hand-pollinate by transferring pollen between flowers with a small brush. Excess nitrogen from fertilizers can cause lush growth at the expense of flowers and fruit, so if you've been feeding it regularly, consider switching to a fertilizer high in potassium and phosphorus instead. Extreme weather, like heat waves or sudden temperature drops, can also cause flower drop, especially in Perth’s hot climate.

If it’s otherwise healthy and still growing well, it might just need a little more time, but if there’s no improvement by next summer, it could be worth replacing it with a grafted passionfruit variety, which generally fruits more reliably.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[Fred_the_Grate]

I too have a passionfruit vine from Bunnings that has never yielded fruit. Most annoyingly I can't remember the exact variety other than it isn't a Pandora (which I prefer). I have lots of bees, highly fertile soil and ideal conditions. In 2.5 years this, and considerable hand pollination efforts have yielded a handful of completely hollow, sterile fruit.

After returning to Bunnings multiple times I have been helpfully advised to check a few things and been offered products to purchase, to no avail. Sure, these tips would be great advice under usual circumstances, but I have successfully grown pandora red and other varieties, and I feel pretty sure it is a varietal issue. The best I can think of is that this type is self sterile, but it is not something I can easily check without purchasing another vine.

It seems that self sterile passionfruit exist, but that definitely wasn't something I recall seeing on the tag. Nobody else here has raised this. Not sure why? Perhaps they are not usually sold commercially? If I can find flowers to pollinate from another vine, I will be sure to let you all know. After such a frustrating experience I really want to get to the bottom of this too. (edited for paragraphing) 

[EricL]

Hello @Fred_the_Grate and welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community.

I'm sorry to hear that you are having the same issues with your passionfruit not fruiting. If it were a case of needing another plant for pollination, then they would typically be mentioned on the label. However, it would certainly be worth trying to pollinate from another plant if it was possible.

Eric