Q: I have a passion fruit plant in a big pot and it produced two fruits a few months ago. Since then, there have been no sign of fruit production. I would love to know how often these plants bear fruits, and what can I do to encourage healthy growth and production. – Janis Lee-A: Passion fruit trees can be a challenge to grow as they require careful pruning and training to ensure they grow well and bear fruits. They are also susceptible to diseases. Prune the tree once it reaches the desired height, then keep pruning off the top to encourage lateral growth. Remove excessive side growths.You do not want to have entangled, messy side growths. The idea is to have a few main side growths that will have ample space to grow. You also have to train the branches so they will grow along the netting or wire mesh you have set up.Fertilise the tree four times a year. Give as much nitrogen as potassium but less phosphorus. Follow the instructions as recommended by the fertiliser bag and adjust accordingly with your yields. Avoid over-watering by watering only when the top soil is dry.-Find out more in our Ready, Set, Grow! column in Star 2 – The Star [link in bio!]-If you have any gardening questions, send your queries to http://questions.eatsshootsandroots.com-* All questions are answered by Dr Christopher Teh, soil biologist and senior lecturer at Universiti Putra Malaysia #eatsshootsandroots #DearPlantDoctor #ReadySetGrowESR #TheStar #garden
![Q: I have a passion fruit plant in a big pot and it produced two fruits a few months ago. Since then, there have been no sign of fruit production. I would love to know how often these plants bear fruits, and what can I do to encourage healthy growth and production. – Janis Lee-A: Passion fruit trees can be a challenge to grow as they require careful pruning and training to ensure they grow well and bear fruits. They are also susceptible to diseases. Prune the tree once it reaches the desired height, then keep pruning off the top to encourage lateral growth. Remove excessive side growths.You do not want to have entangled, messy side growths. The idea is to have a few main side growths that will have ample space to grow. You also have to train the branches so they will grow along the netting or wire mesh you have set up.Fertilise the tree four times a year. Give as much nitrogen as potassium but less phosphorus. Follow the instructions as recommended by the fertiliser bag and adjust accordingly with your yields. Avoid over-watering by watering only when the top soil is dry.-Find out more in our Ready, Set, Grow! column in Star 2 - The Star [link in bio!]-If you have any gardening questions, send your queries to http://questions.eatsshootsandroots.com-* All questions are answered by Dr Christopher Teh, soil biologist and senior lecturer at Universiti Putra Malaysia #eatsshootsandroots #DearPlantDoctor #ReadySetGrowESR #TheStar #garden](https://eatsshootsandroots.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/21479693_1955089041445440_3650669124394156032_n.jpg)
