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Why is my passionfruit turning yellow like it's rotting? 4th year passionfruit, never had an issue with fruiting before. I fertilise every 6/8 weeks with yates thrive citrus and fruit.
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @daniellem. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about passionfruit care.
When passionfruit start turning yellow and looking like they are rotting on the vine, the most common cause is fungal disease, particularly in warm, humid conditions or after periods of inconsistent watering or heavy rain. Diseases like brown spot or fruit rot can cause yellowing, soft patches, and eventual collapse of the fruit before it ripens properly. Even well-established vines can be affected, especially if airflow around the plant has reduced over time as it has thickened up.
Another possibility is stress related to water uptake. If the vine has experienced sudden changes, such as very dry conditions followed by heavy watering or rain, the fruit can deteriorate before ripening. Nutrient imbalance can also contribute, particularly potassium deficiency, which affects fruit development and quality. While Yates Thrive Citrus and Fruit is a good general fertiliser, passionfruit are heavy feeders, and fruiting vines often benefit from an extra boost of potassium during flowering and fruit set. I do note as well that Yates Thrive is to be applied every 1 - 2 weeks during fruiting, so 6 - 8 weeks might be inadequate.
I’d suggest removing and disposing of any affected fruit to help reduce the spread of disease, improving airflow by lightly pruning congested growth, and making sure watering is deep and consistent rather than frequent and shallow. Applying a copper-based fungicide can help if fungal disease is the culprit, especially during humid weather. With a bit of adjustment and care, there’s a very good chance your vine will recover and return to producing healthy fruit.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
