Kiwi blossoms but does not bear fruit. Growing kiwi
A small oval fruit, with a brown skin and bright green flesh, is probably familiar to everyone. Kiwi is a tropical liana, on which fruits that are well known to all of us grow in clusters. In nature, kiwi grows in the humid climate of the subtropics. However, it is possible to grow kiwifruit yourself at home or in the open field.
Kiwi - unpretentious plant, and at proper care anyone can try to grow it on their own. You will learn how to grow kiwi fruit yourself from this article.
Useful properties of kiwi
Kiwi contains many minerals and vitamins. Even citrus fruits contain less vitamin C than kiwi. Kiwi also contains unsaturated acids, antioxidants and disaccharides.
Kiwi, thanks to their useful properties, increases resistance to stress and helps to cope with fatigue. In addition, nutritionists advise kiwi to people who want to lose weight. excess weight, therefore, various diets have been developed on its basis.
Kiwi breeding
Growing kiwi at home from seeds is one of the most affordable and popular ways. To do this, you can simply buy a good, fresh fruit in the store and use its seeds.
Below is a brief guide on how to grow kiwi fruit at home.
We process seeds
First you need to remove the seeds from the fruit and rinse them thoroughly under running water from the pulp and juice. Kiwi seeds are small, so when washing, use a bandage or gauze as a strainer, or rinse them well in a container.
Then the seeds need to germinate. Place thoroughly washed seeds in a glass with clean water and put them in a warm place for a week or two until they begin to open. If necessary, you can change the water.
After the seeds open, soak a cloth in water and carefully place them on it. Top with a clear glass or glass jar and place in a warm and well-lit area.
In such a "mini-greenhouse" the seeds will begin to germinate very soon. When mini-roots become visible on them, you can begin to transplant into the soil.
Planting seedlings
At the bottom of the container, place a layer of expanded clay drainage, then fill the soil, slightly moistening it. The soil mixture for kiwi should consist of black soil, sand and peat. Carefully place the seedlings and cover them with a thin layer of earth.
Kiwi is a moisture-loving plant, so you should put the container in a warm place and spray daily. It is also possible to wrap the container with foil to create a greenhouse effect. The film should be removed after the appearance of the first shoots.
When the seedlings grow up (it should reach 10-15 cm and have two leaves), you need to dive into separate pots. Use the same potting mix but with less peat.
How to care for a growing kiwi?
A lot of literature has been written about how to plant kiwi at home, but it is much more important how you will care for it during the growth period. Below are brief guidelines for caring for kiwifruit.
Watering. Moisturize kiwi with a spray bottle. In the spring-summer period, kiwifruit should not be moistened less than three times a week; in winter, watering should be reduced to three times a month.
Top dressing. You need to feed kiwi once a year with biohumus or compost.
Lighting. Kiwi loves heat and light very much, so you should protect the plant from drafts and put it in a sunlit place, best of all on a window overlooking south side. You can make up for the lack of light with the help of lamps.
Planting kiwi in the open field
In order for kiwi to take root and bear fruit, before planting, you need to be interested in how kiwi grows in nature, under what conditions? Below will be given recommendations for caring for a plant in the open field.
Place for landing. Elevation the best place for kiwi, so that there is no proximity to the roots ground water. Heavy soil for kiwi is not suitable, it is worth growing kiwi in acidic soil.
Support. Outwardly, kiwi is very similar to a tree with a wide crown, but still it is a liana, so it needs support. A high fence or gazebo works well, but you can also make a special trellis.
Mulching for kiwi is a must. Fertilizer should be placed under the mulch or applied in liquid form.
Watering. Kiwi is a very moisture-loving plant, so abundant watering, especially during the growth period, is mandatory for it.
Kiwi planting
- Dig a shallow hole with a diameter of 35 cm, pour a layer of crushed stones or expanded clay on the bottom.
- Carefully plant seedlings, cover with earth, but do not tamp. Water.
- Mulch the seedling. Sawdust works well for this.
- Cover the seedling with a large plastic bottle for protection.
- Drive in three or four pegs around the hole, along which the kiwi will trail.
Photo kiwi
Kiwi is a favorite delicacy of many, which can be easily grown right at home! We will tell you about all the intricacies of growing this tropical fruit from seeds, and also share important tips kiwi care.
How to grow kiwi from seeds at home
A photo:This exotic plant originally from China, because it is also called the Chinese gooseberry. The scientific name of kiwi is actinidia chinensis, but a breeder from New Zealand gave the fruit a new name "kiwi" in honor of which resembles this tropical fruit in color and fluffiness!
The plant curls very beautifully, because it belongs to tropical vines, and with proper care, it will give you juicy fruits very soon. 😉
Preparing seeds for planting kiwi
A photo:Luckily, you don't have to bother buying overseas seeds to plant kiwifruit. All you need is to choose a beautiful juicy fruit in the store. Please note that the fruit is ripe enough, but not overripe, greenish fruits are also not suitable. If you still want really tasty and big fruits, you should look for the Jenny variety.
So, having chosen the best of the best, let's get down to the fun part!
- First, cut the kiwi in half, carefully remove the pulp with seeds with a spoon.
- Place it in a gauze cloth and, gently kneading the pulp, thoroughly rinse the seeds from it in running water, otherwise they may later deteriorate in the soil from mold or rot.
You can also knead a little and stir the pulp with seeds in a glass of water. All seeds will float to the surface, and you only need to collect them and wash them from the pulp.
- Next, lay out the clean seeds on a plate and leave them like that until completely dry!
If you have had to germinate grains or seeds before, you know the whole process. Well, if this is your debut, then do this:
- You will need 2 small plates (preferably plastic ones).
- Place damp gauze or cotton wool on the bottom of the plate, and place the prepared seeds on top. (The water should soak the fabric well, but the seeds shouldn't "float" in the water.)
- Now just cover with a second plate and put ours in a warm and sunny place. So the sprouts will hatch faster!
Experts advise to remove the top plate or film at night, and in the morning moisten the gauze again from the spray bottle, leaving it in a warm place. Keep in mind that it is important to protect the sprouts from drafts!
When the first white sprouts appear, this is a sign that it is time to transplant the kiwi into a separate flowerpot.
Kiwi soil and planting
A photo:When choosing a pot for a young plant, remember that a small plant should be planted in a small pot! Otherwise, all forces will go into the root system, taking away the growth of the top and fruits. It is better to gradually grow and transplant it a couple of times a year, and start with plastic cups. So it will be much more convenient for you to transplant the sprout.
- A mixture of black soil, peat, turf and sand is best suited for growing kiwi. Add everything in equal parts.
- At the bottom, do not forget to place a drainage layer of expanded clay or broken bricks.
Place the germinated seed (3-4 pieces) into moist soil to a depth of 5-7 millimeters and lightly sprinkle with soil. Do not tamp down the soil or it will be harder for the seeds to break through!
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When the first green leaves appear (in about a week), it's time to transplant the kiwi into a serious flowerpot. 😉
Care and fertilizer for kiwi
A photo:Kiwi care is simple, but it is important to follow the basic rules.
- So, kiwi does not like sudden changes in temperature, dry soil and drafts.
- In winter, the temperature in the room should not fall below 10 degrees.
- Make sure that the earth is always wet, but do not arrange a swamp in the flowerpot, otherwise the roots will quickly die.
- It is important to place the plant in a warm and sunny place, if this is not possible, be sure to arrange a corner with artificial lighting for it.
- It is best to transplant the kiwi into a larger pot every spring.
- It is best to fertilize kiwi once a season.
The best fertilizers for kiwi:
- Ideally, this is biohumus and compost, for this, simply sprinkle dry fertilizer powder on top and pour water, or dig a small funnel around the kiwi and pour fertilizer there, after a layer of soil and water as usual.
- Also, kiwi is suitable for any mineral and liquid
Growing kiwi. Kiwi varieties. Kiwi planting and care
Is it possible grow exotic kiwi in areas where there is no subtropical climate, for example, in central Russia? The answer is positive. There are varieties of kiwi which are adapted even for areas with severe winters.
Growing kiwi of course, it will require some effort, but if you ensure proper care, then planting kiwi will not be in vain. Because it will delight you with delicious fruits, and also add a little exotic to your site!
Kiwi- the most delicious and wonderful exotic berry. However, kiwi for us is no longer particularly exotic and can be found on the shelves of any vegetable store. It is not surprising, thanks to its excellent taste, he fell in love with ordinary people.
However, some people do not want to be content with imported kiwi and want grow your own kiwi bush being ready for any challenge. If you are the same person, then you decided to read this article for a reason, because today in it we will look at where the kiwi came from, the kiwi varieties, as well as planting and caring for it.
Origin of kiwi
There is a misconception that kiwi can be found in the wild. But this is not so at all. The berry is relatively young, she is only 82 years old and she was bred by selection. And the name was given in honor of the kiwi bird, which is so similar in color and fluffiness to these berries.
This miracle was brought out by Alexander Ellison, who, wanting to grow flowers of the Chinese decorative mihutao liana, decided to increase the amount of color and its beauty.
Mihutao was almost impossible to eat or possible, but only for lovers of something hard and absolutely tasteless.
By cultivating this wild liana, Alexander and several of his colleagues achieved an unexpected result. After 30 years of their hard work, they got not only a beautiful color, but also delicious fluffy berries. large size. Kiwi brought just a huge yield, the vine grew non-stop every day, so the gardeners had to sweat over its constant pruning, but a nice bonus in the form of fruits that could be harvested every other day was worth the diligence.
But gardening friends were in no hurry to share their wealth. They preferred to keep the berries a secret and enjoy the most unusual taste themselves. Until James McLaughlin, being bankrupt and practically a pauper, bought a few bushes from Alexander, who took pity on the state of the man.
Kiwi just broke through the local markets. It was an absolute novelty for the whole world. James, being an intelligent man, immediately began to expand the number of bushes on his site until he planted a whole plantation, while becoming a rich man.
Miracle bushes immediately scattered throughout New Zealand, and became extremely popular with local residents, and soon throughout the world.
Kiwi varieties
Kiwi variety "Hayward"
One of the largest kiwi varieties that will not disappoint you. It requires quite a lot of space, like any other vine. Grows in subtropical conditions. Under proper conditions, it begins to bloom in the third week of May and blooms until its very end or until the end of the first week of June.Requires a pollinator nearby.
Kiwi variety Hayward It has leaves of medium size, which are slightly concave inward and have a dark green color, while on top they are slightly covered with wax, and rougher below.
The fruits are large, up to 150 grams, while oval and slightly flattened on the sides. The peel is fluffy, brown with greenish patches. In subtropical conditions, it ripens by the end of October.
In the first year of fruiting, it can give up to 26 kilograms, in the second up to 67 kilograms, in the third up to 93 kilograms, and so on. Therefore, this variety is extremely popular in all countries and is grown both for sale and for themselves everywhere. At the same time, when the basement is cool, the berries are stored for up to six months.
The fruits are very juicy and tasty, therefore they are used for sale, fresh consumption and for preparing various dishes with the addition of kiwi or as an additive for marinade.
By the way! Kiwi is the best ingredient for pickling meat, because it softens it and makes it softer. But kiwi should not be added a day before cooking, otherwise it will simply corrode all the meat and turn it into a shapeless piece, add kiwi 2-3 hours before cooking.
Kiwi variety "Bruno"
This variety is in second place, because it differs from its predecessor in lower yields.
Kiwi variety Bruno This variety also grows in subtropical climates, but has a more moderate growth. The leaves are oblong, pointed towards the end and slightly concave towards the middle. They have a dark green color. Not capable of self-pollination.
It blooms by the third week of May and stops blooming after 9-13 days. The fruits are slightly smaller up to 70 grams alone, while they have an oval elongated shape. The color of the peel is brownish, the peel is also covered with short hairs, which gives the berry fluffiness. Productivity in the third year up to 60 kilograms per bush. Kiwi can be stored in the basement for up to 4 months. At the same time, it has high level transportability, does not wrinkle and does not lose its presentation on the road.
Kiwi variety "Monty"
Kiwi variety Monti Unlike its predecessors, this variety is much smaller and therefore rarely used for sales. Basically, it is grown either for themselves or for some technical purposes. Its leaves are large, somewhat similar to the leaves of the Bruno variety.
The variety is vigorous and requires constant pruning, otherwise it will be extremely difficult to control its size. Cannot self-pollinate, requires a pollinator variety.
As mentioned earlier, Monty's fruits are much smaller than in previous varieties. The mass of one fruit rarely exceeds 30 grams. But at the same time, the color appears already in the second week of May and lasts only two weeks.
Kiwi variety "Abbot"
Kiwi variety Abbott This variety is slightly better than Monty, but requires some special care.
It should not have too many fruits, otherwise they will grow smaller and sour, so the load will have to be adjusted independently.
At the same time, this kiwi is very fond of moisture, both in the air and in the soil. Also, it will not be possible to forget about pruning, because the variety is fast-growing and will have to be cut often. Not capable of self-pollination.
The fruits are medium, weighing up to 70 grams alone. It has a shape similar to a pear. It does not lie long, only 2-3 months in a basement. But the taste still compensates for all the inconvenience.
Kiwi variety "Allison"
Such a variety requires a pollinator variety nearby. At the same time, it is a fairly fruitful fruit, but it is also soon tall, therefore it requires frequent pruning to control its size.
The fruit is bell-shaped and dark brown in color, covered with small short hairs, giving it a fluffy appearance. The yield for 9 years is up to 72 kilograms, while one fruit weighs up to 45 grams on average.
Kiwi variety "Matua" (male)
Kiwi variety Matua It does not give fruits, but their presence provides. After all, it belongs to the male varieties-pollinators.
It has small inflorescences, up to 7 flowers in one. It blooms for about two weeks, which is extremely beneficial, because it manages to fertilize varieties that bloom earlier or later.
After flowering, it leaves behind a pedicel, so it will be difficult to confuse it with other varieties when you cut the kiwi.
Kiwi variety "Tomuri" (male)
Kiwi variety Tomuri It is also a pollinator variety. Larger and profusely blooming.
With proper placement, one such bush is able to fertilize up to 6 kiwi bushes, which is an extremely profitable option. Therefore, it is often used for growing kiwi on plantations. But it is often used in home gardening, if there is a place, but if desired, it can be simply cut off with high quality.
It is used more often than his brother Matua precisely because of its profitability. The main advantage is to place this variety, among the rest, or cut it so that it grows along a certain necessary trajectory.
Kiwi planting
Miracle botanists have long created kiwi varieties that are resistant to our hard frosts. You just need to purchase the necessary tree. And when you finally did it, you can start landing! Planting takes place in summer and spring, and for small bushes up to three years old, it can be done in the fall, but only if you are completely sure that there will be no frost at night.
The main thing is, of course, to choose a place for kiwi. Bush loves clay soils, and that groundwater does not pass too close to the roots. You should also take care of the support in advance. Still, kiwi is a vine-bush and it will need to be wrapped around something. This something can be anything from a fence to a fence, the most important thing is that this support can withstand the weight of the fruit, which can reach 100 kilograms.
The depth of the hole in which you will plant the kiwi should be up to 40 centimeters, and the width up to 30 centimeters. A drainage layer is laid out at the bottom of the hole, which can be chosen at your discretion, from ordinary stones to rubble, the main thing is to ensure that there is no standing water. After that, a seedling is placed in the hole, which is covered with earth, but in no case is it compacted. After that, the plant is well watered and mulched with sawdust. For a while, until the kiwi gets stronger, it is worth providing him with diffused light so as not to bring the bush into even more stress. The distance between several kiwis must be at least 2 meters.
Kiwi Care
Since the plant is subtropical, then it should receive proper care! It is worth ensuring that the kiwi fruit is properly watered so that the soil does not have time to dry out too much, but it is important to prevent standing water. In the second year after planting, the bush is fed with universal top dressing. It is very important that it does not contain chlorine.
Some varieties do not have time to ripen before frost, because they ripen already lying in the house, warm.
The main thing is to have time to collect the fruits before frost and to have time to provide the kiwi with proper protection from frost. Young plants are covered with spruce branches or covering material, or covered with fallen leaves, straw, or, in extreme cases, sawdust. The lashes of an adult creeper are removed from the support and laid on the ground, they can also be covered with spruce branches or wrapped with covering material. It is undesirable to use a plastic film, since a greenhouse effect will be created and heating is possible without air access.
Also try to fence off the bush from animals, especially from felines, who also do not mind eating kiwi, or rather its leaves. Some gardeners, because of these robbers, found only an open hole in the place of only a planted kiwi.
And so, today we met with such a wonderful plant as kiwi! Grow exotic fruit in our modern world not so difficult, and botanists have long bred frost-resistant varieties that will survive in -30 ° C. The main thing is desire.
Grow kiwi for your pleasure!
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Instruction
There are two growing options: from a kiwi fruit seed bought in a store, or from a nursery bought. The first method will allow you to get a plant, but you are unlikely to get fruits from it. This is due to the fact that kiwi is tropical, which is dioecious. That is, she has male and female plants. It is very difficult to distinguish the sex of a creeper by flowers. Here you need to be experienced botanists. But it may happen that you are lucky, and heterosexual plants will grow from those that sprout. It's better to buy cuttings cultivated plants grown in your climate. They are guaranteed to bloom and bear fruit.
Let's start with seeds. Shop for the ripest, tastiest kiwi fruits in the store. They should be even, soft, without flaws, in a word, the best representatives of their variety. Remove the seeds, and eat the pulp so that it does not disappear. Now they need to be washed and dried by laying them on a layer of toilet paper. Then prepare sterilized sand (unlike soil, it can be boiled), mix with seeds and refrigerate in the chilled meat area for a couple of weeks to stratify the seeds.
After two weeks, the seeds with sand should be shed with a pink solution of potassium permanganate and mixed with sterile soil. Sterility will avoid the defeat of young shoots by mold fungi. You can take the soil ready, intended for tropical vines (passiflora) and hold it in a water bath for 2 hours. After that, take a container with holes in the bottom, put a small 4-5 cm layer of earth and sow kiwi seeds. Sprinkle them with earth and put them on the window in a warm place.
Kiwi seeds sprout quickly and very amicably. Now the main thing is not to let the earth dry out. Moisten the seeds through the tray.
When the plants reach 10-12 cm, it will be time to transplant them into separate containers, otherwise they will slow down in development. Since the roots of kiwi are located in the upper layer of the earth, it is better to choose wide, shallow pots. In the summer, take them out to the balcony, or rather, take them to the dacha, let them gain strength. These fruit vines do not really like the bright sun, so put them in partial shade.
If your geographical area has a warm climate, then creepers can be planted in open ground. Kiwi seedlings form a trunk and crown, like grapes. First, a stem 60 cm long is left, and a crown of 4-5 skeletal branches is formed from it, on which fresh shoots will constantly grow. It will have to be harvested throughout the growing season. Kiwis are very fond of watering and spraying. They do not get sick with anything, therefore, they do not need to be sprayed with various solutions. However, they are demanding on fertilizers. For season 1, an adult plant "eats" 100-120 kg of rotted manure. But it will delight you with delicious fruits. Do not forget that kiwis are dioecious, so plant one male for 5-6 female plants. If you have grown a lot of male plants, then you can graft buds from female ones on them, they will grow and begin to bear fruit.
Whichever way you choose, any experience will be useful to you. Who knows, maybe starting with kiwi, you will plant a real tropical garden at home or in the country?