"Do you want me to get you a star from the sky?" “No, honey, I'll grow it myself. Wash, better, the dishes. Yes, such a dialogue may well take place if she is in love not only with a sweetheart, but also with a magnificent, depending on the climate, indoor or garden plant - passionflower. “Why a star?” - you ask. Because passionflower is called the “cavalier star” for the shape of its flower. There are over four hundred wild and hybrid species of this plant, but they all have one thing in common - an amazing star-like flower that varies in color and size. The flowering of passionflower is truly a reward for efforts, because, having seen its flower once, it is already impossible to forget it. The magnificent passionflower liana, growing from the seed of which is not difficult, grows in different parts of the globe. But it grows only in the tropics or subtropics. Only a few dozen types of passionflowers are used in indoor floriculture.
Well, how to grow a "star"
A round or oval fruit in place of a flower is left behind by pollinated passionflower after flowering. The seeds in it ripengradually. Before planting, they must be soaked so that they swell and germinate faster. Soil for vegetative propagation should not be taken too greasy. It should consist of at least a third of the loam and twenty percent of the sand. For the remaining half, you can use purchased peat-based soil.
Tropical plant Passiflora requires growing at a fairly high temperature - from 20ºС to 25ºС. Seeds do not need to be buried too much in the ground, a sufficient depth is 2-4 cm. The soil should not be allowed to dry out, so it is necessary to cover the container with the rudiments of the future "star" with polyethylene or glass. The greenhouse needs to be ventilated about once a week. As much as one would like to see a plant like passionflower bloom, growing from seed can take quite a long time. Up to 12 months, the seeds can "sit" in the ground without moving. When the sprouts have hatched, you need to watch them.
If the germ layers have not opened within 2 days, they must be opened so that they do not stick together. Covering material can be removed when the sprouts reach a centimeter. But it is necessary to accustom newborn "stars" to the "harsh reality" gradually. First open them for 2-3 hours, then for half a day. If everything is fine, and the kids feel good, you can remove the covering material completely. The picking of seedlings must be carried out in the phase of the appearance of the first pair of adult leaves. The sprouts should not be buried too deep, but the roots should not be left open either.
ForFor a plant like Passiflora, growing from seed is a very long process when it comes to flowering. In order for the liana to bloom, it must first “grow up”. Plants grown from seeds bloom for 3-5 years. Moreover, they immediately need a decent volume of the pot so that the plant gains strength and does not drink all the moisture in the ground too quickly. Overdrying an earthen clod can lead to a delay in the development of the root system and, accordingly, to a removal in time of the flowering period.
The optimal volume of the pot for passionflower is up to 2 liters. In a larger volume, the "star" will not bloom until the roots occupy the entire volume of the pot. And this may not happen soon.
For lovers of the Passiflora plant, cultivation from seed can only be recommended for commercial propagation purposes. A more reliable method of reproduction, which guarantees the early appearance of flowers, is the rooting of a stem segment. It is better if it is the top, but the middle segment with two pairs of leaves can also be rooted in water. The "star" obtained in this way will bloom in two years.
