How Long Does Banana Passionfruit Take to Grow?

Hardiness Zones

• As a tropical to subtropical fruit, the banana passionfruit is hardy to U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 to 11. It thrives in temperatures over 82 degrees Fahrenheit, and where winter temperatures do not drop below 28 degrees. The warmer the climate, the more vigorous its growth. When it's planted in areas that see winter frost, the growth is more moderate and it works best as an ornamental plant. The top growth will die back in cold weather but the roots will survive and allow the plant to recover when warm weather returns. Given sufficient light and warmth, banana passionfruit vines can grow up to 10 feet per year and produce fruit by the second year.

Germination

• Banana passionfruits usually grows from seed soaked in warm water, orange juice or passionfruit juice for 24 hours and germinated at 59 to 68 degrees. Plant them an inch deep in moist, sterile soil in a 3-inch pot. Cover the pot with plastic to create high humidity and keep the plants at 68 to 85 degrees, with bottom heat. Sprouts can appear as soon as four weeks or as late as 12 months from sowing time, but the average range is four to 12 weeks, according to the University of Hawaii at Manoa Botany Department. Blooms appear in midsummer to late fall, while fruits can ripen any time of year.

Transplanting

• The emergent banana passionfruit seedlings are ready for transplant three months after they first appear. The young plants should be trained to grow on a horizontal trellis. Dense spacing results in more fruit per vine, while pruning and wider spacing for greater airflow and less disease produces larger, but fewer, fruits. Purdue University Horticulture and Landscape Architecture advises that you will see your first banana passionfruit crop in two years, although some growers from India report waiting as long as six years for their plants to yield fruit.

Harvest

• Depending on your growing area and cultural practices of weeding, irrigation, and pest and disease control, you may see year-round fruiting or biannual harvest in spring and fall. The spring harvest is ripe in late March to early April. Fall harvest comes in September or October. The ripe fruits should be 2 to 5 1/2 ounces each and can range from 40 to 300 per vine.