How to grow kiwi in the garden, take care of it and harvest it: the complete guide

How to grow kiwi in the garden, take care of it and harvest it: the co

Kiwi is a fruit tree (Actinidia chinensis) rich in vitamins C and E, very sweet. Growing kiwifruit is very easy., Especially as long as you have space to plant a male and a female plant ... In this article we will explain everything about kiwifruit cultivation.

Index

1. General information

2. Where does kiwi come from

3. The kiwi plant: male and female

4. How is kiwi grown

5. How much to plant Kiwi from seed

6. How to plant kiwifruit - step by step

7. How to plant kiwifruit by cuttings

8. Grow the dwarf Kiwi in pots

9. When the kiwi blooms

10. Care of the kiwi

11. When and how to prune the Kiwi

12. When to harvest kiwis

13. Things to consider when growing kiwifruit

14. Possible pests and diseases of the Kiwi

 

1. General information

Kiwifruit is one of the fruits with the highest levels of vitamin C and E, it also provides other nutrients such as lutein and minerals such as copper, phosphate and magnesium. The fruit of the Kiwi plant also has anti-inflammatory, soothing and digestive properties. For its part, its delicious flavor has made this berry one of the essential elements in culinary recipes around the world, appearing in desserts such as ice cream and even fruit salads. Would you like to have all the benefits of a kiwi plant in your home but don't know how to plant it? Don't worry, in this guide we will teach you how to plant kiwifruit and everything related to their care, flowering times and more.

2. Where does kiwi come from?

Contrary to what its vulgar name suggests, the kiwi is native to southeastern China (hence its Latin name Actinidia chinensis). In their natural state, the fruits are quite small, weighing about twenty grams. It is in New Zealand that the first cultivated fruits appeared at the beginning of the 20th century, and only in the 1940s did large-scale production begin. The New Zealanders called it "kiwi". (registered trademark since 1974), because its skin resembles that of the bird, the emblem of the country. New Zealand continues to be the first world producer, but other countries have successfully started fruit growing: Italy, Chile, United States, Spain, etc.

3. The kiwi plant: male and female

The kiwi plant is a deciduous and semi-woody shrub climbing species, native to China and widespread all over the world thanks to its delicious fruits. The kiwi plant can reach up to 9m in length. Its leaves are oval petiolate and curved from the base, dark green in color with light green veins. This plant, in modern crops, is usually monoecious or hermaphroditic, that is, it has female and male organs in the same flower, so some species are self-fertile plants. Of course, there are also kiwi plants that are dioecious, that is unisexual and that need each other to reproduce through the pollen that the male plant's flower expels and which fertilizes the female plant's flower, consequently giving fruit development. The flowers of kiwi trees are generally fragrant and appear singly or in groups of up to 3. The flowers of kiwi plants, female and male, have 5-6 yellowish-white petals. The only way to tell a female kiwi plant from a male is through the flowers. The flowering of the female kiwi plant is characterized by white pistils surrounded by yellow pistils, inside the flower. The male kiwi flower is distinguished by having only yellow pistils at the tip that protrude from the petals.

Why is it necessary to plant two kiwi plants?

Kiwi, when not self-fertile, is a dioecious species, that is, the male and female flowers grow on different plants. Therefore, you have to buy or take a male and a female to make sure you get fruit. However, there are now new self-fertile varieties such as "Jenny" or "Solo" which produce many but smaller fruit.

4. How is kiwi grown?

You can plant it, outside of the frost period, of course, ideally in late winter or early spring. Choose a sunny spot, sheltered from cold winds. Keep in mind that it does not like calcareous soils and that in the summer it will have to be kept cool on the feet (water and mulch will be provided). The kiwi resists up to -15 ° C, but the buds freeze at -4 ° / -5 ° C. Place it in a hole slightly larger than the sod you purchased. Ideally, prepare the hole a few weeks before planting. Mix a special fruit fertilizer into the turned soil in your homemade compost. Fill the hole. If you plant more than one tree, remember to space them three to five meters apart. Kiwis are often planted along a wall, so a trellis should be installed so that the twigs can easily crawl along it. If you install it on a pergola, the pergola must be strong enough to support the heavy weight of branches and fruit. You can grow kiwifruit in the pot even if it's not their favorite place ... Plan for a very large pot and less vigorous varieties like 'Bruno' or 'Solo', or a dwarf variety.

5. How much to plant Kiwi from seed

We recommend the cultivation of kiwi only in urban gardens because in other ways such as terraces or balconies it will give us numerous complications: we must have a minimum of two plants (male and female) for correct pollination, it is a large climber and will require special support, etc. For the cultivation of kiwifruit in urban field orchards, it is necessary to take into account the need to install a structure that allows to educate the plant in a similar way to how we would do it with the vine. Furthermore, it is highly advisable to have a monofilament cover on the structure to create a microclimate that helps it to vegetate much better. This type of cultivation, with a raised structure and a large part of the suspended plant, will occupy a large area, so it is necessary to evaluate the interest or otherwise of its cultivation based on a productive relationship with many other vegetables and fruit trees that require less space . It also needs high ambient humidity, so we will desist from its cultivation if we are in very dry and hot areas. Even those usually exposed to frost, especially between the dates from mid-November to mid-April. Kiwifruit also requires water availability, especially in summer.

6. How to plant kiwifruit - step by step

To plant kiwifruit, you need to take specific details and advice into account, so that you can get a healthy crop that meets your needs. For this reason, we present you a simple step by step guide to planting kiwifruit below:

  • Choose the right seeds by removing them from the fruit or by purchasing them at a local nursery or specialty store. Keep in mind that if you don't know if the seeds you will plant will be male or female, then you run the risk that all plants will grow of one gender and therefore there will be neither fertilization nor harvest. For this reason, we recommend that you purchase the seeds and so you will know exactly that you will grow both male and female plants. There is also the possibility of planting hermaphrodite kiwifruit. They all have the same planting process.
  • Germinate the kiwi seeds using the stratification method to wake them from dormancy, or using a small seedbed, whose cells must always be kept moist but without stagnation. Layering technique: take some paper towels and make several layers with it. So, wet it completely, but be careful not to make it too weak to break. Separate the layers of paper and place the kiwi seeds inside them. Next, proceed to cover the seeds with the layers of damp paper.
  • Put the paper with the seeds in a bowl and cover it.
  • Bring the seeds to the refrigerator at around 3ºC or 4ºC and leave them there for 5 weeks. Remember that, every 3 days, you need to take out the bowl with the seeds and leave it out of the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Also, at that moment, uncover the bowl and remove one of the layers covering the seeds to aerate them.
  • After 5 weeks you will notice that some seeds have already germinated their first roots. These will be ready for planting.
  • Having already germinated the seeds, proceed to prepare the soil for its last planting. Prepare the substrate for the seed beds or 50% peat and 40% organic compost and earthworm humus with cow manure, also add 10% sand to improve drainage. For a ready-to-use and fertilized substrate, rich in peat and organic substances, we recommend the soil of the Gold Label Special Mix.
  • Drill holes approximately 4mm deep in the prepared substrate. Place one seed per hole and cover it with a very thin layer of substrate of maximum 2 mm.
  • Water generously in the form of dew so that the seeds are not exposed to water. Be sure to moisten all the soil, but without standing water. It's done!

7. How to plant kiwifruit by cuttings

Another way to plant these fruits is through cuttings, and for this it is necessary to use supports for kiwifruit. These can be made of wood or metal, the latter recommended for its long life. Now, to know how to plant kiwifruit by cutting, follow these steps:

  • Cut the cuttings you want to plant in late winter. You should make a 10 to 15cm long cut and have leaves. The cut must be completely straight and must not have any gems.
  • Scrape a length of about 2.5 cm of bark from the rootstock or base plant into which to graft the kiwi cutting. For kiwi cuttings the rootstock can also be a rooting hormone.
  • Insert the exposed portion of the cutting into the rootstock or rooting hormone, making sure that the exposed bark of the cutting is fully in contact with the rootstock or hormone.
  • Spray the base of each cut with cold water using a nebulizer, pressing on the rooting hormone.
  • You need to make sure that the cuttings are at a constant temperature between 20 ºC and 24 ºC. For this you can use a heating mat for plants.
  • Every day you need to spray the cuttings at the base of the kiwi cutting with a nebulizer.
  • After about 50 days the roots of the cuttings should have sprouted.
  • Once the cut begins to grow, you need to make sure you have the right kiwi mounts, as the species is a climber and will need guidance to develop and bear fruit in the future. For this it is necessary to build the kiwi supports with resistant and durable materials, as the plant will undergo several processes before giving its first harvest.

8. Grow the dwarf Kiwi in pots

The dwarf kiwi (kiwiño or baby kiwi) is a smaller fruit than the conventional kiwi (eaten in a bite), two to three centimeters long weighing between 8 and 15 grams, with a soft and tender skin, it is pulpy, sweet and its seeds are barely perceived. It is a very delicate and promising alternative crop, which requires several years more for the development of the stem than the classic kiwi and an excess of production in the first phase can compromise its structure. The cultivation and sowing procedure is the same as planting in the garden, but being a small plant, it can be planted in pots.

9. When the kiwi blooms

The first flowering of a kiwi plant occurs after the first 3 years of life and always in spring, although, depending on the region and the climate, they can also bloom in late August or early September. On the other hand, once the flowers have been pollinated and fertilized, they take about 5 months to develop and ripen their fruits. Another interesting fact is that kiwi fruits develop after 6 years of the plant's life.

10. Care of the kiwi

The kiwi plant needs special care so that, from germination to maturity, it can develop healthy and without problems. Therefore, we give you a guide of tips for keeping your kiwifruit crops healthy and fruitful:

The first care you need to take for your kiwi plant to grow effortlessly is in the climate, as this plant prefers temperate climates. Furthermore, if the area where it grows is exposed to gusts of wind, it will be difficult for the plant to bear fruit because the insects will not be able to pollinate it.

  • The soil where you will grow your kiwi plants should be slightly acidic and only add fertilizers during the spring period and in low portions.
  • The kiwi plant requires a lot of indirect sunlight. So you should plant it in a semi-shaded place for most of the day.
  • As for irrigation, it needs constant humidity. To do this, be sure to water it daily with a nebulizer only with the intention of moistening the soil, never flooding it.
  • It also needs pruning so that the new branches grow strong. To do this, you will remove any leaves that are wilted or dry. Pruning is usually done in the winter.
  • Kiwifruit requires little maintenance, just water it regularly. In very hot periods, water it once or twice a week, always in the afternoon or early morning, when the sun does not shine directly on it. Once established, grown and rooted, the plant stands up for itself and requires less water.
  • At the end of winter it is good to enrich the soil, put organic compost such as Biobizz Premix or well decomposed manure at the foot of the plant. Mulch your feet for the first three winters.

11. When and how to prune the Kiwi

Actinidia or Kiwi is a very vigorous fruiting vine. Therefore, it must be pruned to limit its volatility and yield fruit. During the year, two periods are favorable for pruning. Winter pruning, which will be done every year after, is mandatory to ensure good fruiting. The branches of the woodpecker (trunk forks) must be shortened to two eyes, every 30-40 cm. Keep 4 or 5 woodpecker branches, remove older ones (over 5 years old) on the stump. Also cut secondary branches above the 4th or 5th bud. Summer pruning (or green pruning), is useful for having more beautiful fruits. Cut 4 leaves on top of the fruit clusters. Remove the greedy ones from the base unless they are needed to replace a main branch. For pruning always use a suitable and sterilized tool, so as not to create trauma to the plant that could slow down growth.

12. When to harvest kiwis

For a first "real" harvest it takes three years. But once established, it cannot be stopped, kiwifruit can produce 40 to 50 pounds of fruit on a single plant! Harvesting should take place in the fall, depending on the climate in your region.

13. Things to consider when growing kiwifruit

First of all, you need to provide solid support for the kiwi trellis - a taut wall with sturdy cables, trellis, arbor or fence will do the trick. This climbing plant will in fact reach 6m in height and 4m in wingspan and will need to be pruned to contain its development. Also, take into account the characteristics of the varieties. Some varieties are self-fertile (male and female flowers on the same plant) and can self-pollinate. However, most varieties have male flowers (like Atlas) or female flowers (like Hayward) and require the presence of a plant of the opposite sex to allow for pollination. A male plant can pollinate about 5 or 6 female plants. Only female plants produce fruit. Finally, choose a sunny place protected from strong winds, with non-calcareous soil and without stagnant humidity.

14. Possible pests and diseases

Not very sensitive to insects and parasites, the kiwi can however fall victim to red spiders in a hot and dry environment. To eliminate them, sprinkle water on the foliage and soil regularly. For mite infestations we recommend Agrobacterias Spider Killer, also suitable for organic farming.

 

 

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