Grafting is the combining of 2 plants to produce a super plant. Starting with a vigorous rootstock and grafting onto it a different variety that tastes better and fruits well. The problem arises when the root sock is too vigorous and starts to produce suckers, which in turn takes nourishment away from the grafted plant.
It's an easy problem to solve, just snip off the sucker vines below the graft every time they appear. Eventually they will stop growing as the grafted plant becomes stronger and bigger. It is quite easy to tell the difference between suckers and good vines as the suckers have thinner, darker leaves, and the healthy passionfruit plants leaves are a glossy green, as seen in the pictures.
Get those secateurs out and start checking below your graft, it is easy to spot the join because there is usually a slight swelling and the colour is different. As passion fruit are such fast growing plants you will have a healthy plant in no time.
However, they are short lived plants, usually about 4 - 7 years so I always have 2 or 3 around the garden all of which have been staggered so we always have productive plants. Watering well, fertilising and good mulch cover will extended the life of some varieties. We have a beautiful variety growing in a large pot over an arch at the side of our house, it loves the spot and produces tasty fruit.
Happy gardening
Bronwyn
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