THE EDIBLE PASSION FRUIT IN HAWAII \) 
TILLAGE 
The passion fruit field should be kept clean and free of weeds at 
all times. This is done mainly with the cultivator and harrow. 
Shallow cultivation is necessary in order to avoid injury to the root. 
The disk cultivator and disk harrow are best for this purpose. Deep 
plowing is not advisable except in the preparation of the land in 
the beginning and before resetting the field with new plants. The 
shallow cultivation also keeps the surface open for aeration and in 
a condition to retain the greatest amount of rainfall with the aid 
of the mulch turned under by the deep plowing at the time of the 
preparation of the field for planting. 
Short-period crops of garden vegetables can be grown in the 
middle portion of the spaces between rows during the first year. 
FERTILIZERS 
The passion fruit species, which are heavy bearers, are naturally 
heavy feeders. The well-prepared field may be sufficiently rich in 
plant food for the first year or two but if the soil is very poor it 
should be fertilized before planting. 
In the passion fruit experiments barnyard manure was applied 
previous to setting the plants, and this was followed by two appli- 
cations of a complete fertilizer prepared especially for fruit-produc- 
ing plants. This fertilizer contained 5 percent of nitrogen. 6 of 
phosphorus, and 3 of potash, with some calcium in the compounds 
carrying the 2 latter elements. The first application was 1 pound 
per plant, and the second, applied about 4 months later. 2 pounds 
per plant. These amounts should be increased considerably in the 
second, third, and fourth years, when heavy crops are expected . 
Reports giving recommendations in reference to use of fertilizers 
for the passion fruit in Australia (-i, p. 673) and several other 
countries indicate the use of a complete fertilizer similar to that 
used in the Hawaiian experiments. 
PRUNING 
Where the tops of the vines become too dense, portions may be 
pruned out at certain seasons. This is best done when the plants are 
beginning vigorous growth. Pruning during periods of dormancy 
has proved unsatisfactory, particularly if considerable portions of 
the vines are removed. In pruning, all dead leaves and branches 
should be removed, as well as interfering branches, which would 
tend to produce an unfruitful condition. Clipping excessively long 
branches tends to force a number of short-fruiting laterals on the 
remaining portions. Barnes (-i, p. 672) states that pruning is prac- 
ticed in Australia to bring in the crop at different periods of the 
year when better prices may be realized. 
INSECT ENEMIES AND PLANT DISEASES 
Insect enemies and plant diseases of the edible passion fruit plant- 
are not numerous. In Hawaii there is as yet only one serious enemy, 
the Mediterranean fruit fly. It has attacked the fruit of Passiflora 
edtdis in some localities at certain seasons, while in others the fruit 
matures without blemish. The fruit fly punctures are made before 
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