When to Plant Passionfruit in Melbourne, Cool Temperate Guide
Also called passion fruit.
What this month normally looks like in Cool Temperate
In October the Cool Temperate zone normally runs 19°C by day and 8°C overnight, with about 67 mm of rain over 9 or 10 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -3.0°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 28 postcodes, SILO.
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This Passionfruit guide is written for the Cool Temperate zone, which takes in Melbourne, Hobart and Geelong. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Canberra Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Oct to Nov
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Soil pH
- 5.5–6.5
Vigorous climbing vine that produces abundantly in warm climates. Purple passionfruit (Nellie Kelly, Pandora, Sweetheart) is the standard Australian backyard variety.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Best Planting Window for Cool Temperate
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar -
- Apr -
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep -
- Oct P
- Nov P
- Dec -
P = Planting window
Grafted black passionfruit such as Nellie Kelly crops well on a warm, sunny north wall. Plant in spring after frost; in frosty inland districts and Tasmania it needs a sheltered spot.
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How to Grow Passionfruit in Cool Temperate Australia
- Soil
- Well-drained, fertile, slightly acidic. Rich in organic matter. Avoid heavy clay.
- Salt
- Sensitive. Struggles with salty bore water or salty soil. Give it rainwater if you can.
- pH Range
- 5.5-6.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun on foliage. Roots prefer cool, shaded, mulched soil.
- Good companions
- Nasturtium (ground cover), Marigold
- Keep away from
- Tree roots (competition), Shady positions
Cool Temperate Growing Tips for Passionfruit
Recommended Varieties
- Nellie Kelly (grafted on cold-hardy rootstock)
Key Challenges
- Frost kills unprotected vines
- Short growing season
- Lower yield
Pro Tips
- Marginal to good in Melbourne with Nellie Kelly on P. caerulea rootstock.
- North-facing brick wall with overhead eaves is ideal.
- Vine may die to ground in cold winters but reshoot from grafted rootstock in spring.
Pests and problems for Passionfruit in Cool Temperate
Harvesting Passionfruit
When ready: Fruit turns purple (or yellow for Panama types) and drops from vine. Wrinkled skin indicates peak sweetness. Collect fallen fruit daily.
How to harvest: Pick up fallen fruit or twist ripe fruit from vine. Wrinkled fruit is sweeter than smooth.
Storing and preserving passionfruit
How to keep it
- Pulp freezing. Scoop pulp and seeds into ice cube trays or containers. Freeze. Keeps: 12 months.
- Passionfruit curd. Strain seeds from pulp. Combine juice with butter, sugar, eggs over double boiler. Stir until thick. Keeps: 4 weeks refrigerated.
- Jam. Combine pulp (seeds optional) with sugar and lemon juice. Boil to setting point. Keeps: 12 months.
- Syrup. Simmer pulp with sugar, strain, bottle. Keeps: 3 months refrigerated.
What passionfruit costs in the shops right now, retailer by retailer, updated daily.
What members get
- Soil and weather from your nearest station
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- Price history and price alerts
- Pest risk alerts for your area
- Full salt and canning detail
Common Questions About Passionfruit
When do you plant passionfruit in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Sep to Dec
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Sep to Nov
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Sep to Nov
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Oct to Nov
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Nov to Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Sep to Nov
- Mediterranean (Perth): Sep to Dec
What else is passionfruit called?
Passionfruit is the usual Australian name. Overseas seed packets and recipes call it passion fruit. Same plant, same growing advice.
When should I plant Passionfruit in Melbourne?
Grafted black passionfruit such as Nellie Kelly crops well on a warm, sunny north wall. Plant in spring after frost; in frosty inland districts and Tasmania it needs a sheltered spot.
How do I know when Passionfruit are ready to harvest?
Fruit turns purple (or yellow for Panama types) and drops from vine. Wrinkled skin indicates peak sweetness. Collect fallen fruit daily.
What are the best Passionfruit varieties for Melbourne?
Recommended varieties for the Cool Temperate zone include: Nellie Kelly (grafted on cold-hardy rootstock).
What grows well with Passionfruit?
Good companion plants for Passionfruit include: Nasturtium, Marigold.
Are passionfruit salt tolerant?
No. Passionfruit are salt-sensitive, one of the more sensitive veggies. Use rainwater if your bore water is salty, or grow them in a raised bed of fresh mix if your soil is.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box near the top of the page and it tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Cool Temperate zone, Melbourne is its reference city.