Passionflower. Passionflower (Passiflora), passion fruit, "the Knights 'star' - three names surprisingly decorative vines with tendrils on the stems, which she clings firmly to the support, and without the support grows as a basket plant. Passion pleases abundance lush greenery, beautiful large flowers and fragrant fruit - three pleasures in one plant! All the passion of the vast family Strastotsvetnye have fragrant axillary, pentagonal, with flowers crown between perianth and stamens.
Trunk, leaves and bewitching beauty and extraordinary structure of Passiflora flowers in ancient times were a symbol of the suffering of Christ, "an instrument of the Lord's Passion" - hence the name of passion fruit (in Latin passio - suffering, flos - flower). The tops of the leaves of Passiflora identified with a spear, tendrils - with a whip, stamens with large oblong anthers and pistil with three stigmas placed crosswise - with instruments of torture, the columns of the flower - the cross with nails, thread receptacle - with a crown of thorns, the central trunk - with a pillar to which was tied Christ.
The most commonly grown growers passion fruit (P. edulis) with white petals. Originally from Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina, this vine with red or yellow fruits at home gives 2 crops per year and is grown as a crop in the tropics and subtropics. Its fragrant, large about 6 cm long, ovate or round fruits are used to prepare sweets and drinks.
In a culture meets blue passionflower (P. caerulea), growing up in Brazil, Peru, Argentina, and Paraguay. Large, up to 9 cm in diameter flowers are light blue, the crown consists of a dark blue threads, posts pistil purple. Large, about 5 cm long multi-seeded berry-like fruit of the yellow-orange, not as tasty as in the preceding species, so blue passionflower grows less as the food culture, and more as a decorative. On the wintering period of rest in the house of blue passion flower may lose all their leaves - spring grow new ones.
In mouth-watering passionflower (P. mollissima) from South America (Venezuela, Colombia, Bolivia), grown in culture in America and Southern Europe, white-pink flowers and most fragrant fruit with a high content of organic acids in the pulp used to make juice. This kind of passion brings a decrease in temperature to -2 degrees Celsius and is grown in the open ground in the subtropics.
Passion lavrolistny (P. laurifolia) from Brazil, which leaves similar in structure to a multiple increase of laurel, is the locals called "passion fruit". It grows well in Central America and Australia.
Passion grows well and blooms profusely in a room subject to agricultural technology: a light, warm place with fresh air (but not in the draft) - in the summer, and in the cool (but not less than 10 degrees) in the winter. Watering Passiflora performed well defend lukewarm water; after watering the excess water from the sump to be drained. Summer passionflower require regular watering to the maintenance of moderate soil moisture, spray in the evening in order to maintain high humidity; useful periodic "shower" to wash the dust from the leaves, protecting the fragile stems of Passiflora from damage. In winter, watering is reduced, caring only that only the soil does not dry; spraying is not carried out.
Passion fruit and edible blue bloom from June to September, they feel good in the summer and in the garden. With a lack of heat and light, with a shortage of supply in the passionflower bloom scarce or absent altogether. In the shadow of passionflower is not flourishing, but develops an abundance of branches with openwork foliage and is grown as a deciduous plant. From March to August, after watering passion fruit are fed 2-3 times a month, alternating between feeding complete mineral fertilizer and mullein infusion, diluted 1:10.
After flowering, remove all nevyzrevshie Passiflora shoots and shorten too long lashes. Period of rest in the shade tab promotes flower buds and subsequent active flowering Passiflora. In the spring, after the end of the rest period, when growth begins, with passion fruit shortened by one third all secondary shoots, keeping the main (1-2-3 shoot) on a trellis that promotes abundant flowering. Then, a transshipment Passiflora (transplant in violation coma undesirable land); young plants are rolled over each year into the pot a little more than before, and the old, growing in a pot volume of 5.3 liters - rarely, if necessary.
The substrate is composed of a mixture of peat, turf or compost, humus soil (1: 1: 1) with the addition of sand. Spring buds appear on the shoots; open flowers to fruit set artificially pollinate by transferring (a cotton swab or soft brush) pollen from one flower to another. This procedure is repeated 2-3 times.
Passiflora flowers are short-lived, and after a week on the peduncle 3-5 cm in length visible fetal ovary. Approximately half month the fruit reaches its final size, depending on maturation conditions requires about two more months. Uniformly painted bright ripe fruit peel has a dense layer polusantimetrovy pink flesh and delicious orange jelly with lots of black seeds, sweet and slightly sour, with the fragrant scent of mature mango fruit.
Passion breeds slightly woody cuttings and seeds, which are extracted from the fruit. Some growers have successfully propagated passion fruit cuttings in spring (March-April), the other in summer (July). With a lack of fresh air and his passion dryness affect spider mites, mealybugs and thrips - regular "shower" is the prevention of pests. The appearance of the leaves sticky sweetish secretions from glands is a biological feature of Passiflora; in the nature of these secretions eat ants, passion fruit protect against pests.
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