Allotments 4 All

Can I grow these from seed of commercial ones.

not sure but you can but try - thinking about reasons why you couldn't and can't think of any  ;D

Yup, you can!

Quote from: Amazin on October 09, 2007, 00:32:28
Yup, you can!

Excellent any advice ?

No, it's my secret, MINE, I TELL YOU, MYYEEENNE!

... ahem! Ok then, here goes:

Scoop out the seeds, rinse off the pulp and dry on kitchen paper. When you're ready to use them (February), soak them in orange juice overnight then plant them in seed compost - some people recommend sterile compost (which just involves giving it a zap in the microwave) - mixed with a little sand, grit or perlite.

Now, they need light to germinate, and they also need warmth - hardly in abundance in February - so I start them off in a propagator in the airing cupboard for a few days to boost the temperature, followed by alternating between the warmest, sunniest windowsill during the day and the airing cupboard at night, and wait... they can take up to 21 days, or sometimes longer depending on type, to germinate.

Keep them damp rather than wet, and just keep an eye out for the usual problems, like damping off. As they progress, try a little bit of 'indoor hardening off', i.e. keep them on the windowsill overnight (in the propagator but with the vents open) - to help them toughen up. That way way they won't be so shocked when you finally put them outdoors (in a cold frame or mini-greenhouse at first). And there you have it - Bob's your firkin!

IIIEEE THENNNKKYYEEEWW!

;D

Why orange juice. ???

I don't know why orange juice myself, just want to let you know that if you want to grow "native pepper" (native to Tasmania) you have to soak the seeds in vinegar for 2 or 3 days........  I can only guess this is to mimic them passing through the digestive system of a bird?

With my passion fruit, during Februry this year I just scooped out the seeds, rinsed off pulp.  Put onto the top of  compost, covered lightly with perlite. Put them into the airing cupboard for a couple of weeks.  When the seedlings were just through I transfered them to conservatory (it gets quite cold in there at nights)  I ended up with loads of plants.  Gave most away.  I saved half a dozen for myself which are now over eight foot tall very robust plants.  Ready to be planted out next spring.  Didn't use orange juice or even look after them that well.  Must have been very lucky with so much success with very little effort.

That's right, Mave, they're surprisingly easy for supposedly exotic plants, especially if you plant them fresh from the fruit in February, rather than save seed now, though germination of the purple granadilla can be a bit slow and erratic. I bought some unusual pinky plum-coloured passionfruit from Sainsbury's the other day - still trying to identify them! Are you growing the purple ones then?

Amazin
         I think it was the purple one, I just bought a shriveled up passion fruit for five pence from Tesco's reduced stand and used that.  I did the same with kiwi fruit so along with my six passion fruit plants  I now have four huge kiwi plants in the greenhouse and don't know what to do with them. 
                              Mave

I've got two varieties of kiwi outdoors, both going great guns. It's surprising how many so-called 'exotic' fruits are tougher than we give them credit for. I think that, on the whole, the only- or at least the greatest -  problem with growing such plants in the UK is not temperature, or rainfall, or heat - it's sunshine. Much the same as the non-exotic stuff, really!

;D

Thanks Amazin
                        That's nice to know, I'll plant my kiwi out in my allotment next spring.  Will have to move them out of my greenhouse anyway.  How do they survive the winds and the frost?  Also do you think I would need a different type of kiwi as a pollinator.  Have you had any fruit from yours yet?

                    Mave

The trouble with Kiwis is they need separate male and female plants for pollination. I'm wondering if, having grown all yours from one fruit, they'll all be one gender. I'm growing Kiwi Jenny, which is more or less self-fertile. The other one I have is Issai, (actinidia arguta), the hairless kiwi, also self-fertile. Maybe I could try and root a couple of cuttings of 'Jenny' for you to see if that does the trick? It really is gorgeous, with red furry stems and lush green leaves. It's nearly time to give it a prune anyway, and I hate waste!

;D

Thanks for the offer of Kiwi cuttings Amazin.  Will have to sort out seeds or rooted cuttings from my stock in the spring in exchange.  My kiwi also has furry stems and sort of red/green leaves.  One of them looks slightly different from the other three so with luck I could have plants of a different gender.  Will have to wait and see.  Still thats half the fun of allotmenting isn't it?
                                                             
                                        Mave