Plant Doctor Archive

Pruning passionfruit

I HAVE a passionfruit vine which has grown vigorously for two years without any training or pruning. It has now reached three metres high and the foliage is dense and tangled. Will it be possible for me to prune it back now? Should I find some strong laterals and prune back to them?

PASSIONFRUIT is best pruned in early spring, when the threat of frosts has passed. However, you can also prune it after cropping in late summer - just keep in mind that an unexpected early frost could damage the plant.

To regain control of your vine, attach two pieces of garden wire horizontally along your fence. Attach one about one metre off the ground, with the second at 1.8m. Then tie up four main branches, two on the bottom wire and two on the top.

Reproduced with permission from the former Weekend Gardener magazine. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the RNZIH.