Actinidia is winter- and frost-resistant. Actinidia is photophilous (it grows in the shade, but does not bear fruit). Actinidia is a dioecious plant (plants are planted in pairs to obtain a crop). Actinidia grows on any soil, not picky about its composition. Actinidia is moisture-loving (the root system is located at the depth of the arable layer, therefore it is afraid of drying out). Actinidia is a liana-like shrub, therefore it requires support.
Actinidia is a perennial climbing liana-like shrub of several species (the most common are actinidia arguta and actinidia kolomikta).
Actinidia is a wonderful decoration for gazebos, hedges, arches. The shoots do not have aerial roots, the creepers are completely harmless to buildings, so they can be planted near the house and let them curl along the walls.
The first harvest of actinidia gives 3–4 years after planting, the maximum yields are obtained with actinidia aged from 7 to 50 years.
Actinidia has a climbing stem that climbs up trees and wraps around them. Actinidia leaves are leathery, finely serrated along the edges.
Actinidia is a dioecious plant, but there are specimens with bisexual flowers. As a dioecious plant, it requires the replanting of separate male specimens. Before flowering, it is impossible to determine the sex of actinidia by external signs.
actinidia color
Actinidia flowers are white, rarely golden yellow or reddish. The fruit is a berry with small seeds.
All types of actinidia are beautiful ornamental plants that have the qualities of a good fruit plant, producing annually sweet-sour, tender and fragrant fruits.
The disadvantages of actinidia are non-simultaneous ripening of berries, their easy shedding and poor transportability.
The fruits of actinidia in raw and processed form are nutritious, excellent taste and aroma, contain a large amount of vitamin C (more than in blackcurrant and lemon).
From the fruits of actinidia, a good jam is obtained, they are dried and frozen.
The root system of actinidia is tender and vulnerable, it dries up very quickly in the open air (when dried roots are planted, actinidia is sick for a long time and does not take root well). The root system of actinidia is located at the depth of the arable layer, so deep tillage should not be done.
Young actinidia seedlings for the first few years after planting should be protected from animals (including cats, dogs) so that they do not eat the shoots (they are attracted to the smell). For protection, young plants are fenced with a metal mesh.
Choosing a place for planting actinidia.
Since actinidia is a good ornamental plant, it is used in decorative gardening of houses, terraces, estates.
These plants are shade-tolerant, but they can bear fruit well only with sufficient illumination. In strong shade, actinidia sheds leaves; young shoots begin to form not from below, but higher (where there is more sun), so the vine is exposed from below.
It is preferable to place creepers against a wall facing east or west, in partial shade or where direct sunlight falls for at least half a day.
Actinidia, planted on the north side of the building, come into fruition later - when they reach a height with their shoots, where nothing blocks the sunlight for them.
When growing actinidia south of the building or in an open area, the plants do not get sunburned leaves, shoots or fruits. However, with this placement, it is important to prevent overheating of the topsoil with the root system. This is quite achievable by timely mulching of the soil and watering, regular spraying of foliage in the morning and evening hours.
Actinidia is unpretentious to the composition of the soil, but develops well and grows on cultivated, fertilized and moist loamy and sandy soils.
Actinidia planting time.
The best planting time is spring or early summer. But you can plant in the fall, 2-3 weeks before the onset of the first frost.
seedling requirements.
two-year-old actinidia seedling
When buying a seedling, they pay attention not to the height of the shoots, but to the quality of the root system, which must be powerful and healthy (should have 2-3 main branches at least 25-30 cm long). The roots should be fresh and moist, if the roots are dry and weathered, then the seedling can take root, but will grow slowly. 
The bark on the trunk and on the branches of the seedling should not be wrinkled (otherwise the seedling was dug out a long time ago and had time to dry). By pinching off a small piece of bark, you can find out whether the seedling is alive (if the green bottom is exposed, then the seedling is alive, if it is brown, then it is dead).
When buying a seedling in the fall, the existing leaves on the branches are carefully removed without damaging the buds on the axils of the leaves.
During transportation, the roots of the purchased seedling are wrapped in a damp cloth, put in a plastic bag.
If it is found that the seedlings are very dry, they are lowered into the water for 2-3 days (no more).
If it is not possible to immediately plant the purchased seedling, then it is added dropwise in a shaded place in the country. Dig a shallow elongated hole with a slope to the south. The seedling is placed obliquely in the hole. They fall asleep so that both the roots and half the length of the shoots are underground. Abundantly watered. In this form, seedlings can be stored for 3-4 weeks without compromising quality.
Preparing actinidia seedlings for planting.
It is necessary to remove bruised, diseased, dried roots. The same must be done with the aerial part of the seedling. Before planting, to avoid drying, dip the roots well in a clay mash.
Planting actinidia.
1-3-year-old vines are planted in a permanent place, because older plants do not tolerate transplantation very well.
Actinidia is planted in single plants or rows with a row spacing of 3 meters and a distance of 1.5-2 meters between seedlings. It is desirable to place the rows from north to south, then in summer the bushes are evenly illuminated.
The size (width and depth) of the planting hole should be such that the roots are placed in it correctly, according to their shape.
A planting hole is dug 30-50 cm deep, 40 cm wide in diameter, depending on the size of the root system of the seedling.
At the bottom with a layer of 10-15 cm, drainage is laid from pebbles, gravel, broken bricks or expanded clay.
Into each planting hole make:
- a bucket of humus;
- 200 g of superphosphate;
- 50 g of ammonium nitrate;
- half-liter jar of a glass of wood ash.
All fertilizers are well mixed with ordinary soil so as to fill the hole with it by 1/3 of the volume. Then a layer of ordinary earth is poured up to half the volume of the pit. Throw out a bucket of water. When the water is absorbed, a seedling is placed on top, in the middle of the pit. The seedling is planted so that the root collar is at ground level. Next, straighten the roots so that voids do not form. With ordinary soil (from the top layer), the pit is completely filled up.
They trample the ground a little. Again, water and mulch the soil with humus, peat or other organic matter (grass, hay, straw) with a layer of 5-10 cm.
At the planted seedling, pinch the top.
Actinidia care.
Basic care (fertilizer, loosening, weed control, pests and diseases) is carried out as for all fruit and berry plants.
In the first year of planting, in dry weather, actinidia seedlings are mulched several times during the summer to keep a loose, moist surface layer of soil around them. In the morning and evening, the foliage is sprayed, if necessary, it is shaded from hot sunlight, especially the first 2 years of life on the site. Remove weeds regularly. The soil around is loosened carefully, given that the densely branched root system of actinidia lies at a depth of up to 30 cm.
For the winter, seedlings fall asleep with fallen leaves (layer 10-15 cm).
Caring for fruit-bearing vines.
Every year in the spring, immediately after the snowmelt, the soil around the actinidia is loosened and covered with humus, compost, straw or sawdust, which have lain in the open for at least a year. Several times during the summer they pour earth under the bush to prevent the root collar from being exposed. In autumn, the soil around the plants is not dug up, but carefully loosened to a depth of 3-7 cm.
Actinidia need to be watered frequently, as the soil around the root collar must be constantly moist. The leaves also need a lot of moisture. For the growth and normal development of vines, high humidity is necessary. Therefore, in dry weather, actinidia are sprayed. It is advisable to do this in the morning and evening.
Shelter for the winter actinidia.
Young seedlings of actinidia, in the first 3-4 years of life (before fruiting) are covered for the winter with peat, humus, fallen leaves.
Under the winter shelter, it is desirable to decompose poison for rodents. Mice do not eat actinidia shoots, but build nests in them.
Shelter from the vine is usually removed in early April.
An adult, fruit-bearing actinidia no longer requires such shelter.
Top dressing actinidia.
For each adult bush (from the moment of fruiting, on the 3-4th year after planting), the following is applied annually:
- 30 g of ammonium nitrate;
- A bucket of compost or humus.
At the beginning of summer, annually, 10 liters of fresh mullein diluted with water (1:5) or a bucket of diluted bird droppings (1:10) are poured under each adult bush. These top dressings can be replaced by adding agrolife to the top layer of soil.
At the end of summer, annually, 0.5 liters of wood ash (instead of potash fertilizers) and 100 g of superphosphate (after fruiting) are applied under each adult bush.
Harvesting actinidia.
Actinidia bears fruit every year. During the period of full fruiting, the average yield from an adult vine is from 10 kg.
Actinidia berries begin to ripen in late summer - early autumn. They ripen non-simultaneously (within three weeks).
Ripe fruits become darker green or slightly yellowish, some are translucent, so that small seeds appear through the walls of the fruits.
Berries in the shade ripen much earlier than in the sun.
In some vines, ripe berries do not crumble. However, often ripe fruits of actinidia crumble and break if they fall on a hard surface.
Actinidia berries ripen in the shade, in a ventilated room, within a week. You can not dry the berries in a washed state and dry them in direct sunlight.
Actinidia berries can be consumed fresh, you can make jam, jam, juice, wine, compote, jelly from them. You can wither the fruits. The crumbled soft berries of actinidia are good for wine sourdough and for making wine.
“Raw” jam” is the most valuable product of actinidia processing. Ripe fruits are cleaned of tails, kneaded with a wooden pestle and sugar is added (1 kg of sugar per 1 kg of berries). After 3-4 hours, as the sugar dissolves, pour the jam into jars (under nylon lids) and store in the refrigerator until spring. Such jam is used as a component for compotes, as a filling for a pie.
Actinidia varieties:
Actinidia arguta.
The largest of the actinidia. Powerful climber with woody stems-ropes up to 30 m long and 8-10 cm thick. It wraps around trees. In the absence of large trees, actinidia is transferred from one tree to another or spreads along the ground, forming dense thickets. Actinidia arguta is a dioecious plant. Blooms from late June to late July. The flowers are greenish white. Begins to bear fruit, reaching a height of 6-8 m.
Actinidia kolomikta.
The fruits are round, blunt, laterally compressed, greenish, juicy, sweet, tender, with a strong pineapple aroma, weighing from 1.5 to 10 g, ripen in September-October. The plant is winter-hardy, fruitful, sometimes gives up to 30 kg of fruit from one liana.
A tree-like liana-like climbing plant, reaching a height of 7 m. In open places, it spreads along the ground and forms thickets. It grows more slowly than actinidia arguta, but is more hardy.
Fruits are dark green, blunt-conical, sweet, with delicate fragrant pulp. Productivity - up to 5-7 kg from one bush.
Actinidia pineapple.
Winter-hardy variety, comes into fruition in the 7th year, yield - up to 5 kg per bush. The bushes are wide-spread, reaching 6.5 m in height. Shoots are smooth, brown, with brown spots. The leaves are oval-pointed, doubly serrate.
Fruits flattened laterally, dark green, juicy, sweet with a slight acidity, tasty, with a strong pineapple flavor, weight 2-3 g, ripen at the same time (August-September), crumble slightly, stored for no more than 3-4 days; suitable for fresh and processed consumption.
Pests and diseases of actinidia.
Actinidia are harmed by leaf spot caused by the fungus Phyloxcticta Actinidia. Other causative agents of spotting have also been identified - ramularia and discosis.
On actinidia arguta, leaf disease was noted in the form of powdery arachnoid plaque. Damage by these diseases is similar, they are expressed mainly in leaf spot.
Actinidia fruits are affected by fruit rot, as well as gray and green mold. The fruits of actinidia argut are most severely affected by rot.
Of insects, leaf beetles cause significant harm to actinidia kolomikta. At the beginning of the growing season, they eat away the swollen buds, and from June, the beetle larvae eat the flesh of the leaves. With the mass reproduction of beetles, only veins remain from the leaves.
The leaves of actinidia kolomikta are also harmed by caterpillars of moth raisins. Unlike the leaf beetle, they gnaw large holes on the leaves. Insignificant damage to actinidia by lacewings, bark beetles and other pests was noted.
Disease control measures include spraying bushes and mechanical collection of damaged parts of plants (leaves, twigs, fruits). For the purpose of prevention, 1% Bordeaux liquid and 0.4% cuprosan are used for spraying. The first time is treated after the kidneys exit the bark, then the treatment is repeated after 10-15 days.
Against powdery mildew, plants are treated with ground sulfur and a 0.5% solution of soda ash; processing is repeated after 10 days. In the fight against Fusarium wilt of seedlings, seeds should first of all be disinfected by dusting with granosan and disinfected boxes, boxes and frames of greenhouses with a 5% formalin solution.
Each type of actinidia has its own specific seasonal rhythm. Vegetation in different species begins and ends at different times. The duration and timing of the growing season vary depending on the region, the nature of the weather conditions of the current and last year. Differences in the timing of the onset of individual phenophases in different years in one region is 2-10 days, in different regions within a month.
The beginning of the vegetation of actinidia is easily detected by a strong sap flow, called "weeping". This happens, as a rule, in mid-April, but can come much earlier (in the last decade of March) or later (at the end of April). Sap flow coincides with the beginning of thawing of the soil. The intensity of the outflow of juice is quite high, which is detected when the stem and branches are mechanically damaged. In the forest, sap flow in actinidia occurs faster than in culture. Thus, the duration of sap flow in the forest was on average 17 days for actinidia kolomikta, 20 days for actinidia arguta, and 21 days for actinidia polygamy. On the plantation, respectively, 20, 25 and 28 days.
The buds open 15-20 days after the start of sap flow. From the kidneys, completely or almost completely immersed in the tissue of swollen leaf cushions, a green cone appears. The appearance of this cone occurs through a hole in the leaf cushion, resembling a needle puncture in actinidia kolomikta and actinidia arguta, and a pinhead in actinidia polygamy. The exit of the green cone of leaves from the leaf cushion means the beginning of the bud break phase. This happens in the first decade of May and lasts for 2 weeks. The full phase of bud break from leaving the leaf cushion to full deployment lasts 3-3.5 weeks.
Full foliage of actinidia occurs at the end of May. At the same time, the phases of the beginning of budding and shoot growth begin. In the axils of the leaves at the base of the growing shoots, one can notice slowly increasing small green spherical buds.
Late spring frosts during the period of full leafing in some cases cause great harm to plants. Even a short-term drop in temperature to -1-1.5 ° C during this period leads to slight wilting of the leaves, which disappears with an increase in temperature. Stronger frosts (up to -3.5 ° C) can cause, along with the darkening of the leaves and short-term wilting of the shoots, the complete death of the buds. The division of vines according to the duration of growth of vegetative shoots during the growing season allows us to attribute actinidia kolomiktu to vines with a short growth period (60-100 days), and actinidia argutu and actinidia polygamus to vines with an average growth period (101-150 days). The duration of growth of shortened shoots is usually 4-6 times less than that of elongated shoots, and in actinidia of all types it is 20-25 days. The growth of shoots stops when the tips of the shoots dry up by the end of summer. Continued growth of shoots for the next year occurs due to lateral buds located under the shrunken part of the last year's shoot.
The value of lignification of vegetative and mixed shoots by the end of the growing season is 75-100%, generative - 90-100%. The division of vines according to the growth rate of vegetative shoots makes it possible to attribute actinidia argutu to vines with the largest increment (over 4 m), actinidia kolomikta and actinidia polygam - to vines with a relatively small increment (less than 2.5 m). The growth rate of generative shoots in actinidia is small, differs slightly and amounts to 10-25 cm.
Actinidia flowering begins rather late, in the second decade of June, its duration is 5-10 days. At this time, the possibility of frost is already excluded. Actinidia kolomikta blooms first, June 20-25, then actinidia arguta, July 10-15, the last actinidia polygamum, July 20-25. Male flowers bloom first, after 1-2 days - bisexual. The flowering phase lasts about a week.
Actinidia growing in the forest bloom a week earlier than in cultivation. The entire period from the beginning of sap flow to the beginning of flowering is also shorter by a week, which is associated with a faster flow of sap flow in the forest.
The generative period of development from the beginning of flowering to the full ripening of fruits in each species of actinidia passes at the same time in the forest and in cultivation. Thus, for actinidia kolomikta and actinidia polygamy in the forest, this period was 82 days, for actinidia arguta - 88. On the plantation, this period increased to 83, 85 and 90 days, respectively.
After flowering, the perianths of the male flowers fall off (completely, without breaking up into lobes). Pedicels that remain on the shoots for some time also dry up and fall off. In bisexual flowers, the petals fall off alternately and separately and the fertilized ovary is exposed. In the absence of fertilization, the ovary stays on the shoot for 1-2 weeks, withers and dries up, and then completely separates from the shoot with the pedicel.
The ovary in actinidia, despite its small size, is clearly visible in the flower, as it has an upper open position and a bright white color. After flowering, its white color turns into greenish, which makes the ovary difficult to see.
The fruiting phase of all actinidia is quite extended - 60-80 days, but ends before the autumn frosts. For actinidia kolomikta, the shortest period from flowering to the first ripened fruits, 55-60 days, is required, the longest period is required for actinidia argute, 70-75 days. Full formation of fruits in actinidia kolomikta in the last ten days of August, in actinidia arguta in the second decade of September and in actinidia polygamy in the third decade of September.
As it ripens, which lasts another 3-4 weeks, the color of the fruit changes, becomes darker, becomes transparent, and in actinidia polygamy it becomes yellow. Light longitudinal stripes are indicated on the surface of the skin. Inside the fruit, these stripes correspond to partitions between the seed chambers. The fruits become resiliently soft, the seeds turn brown. The beginning of fruit ripening is noted when 10% of the fruits enter this phase and lasts 1.5-2 weeks until the mass ripening phase.
Ripening of actinidia fruits begins in the third decade of August. Mass ripening occurs at the end of fruiting. The first, long before the onset of autumn frosts, the fruits of actinidia kolomikta ripen; their maturation is uneven and lasts 3 weeks. Having reached full ripeness, the fruits fall off. At the same time, the stalks remain on the plant for some time, then dry out and also fall off.
Fruit shedding can be avoided by harvesting them early (in the solid state) from the plant. In a ventilated room in the shade, they will ripen in 2-3 days and from a solid state they will pass into an elastically soft and soft one. During this period of ripening, the fruits do not lose quality and do not differ in taste from those ripened in nature. A longer ripening period, up to 12 days, drastically reduces the quality of fruits, their taste and aroma are lost, the fruits become watery and turn from a solid state into a pasty one. Actinidia fruits are highly susceptible to various odors, therefore, for their ripening, it is necessary to select a clean, dry and ventilated room. If these conditions are not observed, the same unpleasant transformations occur with the fruits as with too long a period of artificial ripening.
Under the conditions of industrial cultivation of actinidia on plantations, an extended fruiting period makes it difficult to sell the crop, so it is necessary to introduce varieties with the shortest possible fruiting period. For cultivation in household plots, it is advisable to use varieties with a long fruiting period. At the same time, fresh actinidia berries can be consumed for a longer period as they ripen.
The yield depends to a greater extent on the place where the vine grows. A bush of the Michurin variety Pineapple in slightly shaded growth conditions yields up to 5 kg, and in an open area a maximum of 2 kg. When translating these figures into an area of 1 ha, the yield of actinidia kolomikta is 1.5-2.5 t/ha. At the same time, some creepers, having a high yield in one year, give a lower one in the next, or vice versa. In addition to fluctuations in the size of the crop, there is a pronounced periodicity of the crop, which is mainly inherent in vines that have a tendency to higher yields.
The fruits of actinidia arguta begin to ripen at the end of September, a month later than that of actinidia kolomikta. Unlike the fruits of actinidia kolomikta, they are larger, denser to the touch, firmly attached to the stalk. Sometimes its ripe berries are kept on the shoots not only until frost, but also until snowfalls. This happens especially often if actinidia arguta wraps around a coniferous tree and the fruits are under the protection of its crown. Frosts damage only fruits hanging outside the crown of the support tree. Actinidia arguta fruits can be harvested unripe at the beginning of the ripening phase and left to ripen for 3-4 days, spreading in a thin layer in a place protected from sunlight.
The yield of actinidia arguta is much higher than that of other types of actinidia. According to literature data, in the conditions of the Far East, its maximum fruit yield is 15 kg per vine and can reach 50 kg in some cases. One large wild-growing specimen of actinidia arguta, growing on the territory of Gorzelenkhoz in Artem, had about 20 stems 2-4.5 cm thick, branching over an area of 40 m 2. Annually for a number of years it yielded at least 50 kg. In 1956, 150 kg of fruits were obtained from him.
Actinidia fruits are harvested as they ripen, but, as a rule, 3-5 days after the onset of ripening, in the presence of 10% of ripened fruits. With an average yield in fairly dense thickets, one person collects up to 30 kg of fruit per day.
Actinidia polygama bears fruit the last of the wild-growing actinidia. This happens in the third decade of September - the first decade of October. Damage to unripe fruits by frost leads to a change in their elasticity and color. They become flabby, darker, dull, retain an unpleasant bitter burning taste, and are inedible. The same taste and appearance have fruits that are harvested unripe for ripening. Natural ripening of fruits occurs only in some years with a later onset of frost. Well-ripened fruits are dark orange, soft, fresh-sweet, having lost the burning-bitter taste characteristic of unripe fruits of this species.
Actinidia polygamum bears fruit almost annually. Fruit yield averages 1-2 kg per vine. The age of entry into the fruiting phase of actinidia ranges from 3-4 years for vegetatively propagated plants to 4-5 years for seedlings. The frequency of fruiting by years and the annual fluctuation in the size of the harvest of individual plants are noted.
The end of the growing season, which is indicated by yellowing and falling leaves, occurs in Actinidia simultaneously under natural conditions and at different times under introduction conditions. In Primorye, actinidia leaf fall begins simultaneously in late September - early October after the first autumn frosts. Premature fall of foliage is noted only in dense thickets of lianas. During the period of leaf fall, they are the first to acquire autumn color and the leaves fall in shading conditions, the illuminated leaves remain until frost. In the conditions of the north-west of the country and the Central Non-Chernozem region, leaf fall in actinidia kolomikta begins long before the onset of frost, usually in September, and ends in October; in actinidia arguta, a few days after the autumn change in leaf color, their fall begins, which ends in mid-October; in actinidia polytama, leaf fall also begins a little later than the autumn change in leaf color (in mid-September) and ends at the end of October.
Autumn frosts most often damage the shoots of actinidia polygamy, since the shoots that appear late do not have time to become woody. The shoots of actinidia kolomikta and actinidia arguta suffer less from frost: these species end their vegetation earlier and have more conditions for the timely preparation of shoots for winter.
The total duration of the period of active life of actinidia from the beginning of sap flow to the end of leaf fall in all species under conditions of natural growth is the same and close to 180 days, in the north-west it is 180-190 days, in the Central Non-Chernozem region (Moscow) 155-175 days.
The total duration of the period from the beginning of bud break to the start of maturation of actinidia fruits is 105-160 days and differs in individual species of this plant: in actinidia kolomikta - up to 110 days, actinidia arguta - 140 days, actinidia polygamy - more than 160 days.
The duration of the period from the beginning of sap flow to the full ripening of fruits, depending on growth in the forest or in culture, differs slightly: in actinidia kolomikta in the forest and on the plantation, it is 147 and 152 days, respectively, in actinidia arguta 173 and 175 days, in actinidia polygamy 182- 183 days.
Not much different from activities for other shrubs.
Feed actinidia in spring, during the growth of shoots, nitrogen fertilizers (about 30 g of ammonium nitrate per bush), before flowering - full mineral fertilizer with trace elements, at the end of August with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, and after harvesting, compost is added - 2-3 buckets under the vine.
The root system of actinidia is located close to the surface (most of the roots are located deeper than 40 cm). Therefore, the soil around the plants is loosened shallowly and must be mulched. It should be loose and moist throughout the season.
pruning
Actinidia has 3 types of shoots:
. vegetative curly (growth) that do not bear fruit;
. vegetative-generative - that is, mixed, in which flowers and fruits are formed in the middle and lower parts;
. generative, that is, short fruit-bearing lateral shoots, on which the bulk of the berries are formed.
Flowering and fruiting actinidia occur on the shoots of the current year.
In the spring, the buds awaken to growth in the second half of April and may suffer from spring frosts. However, there are many dormant buds on the stem, from which new shoots sprout within two weeks and the plant is restored.
Seedlings must be shaped to get well-developed skeletal branches. Actinidia is pruned in early spring, usually in March, before sap flow begins. If you are a little late, then the liana will "cry" the whole season. Or pruning actinidia is acceptable in late autumn, after leaf fall.
In the first spring after planting, all weak branches are cut out, and the remaining ones are shortened to a height of 30 cm above the ground. Of the regrown shoots, the strongest are selected and distributed along the support.
next in spring, all side shoots are shortened by 2/3, weak ones are cut out or shortened by 2 buds.
Further with annual spring pruning, the main shoots are shortened by 1/3, this is necessary to limit the growth of the vine. However, it must be remembered that actinidia kolomikty and polygamy have fruiting buds on long shoots. Intensive pruning will reduce next year's harvest. Arguta has fruit buds - only on short branches, it can be cut more intensively.
To avoid thickening, in spring and summer - after flowering, the plants are thinned out. As the vines grow (over 8-10 years old), the old shoots are cut out one by one at ground level, making room for new ones. That is, one of the main shoots is annually replaced by a young strong one.
In order to form a beautiful crown, decorative pruning of actinidia can be carried out after the leaves have fully bloomed (when the period of active sap flow ends). Cut off ugly growing shoots, broken or dry branches, thin out from thickening. Fan molding is carried out on the tapestries.
When to Harvest Actinidia
In September, when the fruiting of most berry plants ends, the fruits of actinidia kolomikta are very useful. Their maturation does not occur simultaneously, it can begin from the first weeks of August. Ripe berries quickly crumble, so the harvest is stretched for 2-3 weeks. You can collect all the fruits at once at the beginning of ripening, they will ripen in a few days.
See Recipes from actinidia for the winter
Actinidia arguta and giralda ripen later, by September. Then it's the polygamy's turn. And the bright fruits of purple actinidia complete the sequence. Unlike kolomikta, all other species do not crumble, do not require ripening. But with the threat of frost, it is still better to remove them.
Tagged“... in the future (it) will completely oust both grapes and gooseberries from our gardens, because the taste qualities of the berries of various varieties of actinidia are so good and varied that, when compared with berries, not only gooseberries, but also grapes, turn out to be higher in quality, not speaking already about the wonderful aromaticity, that there is nothing to look for in grapes, and even more so gooseberries.
I.V. Michurin
I live in the city of Lida, in Belarus. Recently, on the pages of our magazines, much attention has been paid to promising plants for growing in the territory of the Republic of Belarus. One of them is actinidia. It would seem that this is a novelty. But at the same time, it is reliably known that traces of the actinidia genus were found in brown coal deposits in the south of Belarus, which means that actinidia, an endemic of the Primorsky Territory, simply returns to its ancestral home. At the same time, in publications, all attention is paid to the description of only one type of actinidia - Actinidia Kolomikta, which, indeed, can be grown throughout the territory of our republic. This actinidia can withstand temperatures down to -35 ° C, and in terms of vitamin C content it is second only to rose hips - it contains from 0.5 to 1.7%, but at the same time it also has a number of disadvantages:
- its berries are small and non-transportable, so local processing is necessary;
- she has a low yield, in fact, a ten-year-old bush gives up to 1.5 kg of berries;
- the ripening of the crop is not simultaneous, after ripening the fruits fall off and quickly deteriorate, although they ripen without losing their qualities, if they are removed prematurely 3-7 days before full ripeness.
But at the same time, now in most of the territory of Belarus, in particular, on the territory of the Grodno and Minsk regions, and even more so on the territory of the Brest and Gomel regions, other types of actinidia and their hybrids are growing with great success, which give fruits that are amazing in taste, in which a large amount of vitamin C - 0.1-0.12%, they contain potassium, calcium, sulfur, chlorine, iron, as well as zinc, selenium, bromine, copper. The chemical composition of actinidia fruits indicates that they are a source of biologically active substances and have medicinal properties. The aerial part, especially its leaf mass, is also a source of useful substances, since it contains a significant amount of ascorbic acid, saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids, coumarins, therefore, it can be used as a source of vitamin supplements, creating various teas and herbal remedies. Particularly promising in this regard is actinidia polygama, which is already used in Japan in many medicines. Studies have shown that the leaf mass of female plants accumulates more biologically active substances than male plants.
Culture features
Actinidia- a liana that grows very quickly and can be used as an ornamental plant for vertical gardening, and the variegation of some of its species further decorates the garden. By the way, variegation is manifested in actinidia Kolomikta and actinidia Polygam. Two weeks before flowering, white tips appear on part of their leaves, and then they turn crimson. And this is manifested in both female and male plants. After the end of flowering, the leaves of these actinidias turn green again. This phenomenon is also observed on hybrid plants, which are grown by crossing actinidia Argut and actinidia Purple. Actinidia is a dioecious plant, although there are cases when fruits are tied in the presence of female plants alone. Theoretically, up to 1% of plants grown from seed can be monoecious, and a good monoecious plant is of great value for creating self-fertile Actinidia varieties.
Actinidia has one interesting feature - it does not have physiological fruit fall, all fruits that are pollinated grow until ripe. The growth of actinidia shoots begins in late April or early May at an average daily temperature of +4 ... + 5 ° С, when a green cone of folded leaves appears from a bud hidden under the bark of a plant. At this time, return frosts are very dangerous for the plant. Flowering of actinidia species occurs in different periods - first, around the end of May, Kolomikta blooms, after 12-15 days, when it already has fruits, Arguta and Purple bloom, and after, after 5-7 days, Polygama blooms, so cross-pollination between species Actinidia plants do not occur. Actinidia vines have very long wood vessels, and the shoots themselves have almost endless growth, hence the large increase in vegetative shoots. For example, in actinidia Argut, it reaches 4-6 m, while the top of the vegetative shoot is in constant circular motion. If there is a support, the top of the shoot wraps around it in a counterclockwise direction.
The fruiting actinidia plant has three types of shoots:
- vegetative - grow from dormant buds on perennial wood or from the root system, perform a supporting function;
- generative - perform the function of fruiting and are formed on an annual branch, have a length of 10-15 cm;
- generative-vegetative - perform both a supporting function and a fruiting function, they are formed on the growth of the previous year.
Therefore, when planting actinidia in a permanent place, it is necessary to provide an appropriate space for the growth of plants and place them no closer than 3-3.5 m from each other (for actinidia Kolomikta, you can leave 2.5-3 m).
Flowering and fruit ripening
It should be noted that not all buds of a plant bloom at the same time, about one third of the buds remain dormant, which ensures annual fruiting of plants even if previously blooming buds or young branches are affected by late spring frosts. Male plants begin their development, as well as flowering 1-2 days earlier than female ones. Flower buds are laid in the axils of the leaves on young shoots of the current year, and, consequently, fruiting occurs on the shoots of the current year.
If you have a desire to get information about actinidia, about its breeding, please call in Belarus (Lida): (8-10-375) 01561-574-56, mob. phone: 00375-444814998, email: [email protected]- Victor Ivanovich Guzenko.
To be continued
Viktor Guzenko, experienced gardener, Lida
Author's photo
