How to Grow Two Different Kinds of Passion Plants

Check the drainage in a sunny location where you intend to plant the passion plants. The vines require excellent drainage so the roots are not sitting in soggy soils. Dig a trench 1 foot deep and fill it with water. Allow the water to drain and fill again. Check the trench in two hours. If it has drained, the area has good enough drainage for the passion plants.

Weed a 3 foot square area and work 5 inches of compost into the planting space to a depth of 12 inches. Set the vines 10 to 15 feet apart in spring. Plant the vines at the same level they were growing in their nursery pots. Spread the roots out in holes that are at least 2 inches wider than the root ball. Backfill and pack dirt around the roots.

Water until the soil settles. Provide 1 inch of water every week for the first month. Thereafter, the vines need 35 inches of water annually -- the majority of it during the growing season.

Erect a trellis within three inches of the plants. Ideally it should provide 5 feet of support. Begin training the vines at planting. Use plant ties to hold the baby plants up onto the trellis. The plant will develop tendrils that will affix it to the structure within a couple of weeks.

Apply fertilizer one month after planting. Use a 10-5-20 at the rate of 3 pounds per plant. Feed the vines this amount four times evenly space out in the growing season. Always follow a feeding with deep irrigation to prevent root burn and avoid getting the fertilizer on the leaves.

Prune in very early spring in cool climates and after fruiting in warmer areas. Remove any growth that is weak and spindly. Cut back all the other growth by one-third. Trim where necessary to keep the plant in boundaries. After pruning is a good time to apply the first annual fertilizer application. Passion plants are short-lived and will generally only be productive up to three to five years.