Yes, they should be easy to grow as our picture of passionfruit is one of a rampant vine covering fences prod-ucing endless fruit throughout the summer.

Why doesn’t this picture eventuate – here in this area, the problem is partly our unsettled weather.

Passionfruit need a settled spring to produce flowers followed by a hot summer.

Wet conditions and certainly humidity creates problems with pollination, whilst very hot dry conditions cause the pollen to dry out.

Exercising appropriate cultural practices will help.

These include planting in full sun in a well-drained soil in an area where the temperature doesn’t drop below two degrees.

Maintain a slightly alkaline to slightly acid soil, applying a complete fertiliser containing 10 per cent nitrogen.

Preparation of the soil is most important – dig in cow manure as well as sulphate of potash.

Repeat this recipe together with the all purpose plant food after pruning and then follow-up a few months later.

Vigorous growth, but no passions can be caused by too much nitrogen, which is present in grass clippings and poultry manure.

This can be remedied by applying a large handful of super-phosphate per square metre surrounding the vine in addition to pruning back excessive growth, which is vigor-ous to a lesser side branch.

Pruning is essential as fruit will only be produced on current season’s growth.

The following are problems that can occur.

Some can be fixed and sometimes it is time to get out the axe.

>> Root rot can occur, particularly when compost is piled around the stem – treat this with Fongarid.

>> Vines that become woody, slow, small or malformed fruit production are caused by an ageing problem called bullet. There is no cure.

>> Humid or extreme weather causes brown spots on leaves, fruit and stems and premature fruit drop. Spray with copper oxychloride.