Hi all,

I'm trying to grow maypop for the first time (in NC, zone 7b), and I have two questions...

First, I'm not sure whether to try to grow from seed or cuttings. I went to some garden shops last spring and found quite a few selling Passiflora caerulea seeds, but no Passiflora incarnata. I found seeds for sale on amazon.com but I understand they can be difficult to germinate. I got one cutting kind of randomly from someone I met last year, but I'd like to plant several. If you're growing maypop, where did you get it, and if you grew from seed, did you have trouble germinating them?

Second, I am trying to keep my one plant alive and I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing. We kept it in a pot indoors all summer and winter (it was a very small cutting, and we weren't sure where we would put it outside - now we have a site). It did fine in the pot - grew slower than I expected, but put on 15 or 20 leaves and sent out tendrils to climb on the dowels we put into the pot. I transplanted it about 10 days ago to our outside spot. Now one stem is dying, and I'm concerned the rest of the plant may be headed that way. My guess it is a combination of transplant shock and increased transpiration (in part because it's been quite windy). I've mulched it and I am now watering regularly. But I am still not sure whether to tie it to the dowels or trellis, or let it lie closer to the ground (which will decrease the wind exposure, but in the long run I'd like it to start climbing again).

Thanks for any suggestions!

Rob