I have had an extremely happy nellie kelly vine that I planted about
four years ago, and for the last two years we have been able to supply
passionfruit by the boxful to all of our neighbours and friends. About
two weeks ago a section of it started to wilt and turn brown and the
unripe fruit puckered up and dropped off, and now most of the vine is
turning up its toes.
It seems to have a bit of a powdery grey thing happening on some of the
stems and fruit, but the leaves seem to look ok, right up to the moment
when they wilt and die.
Does anyone know what is happening? Is there anything I can do to save
the rest of the vine? And is there any way I can prevent whatever-it-is
from killing off the other passionfruit vine round the side of the house?
Any ideas or advice would be greatly appreciated.
xx
Cath
Ideally, plant a new one every 3 years in different spots in the garden.
I was worried that my plant might have contracted some sort of virus
thing that would spread through the garden and kill off all my
best-loved plants, including the new passionfruit on the side fence.
To answer your question Jonno - I'm in Melbourne, and I guess the dear
old vine had a bit of a tough life - in two years I think it must have
produced enough fruit to supply all the pavlova and sponge makers of the
southern hemisphere for a decade. Perhaps it's just exhausted.
I'm sad that my incredibly fruity vine has reached the end of its
(short) life, but gosh that's a lot better than having my whole garden
succumb to a horrible-unstoppable-plant-killing-virus-from-hell.
Thanks again, I really do appreciate your help.
Cath
Now you're just bragging.
I have to confess, I'm on the side of She. My husband would have copped
a blast from me too if he'd messed with my passionfruit vine.
When I had a passionfruit vine.
Sob.
So, can you recommend a variety of passionfruit that lasts a little
longer than the nellie kelly? I know passionfruit vines don't last for
ever, but a couple of bumper harvests followed by a dramatic death just
isn't enough for me.
So let me get this straight... "She" keeps Jonno in line inside the
house, and then Jonno gets out in the garden and lets out his
testosterone on the plants, just to make sure they know who's boss.
It sounds like "she" has the chain of command pretty well organised at
your place.
You're quite right of course, a bit of trimming would make a world of
difference to my garden. Except for the (late lamented) passionfruit
everything in growing like crazy, and I expect there are whole families
of jungle hyenas and wildebeests living behind the asparagus patch.
I'm obviously not enough of a real man. Though I expect my husband
prefers it that way.
I lied im 59 but a good storyteller
Mmmm... I expect those nurses might have a thing or two to say if you
came at them with the secateurs. Or the ZERO.
Even if you promised it'd turn their love lives around.
Its a professional growers site. But full of goodness.....
Found this by googling online
Thank you Jonno, lots of good stuff for me on that site. I shall do lots
of exploring, and then I shall find a way to grow the un-killable,
un-stoppable, un-beatable passionfruit. Then I might even be able to
brag to you.
I apologise for going off topic. All right... way - - - off topic.
I'm new to newsgroups, I don't know the rules. But I'm learning.
Cath
> Cant stand "latin" plant name
> droppers though. Gardening is supposed to be fun. Not an exercise in
> mental ability.
There are reasons for using the scientific names, though: there are three or
so different plants called Black-Eyed Susan and at least two called
Snow-in-Summer. Some plants have more than one common name -- Traveller's
Joy and Old Man's Bard are the same plant, but if I know one common name and
you know the other, we won't be able to help each other. Then there are quite
a number of Australian Natives that don't have common names at all.
--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)
"... if *I* was buying a baby I'd jolly well make sure it was at
least a two-tooth!"
Mary Grant Bruce, The Houses of the Eagle.
As was pointed out, there are reasons why knowing the latin name is
necessary., e.g. someone on TV called "Oyster Plants" "Bear Bonnets".
Knowing only the local names can be a trap.
A few cheap books can help in this regard.
> Its OK for Jospeh Banks who was a millionare scientist..
The one on Cooks trips?
That was because the system of scientific names was only just starting
or was many seperate systems. He was one of the people that helped
demonstrate the needs.
Leave the name droppers to the "experts" not the pretend experts you
hear spouting that they know the name of this or that like that radio
station gardening pretender.
> Leave the name droppers to the "experts" not the pretend experts you
> hear spouting that they know the name of this or that like that radio
> station gardening pretender.
LOL -- which one is that?
> As was pointed out, there are reasons why knowing the latin name is
> necessary., e.g. someone on TV called "Oyster Plants" "Bear Bonnets".
He said Bear's Breeches -- I was watching too! Acanthus mollis. And you need
to know that they're acanthus if you like architecture, because Classical
Greek buildings (and ensuing revivals) used Acanthus as a motif, and they call
it Acanthus, not Oyster Plant or Bear's Breeches!
See pics here:
http://www.meublepeint.com/acanthe.htm