What exactly is passion fruit (Passiflora edulis)? Passion fruit is a rapidly growing perennial vine that produces ornate flowers that develop into flavorful fruit. This plant is native to the tropical regions of South America and can be grown in many similar climates, such as in Florida. Passion fruit is a close relative of the native passion flower (Passiflora incarnata), also known as maypop, which similarly produces a tasty fruit. Under the right conditions, passion fruit can develop from a small plant to a fully mature fruit-bearing vine in less than a year. This allows for small farms to begin generating revenue, and ideally profitability, in a short amount of time.
How is passion fruit grown? Passion fruit in nature will quickly climb tall trees and produce fruit along the length of the vine. It needs a lot of space to grow, so in a farm setting it is best to grow passion fruit on a trellis. A single trellis wire is suitable for passion fruit growth as it makes pruning and removal of the vines a lot easier. The trellis wire will need to be supported by sturdy posts and suspended about six feet above the ground. Drip irrigation lines can efficiently provide water to the base of the vine and support the sustained growth of the plant. It’s best to plant in high-quality soil, such as mature compost or similar potting soil. Fertigation or granular fertilizer will encourage rapid growth of the plant, however not all fertilizers are suitable. Passion fruit will need only modest amounts of nitrogen and higher rates of potassium to begin flower production. The best time to plant or prune last year’s growth is at the end of winter when frost is no longer a concern. A piece of string can be connected to the top of the trellis wire and staked next to the plant to allow the vine to reach the trellis wire. Once it reaches the trellis wire the plant will quickly run along the length of the wire.
Passion fruit will begin to produce flowers typically less than a year from planting. Flowers will emerge around April and May and always begin at the tips of new growth. Native pollinators, such as the carpenter bee, can help to pollinate the flowers. Without pollination, the flowers will drop off. A pollinated flower will develop into a mature passion fruit after about three months and will change from green to either purple, red, or yellow once mature. There are quite a few varieties of passion fruit, so size and appearance can vary. Mature fruit are very durable and will naturally drop off the vine and can be picked up off the ground. Once harvested, they are suitable for sale for about two weeks depending upon storage conditions.
Fresh fruit can be sold directly to customers or the fruit can be used for an extremely wide range of value-added products. For example, passion fruit can be used for juice, jams, jellies, candy, ice cream, many kinds of beverages, salad dressing, the rind can be used for flour, and the leaves used for herbal tea. For creative entrepreneurs, passion fruit provides an incredible opportunity to create value-added products. Raw passion fruit can fetch a good price for direct sales to customers either in person or shipped to customers across the country.
Based upon recent passion fruit taste tests, prospective consumers like the flavor, texture, and aroma of passion fruit. Once individuals are familiar with passion fruit and have tasted it, the vast majority of taste testers are interested in buying Florida-grown passion fruit. Land prices and agricultural costs across Florida have skyrocketed over the past several years which has created barriers for those who want to start a new farm. Traditional crops like peanuts, cotton, citrus, and other row crops tend to require large acreage for farms to generate enough profitability to make a living. That’s why passion fruit should be considered by those who want to begin or expand a small farm. This crop has significant growth potential to generate profitability for Florida growers.
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