Affordable exotic or grow kiwi from seeds at home. How to grow kiwi from seeds What does a kiwi tree look like

Kiwi or Chinese Actinidia belongs to the Actinidiaceae family and is a vine that grows in the subtropics. The kiwifruit comes from China, which is why it is sometimes also called the "Chinese gooseberry". Kiwi is commonly referred to as the fruits of cultivars of plants of the genus Actinidia belonging to the species Actinidia chinensis or Actinidia deliciosa.

Kiwi was brought to New Zealand at the beginning of the 20th century, where a large-fruited variety was bred, with a fruit weight of more than 100 grams and with excellent taste.

The kiwi owes its name to the breeder from New Zealand A. Allison, who in 1960 named the plant so because of the external resemblance of the fruit to the Kiwi bird, the national symbol of New Zealand.

Now this plant is grown in all subtropical countries, especially in Italy, Chile, Greece, from where it is exported all over the world.

It is difficult to grow kiwi at home, due to the active growth and the amount of space that an adult plant occupies, but if you properly care for and shape kiwi, you can enjoy not only the process of growing this vine, but also the harvest. Houses for kiwi usually allocate space on a glazed insulated balcony or loggia, the liana is also grown well in winter gardens and greenhouses.

Kinds kiwi or actinidia :

All varieties of kiwi or actinidia chinensis are great for growing in tub culture at home. Variety Hayward bears well "in captivity", it has large and tasty fruits. The varieties Bruno, Allison, Abbot and Monty have smaller fruits, but they give good yields.

About caring for Kiwi or Chinese Actinidia:

Temperature: In summer, kiwi prefers a temperature of 20-26 ºС. The plant does not tolerate sudden changes in temperature and cold drafts. In winter, the plant has a dormant period, kiwi sheds leaves, for this period it is best to transfer the pot to a cooler (12-16 ºС) and bright room, for example, to an insulated balcony. In the summer, kiwifruit can be taken out into the garden, in a place well lit but protected from drafts.

Lighting: Kiwi prefers bright diffused lighting. It suits the windows of the southern, ego-western orientation. On hot summer days, the plant must be shaded from direct sunlight, especially if the kiwi was watered before. In winter, the plant usually does not have enough daylight hours, and it needs supplementary lighting up to 12-14 hours, using fluorescent or special fitolamps.


Actinidia Hayward.

Watering: The plant likes moderate but regular watering, the soil in the pot should be constantly wet, make sure that it never dries out. At the same time, kiwi does not like stagnant moisture in the pot and acidification of the soil, therefore, after watering after 30 minutes, it is necessary to drain the remaining water from the pan. Water the plant on average once every 3-4 days, trying to evenly moisten the substrate.

Air humidity: On particularly hot summer days, kiwi must be sprayed with room temperature water or placed near humidifiers. To further increase the humidity of the air, the pot with the plant can also be placed in a tray with wet expanded clay, making sure that the bottom does not touch the water.

fertilizers: Once a year with organic fertilizer - compost or biohumus. Most often, kiwi is fertilized with compost, for this, a trench is dug around the plant, compost is laid in it and covered with earth from above. With this method of fertilizing, nutrients gradually enter the root system and act for a longer period.

Fertilize kiwi mono and more often, from spring to autumn 2 times a month, but it is necessary to approach the issue of choosing a fertilizer very responsibly, since a fertilizer that contains a lot of nitrogen is not suitable for regular application. Thanks to nitrogen, kiwi will begin to grow greens very quickly and abundantly, which will entail the hassle of regular plucking and pruning and may adversely affect further fruiting. Nitrogen-containing fertilizer is applied once, after the first pruning of kiwi, in the spring, in the future it is necessary to select fertilizer according to the situation. Fruiting kiwis are fertilized only with compost.

The soil: Plant kiwi in the soil for citrus plants, it is more optimal for vines. Perlite or vermiculite, sand can be added to it.

Transfer: The plant is transplanted only as needed, when the kiwi fully masters the space offered to it and the roots begin to peek out of the drainage holes. The pot is not greatly enlarged, no more than 2 cm.


Actinidia Bruno.

Kiwi crown formation:

Kiwi is very fast growing, at home it is very important to control the growth of the vine, to give it a more aesthetic and compact appearance, without this it can easily reach a length of more than 7 meters.

The formation of the plant begins when it reaches a height of 30 cm, pinch the top of it, removing 2-3 upper buds, which stimulates branching. Branching must be controlled, since an excess of greenery is harmful to the plant, all nutrients go to maintain it, so often the fruits fall off even before ripening, or are not tied at all.

Pruning of the plant is carried out only in the spring, so that the new shoots have time to become woody over the summer and they could not be damaged by autumn temperature changes.

An adult plant in room conditions should have from 5 to 7 shoots, which should begin at a height of 45-50 cm from the ground. Kiwi on the shoots will constantly grow shoots, which throughout the spring-summer period must be shortened, since the fruits are formed only on the lower 5-6 buds of each annual shoot, and excess greens only take away nutrients from the plant. That is why very long shoots are not formed on kiwi, it is not advisable, the shoots are constantly pinched after 6-7 buds.

Once every 3-4 years, the kiwi is rejuvenated, on the side shoots the branches are removed, shortening them by 1-2 buds. Such rejuvenation is carried out in late autumn or no later than July. Female and male plants rejuvenate equally.


Actinidia Abbott.

kiwi blossom

Kiwi begins to bloom and bear fruit at 3-4 years of age.

Male flowers have many stamens, while female flowers have both stamens and pistil, which are located above the stamens.

In order to get fruits from kiwi, you need to have both male and female plants and learn how to pollinate them yourself.

If you have more male fruits, don't worry about them, you can easily graft buds from female species in order to bear fruit.


Reproduction of kiwi at home:

Cuttings, offspring and seeds obtained from the fruit. You can read about propagation by seeds in a separate publication.

For propagation by cuttings, parts of the liana are taken that are semi-lignified or lignified with at least 3 buds on them. Under the lower bud, the cut should be made obliquely, and above the top, the cut should be located at least 1 cm. There must be a thick layer of drainage at the bottom of the pot. After planting, the cutting is covered with a jar or a piece of plastic bottle and placed in a well-lit, warm place. Every day, the cuttings are ventilated and sprayed, as necessary, do not forget to moisten the soil. Rooting occurs on average in a month. After mastering the entire capacity, the kiwifruit can be transplanted into a pot, if desired, the mono transplant can be carried out earlier.

Kiwi gives basal offspring, which can be safely separated when transplanting a plant, trying not to greatly damage the root system. After separation, they are planted in separate pots in standard soil and watered abundantly. Young seedlings quickly adapt and take root.


Actinidia Monty.

Growing problems:

  • Kiwi leaves droop, partially fall off, lose their tone with a lack of moisture in the soil. After abundant watering, the plant quickly recovers.
  • The stems are thinning, the foliage is blanching and shredding, the kiwi is going bald due to lack of lighting.
  • The leaves become smaller, turn yellow, the plant loses its tone, the petioles of all leaves turn red with a lack of nitrogen in the soil, it is necessary to apply nitrogen fertilizers.
  • Kiwi leaves turn brown, dry and crumble due to a lack of potassium in the soil.
  • Brown spotting on the foliage indicates a burn from direct sunlight.
  • Shredding of leaves, darkening with a deficiency of phosphorus.
  • Wet spots at the base of the shoots indicate an excess of moisture in the soil combined with a cool content.

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Kiwi or Chinese actinidia is a tree-like tropical liana, its habitat is in the subtropics of Italy, Abkhazia, New Zealand, Chile and the Black Sea coast. This wild fruit first appeared in New Zealand at the beginning of the twentieth century. Later, a large-fruited variety of actinidia was bred. But few people know how kiwi grows in nature and at home. Therefore, this information will be useful for those who want to grow this plant at home.

In appearance, kiwi in its appearance resembles a tree that requires support. In the natural environment, kiwi fruits, collected in clusters, ripen at the top of the shoots. Throughout the season, tropical liana changes the color of the leaves from green to white, pink and crimson. In the people, this plant is called the Chinese gooseberry. Ripe fruit is covered with a thin skin and has an amazing taste. Inside the fruit is a green sweetish-sour pulp with numerous small black seeds. For most gourmets, the taste of this fruit is associated with strawberries, gooseberries, melons, apples or bananas. On average, the weight of one fruit is 80 grams. Kiwi fruits are rich in vitamin C, which is more in fruits than in currants and lemons, and the content of a vital trace element - potassium is twice as much as in the same bananas.

Growing kiwifruit at home is a completely real, exciting and effortless process. In order to get the seeds, you need to purchase a ripe fruit in any grocery store. Currently, there are several varieties of this plant, and each of them can be grown quite successfully at home.

Given the natural growing conditions, kiwi is a sun-loving plant. He needs a certain place of detention on the windowsill on the south side, where there is no cold and drafts.

The technology for growing kiwi at home consists of several stages:

  • Pre-sowing preparation and germination of seeds.
  • Seedling picking.
  • Plant care.

Seeds extracted from a ripe fruit must be washed well from the remnants of the pulp. Keep in mind that kiwi seeds are very small, they are washed through a sieve or gauze. The cleaned planting material is lowered into a glass of water at room temperature and placed in a warm place, on the south side.

After 8-10 days, the seeds should open. If this does not happen, it is necessary to replace the water in order to prevent the planting material from rotting. Opened seeds need to provide greenhouse conditions with systematic ventilation.

A rag soaked in water is laid out on a saucer, the hatched seeds are evenly spread on top of it. In order to create greenhouse conditions, planting material is covered with a transparent jar or glass and placed in a warm, well-lit place.

Greenhouse conditions will ensure rapid germination of seeds - literally in 3-4 days. Germinated seedlings will have microscopic roots, which means only one thing, that the time has come to plant them in the soil.

A nutrient mixture of peat soil, sand and black soil is optimal for growing this plant at home. A small expanded clay drainage layer is laid out at the bottom of the landing containers, a slightly moistened soil mixture is poured over it. In order to facilitate further picking, seedlings are planted separately.

Sprouted sprouts are spread on the surface of the nutrient substrate and sprinkled with a thin layer of earth - from 2x to 3 mm. Plantings are placed in a warm place and irrigated daily with warm water from a spray bottle. Spraying with water can be replaced by building a mini greenhouse from a transparent material. The collected condensate under the film will create the necessary moisture for the seedlings.

After the shoots appear, the shelter is removed. As soon as the seedlings grow up and release one pair of leaves, they dive into other slightly larger planting containers. By this time, the plant reaches 10-12 cm in height. In this case, the same soil mixture is used as for sowing seeds, only with a smaller amount of peat. Unpromising and unnecessary sprouts must be immediately discarded, selecting only the strongest and healthiest. Timely picking is extremely important, since the further development and fruiting of tropical vines will depend on it.

In order to ensure the full and active growth of plants at home, they need special care. For kiwi, it is necessary to create conditions close to the natural habitat:

  • First of all, these are frequent and moderate waterings. This fruit does not tolerate drought, as well as an excess of moisture. Therefore, in order to avoid such consequences, kiwi is irrigated from a spray bottle. In the winter season, the exotic fruit stops its growth, so its watering is reduced to a minimum - no more than three times a month. During the period of active growth, plants are moistened more often - 2-3 times a week. On hot summer days, kiwi needs frequent irrigation of the aerial part.
  • This fruit, like other exotic plants, grows actively in conditions of good and long daylight hours. In addition, he needs warmth. Therefore, plants are placed on windowsills on the southwest or south side. If this is not possible, you can replace natural lighting with artificial lighting lamps.
  • In order for the plants to fully develop, they must be periodically thinned out. At an early stage, young sprouts are simply pulled out. It will be more difficult to extract grown plants from the soil, since kiwi grows the root system very quickly and actively. Weaker plants that thicken plantings are sheared.
  • You can get healthy fruit-bearing plants with good nutrition. Kiwis are fed with compost or biohumus once a year.

A shallow trench is dug around the plant and fertilizer is placed in it. In the process of watering, top dressing will seep deep into the soil, nourishing the entire root system of plants.

Kiwi rarely gets sick and is affected by pests, even at home. However, periodic inspections for the presence of diseases and harmful insects will not be superfluous.

With good and faithful care, this plant, grown from seeds, already in the third or fourth year of life, blooms and begins to bear fruit at home.

How to grow kiwi Not every person knows that kiwi is a fruit that is easy enough to grow at home if you follow certain recommendations. The plant can be planted both in a pot and in open ground. Moreover, it does not even need a greenhouse (the exception is the cold regions of the country), if you are growing in central Russia.

Kiwi is an exotic fruit of Chinese origin. It is also known as "Chinese gooseberry". Most often, the fruit is either consumed fresh or used as a decoration for various desserts. Less often it is used as a component of salads.

Let's figure out how to grow kiwi and enjoy delicious, sweet and sour fruits.

Selection of planting material

The first task of any gardener is to decide on planting material. You can grow your own kiwi vine in one of two ways: planting a cutting or growing seedlings from seeds. Each of them has certain advantages and disadvantages, but in any case, it will turn out to get your own kiwi, which will delight at home.

cuttings

The main advantage of cuttings is a high growth rate (compared to growing from seeds). And the difficulty lies in finding a suitable branch for planting. Finding planting material is not so easy even in the southern regions of the country.

How is the landing? You need to act like this:

  1. Cut the resulting branch into small sections. Each of them should have 2-3 (or more) kidneys.
  2. Next, the cuttings must be kept in water (it should be at room temperature), lowering them to a depth of 4-5 centimeters. Holding time - until the formation of roots 3-4 centimeters long and an additional 1-2 days.
  3. After that, you need to make a root-forming solution (the product can be purchased at any specialized store and diluted according to the instructions). Cuttings with the formed root system are lowered into it. Withstand for 1-2 days.

That's all, it remains to plant a cutting with roots in open or closed ground.

Seeds (bones)

Growing kiwi from a seed (stone) is no less difficult, but more time-consuming. The main advantage is the ease of acquiring planting material. It can be found in any specialized store. The downside, as mentioned earlier, is the time cost. You will have to wait long enough for the moment when the seeds reach the right size for planting in the ground. In addition, care for sprouts due to their fragility is more difficult than for cuttings.

How to germinate seeds? This must be done in a warm place. It is best to use a mini-greenhouse or greenhouse (at least home-made). The easiest way to make a mini-greenhouse is from a bowl, film and a damp cloth. Put the seeds in the container of the greenhouse and wait for them to hatch. Next, the seeds are planted in a special box for seedlings (available at a specialized store) to a depth of no more than one centimeter. From above, the box must be covered with either a film or a plastic lid.

Periodically, the film or plastic cover must be removed to ventilate the seeds.

Usually seeds germinate 6-8 days after planting. Next, they must be thinned out. The procedure involves getting rid of weak instances. Continue growing sprouts until the moment when their height becomes at least 10-12 centimeters. Then you should transplant each sprout into a separate pot or into open ground.

It is very convenient to remove germinated seeds from the ground with tweezers. But you need to act carefully so as not to damage the young plant.

You can get planting material directly from the fetus. To do this, proceed as follows:

  1. Take half of the fruit (prefer ripe ones). Remove seeds from it (at least about 20 pieces). They should be freed from the pulp. Tweezers will help with this. And you can also lower the pulp into a glass of water: the bones will separate and float.
  2. Rinse the seeds with gauze and running water. It is advisable to repeat the washing several times, especially if the pulp cannot be removed in any way.
  3. As soon as the seeds are clean, put them on a saucer and leave for two to three hours to dry.
  4. The next step is germination. To do this, put a piece of cotton wool moistened with hot water in a saucer. Place seeds on top. Set the saucer in a sunny place and wrap with foil. At night, the film is removed, and in the morning the cotton wool is again moistened with hot water and the greenhouse is reorganized.

Sprouts will appear after seven to ten days. You can transplant them into the ground after the appearance of white roots.

Conditions for growing kiwi

It is very important to adhere to certain conditions for growing kiwi. Moreover, they are the same regardless of whether cultivation takes place in open or closed ground. Only proper care can provide the plant with normal growth and, accordingly, subsequent fruiting.

Remember that everyone can grow kiwi at home. But growing in open ground is the prerogative of either experienced gardeners, or residents of southern Russia, where almost all year round the weather pleases with temperature and humidity suitable for kiwi.

So, the main growing conditions are as follows:

  1. Temperature regime. Kiwi is a heat-loving plant that requires good lighting and heat. At home, this is achieved by installing additional lighting and regular heating. In winter, you need to be especially careful so that the plant does not wither due to drafts, and in summer, take care of protection from direct sunlight to avoid burns. On the street, the plant will have to be wrapped up at the end of winter (even in the southern regions, not to mention the middle lane) and kept in this form until warm (above +10 degrees) weather is established.
  2. Priming. His choice must be approached very responsibly. The plant loves well-aerated soil, and the nutritional value of the soil is also important. To do this, it is advisable to independently select the soil, which is not difficult due to the fact that the kiwi root system is located almost on the surface. And you can also give preference to the substrate from the store.
  3. Fertilizer. You can't do without it. Kiwi loves organics most of all (manure, compost). As a result, the plant grows quickly and pleases with fruits.
  4. Watering. Both indoors and outdoors, regular watering should be ensured at a frequency of two to three times a week in spring and summer, once or twice a week in winter and autumn. Such moisture for kiwi is enough. It is impossible to allow stagnant water, as this is detrimental to the plant (in order to avoid this, when growing decoratively, it is advisable to put expanded clay in a pot). Remember that it is advisable to use settled water for a houseplant. In hot weather, you can additionally use a spray bottle.

Keep in mind that it is quite possible to grow kiwi in the open field in the garden or in the country. This is not the most difficult task, but it is definitely not suitable for lazy gardeners or beginners. But in a pot on the windowsill, everything is simplified, so even a person who is far from gardening will cope with the task.

How to grow kiwi outdoors?

It is not difficult to grow kiwi in the open field, but you still need to know the rules and stick to them. Follow this photo algorithm:


When will the first fruits appear? When planting kiwi seedlings in the south of the country, the fruits will appear after two to three years (but only if the cultivation rules are followed). In central Russia, you can wait 8-10 years for the first harvest. But at home, kiwi fruits may appear as early as the next year after planting.

  1. Prune the seedlings regularly, at least until the first fruits appear. This is an important process that ensures normal fruiting.
  2. Pruning will also be helpful to control the overall size of the plant.
  3. Eliminate overdrying of the earth, as this will lead to the withering of the plant. Constantly moisten the soil with water, and also use a sprinkler.
  4. When growing a plant at home, place the pots on the southern windowsills. Kiwis will have enough natural light there, and in winter, additional light is organized by means of a fluorescent lamp. By the way, the lighting must be directed horizontally.
  5. Be sure to use fertilizer. Organics are suitable: biohumus, compost and so on. The norm is to use fertilizer once a year to saturate the plant with the required amount of nutrients.
  6. In the summer, you can also use mineral fertilizers to activate growth and fruiting. You need to feed kiwi once every seven to ten days.
  7. For the strength of the creeper, pinch its top from time to time. This simple procedure will provide stimulation of the lateral processes.
  8. Remember that each plant when grown at home should be planted in a separate pot. This is explained by wide leaves, which can block sunlight from other plants.
  9. Transplanting a plant after planting in a pot may be necessary after four weeks, since the sprouts usually stretch very quickly. And you can also transplant kiwi after the leaves appear.
  10. If suddenly there are too many male seedlings, then they can be grafted with buds from female ones. As a result, you will be able to get results.
  11. One male plant is enough for five or six female plants. This is enough to get an excellent harvest every year.
  12. Inspect the leaves regularly to detect the problem in a timely manner: fungus, rot, wilting.

As you can see, there are no particular difficulties in growing kiwi at home. If you act in accordance with the above algorithms, then there will be no problems. This means that very soon you will be able to taste the first fruits grown with your own hands in the country or on the windowsill of the house.

Now in any supermarket you can buy kiwi fruits grown on large ones. They are also sometimes called Chinese, but the correct name for the plant is Chinese delicacy (Actinidia chinensis var. deliciosa). Upon careful study of the culture, it turned out that in the open ground in a place protected from the wind, it can tolerate up to -20 ° C, and under cover even up to -30 ° C. Therefore, if you "play" with, then you can try to grow it in the Moscow region in the open field, and not at home.

How to distinguish male and female kiwi plant

I planted the first kiwi seedlings in my garden near Moscow about 10 years ago, but I waited for flowering only in 2012, although in the southern regions they bloom in the 3rd-5th year. First, the male plant bloomed, and the next year, simultaneously with the male and female ones. Until the moment of flowering, it is difficult to determine the gender of the kiwi, but when they bloom, this difference is clearly visible: the pistil is much larger on the female flowers.

Varietal affiliation of female plants (variety hayward ) I installed only when the plants bloomed and fruits began to ripen. Not knowing how the locals and bumblebees would receive the overseas guest, he was a little safe: he pollinated all the flowers on the female vines with a male flower by hand.


The result was not long in coming, and now furry aliens from distant subtropics are ripening in my garden. However, I think that they would have managed without my help. For the viability of pollen and the activity of pollinating insects, it is optimal that during the flowering period, which in our area falls on the end of May - beginning of June, the air temperature was +15 ... +20 ° С.

Kiwi: planting and care in the open field

Kiwi is planted in places protected from the north and northeast winds. Best on the south side of the house. Spring planting is preferred. Usually plant 5-6 female plants per male. Given the fact that the kiwi, the landing pit is made shallow: 0.5x0.5x0.5 m. Kiwis love well-drained soils rich in humus. The best ratio is considered to be 1-2 parts of rotted manure or compost to 1 part of garden soil. It is desirable that the root neck be 3 cm above the ground level, since deep planting can lead to the death of the plant.

In the photo: Planting a kiwi seedling in open ground

Kiwis love abundant watering, but without stagnant water. If the summer is dry, then once a week 20-30 liters is enough for an adult plant. In rainy summers, you can water much less frequently. In the year of planting, you can not feed, and in subsequent years, starting from May, about once a month, apply 20-25 g of nitrogen, 10 g of phosphorus, 10-20 g of potassium fertilizers for one plant, finishing all top dressing no later than July. Do not apply fertilizers containing chlorine. Plants are sensitive to.

Given that this is a powerful fast-growing vine, for good development it is immediately necessary to install racks (pillars), between which to stretch a support: wire or rope. Kiwi is propagated by rooting cuttings, grafting and seeds. However, when propagated by seed, the vast majority of seedlings (70-90%) will be male plants, so it is better to purchase seedlings from collectors.

Diseases and pests in our conditions on kiwi are practically not found.

Shaping and pruning kiwi

I consider the most successful form of growing kiwi fruit as a single-tiered and two-tiered palmette.

In the photo: Growing kiwi in the Moscow region, Vladimir Bushnev's garden

With a single-tiered palmette, at a height of about 0.5-1 m, two sleeves are formed along a wire (rope) stretched between the pillars. And with a bunk at a height of 1.5-2 m, there are two more sleeves. After planting a seedling from young shoots, the strongest is left and tied to a peg, and the rest of the shoots are cut out. If the plant is planted in early spring, then wait until the leaves bloom on it before pruning. When the shoot reaches the height of the first tier, it is cut off, thus stimulating the growth of lateral shoots, and two sleeves are formed from them. In the spring, only dry branches are removed - at this time there is an active sap flow, and if you cut off living tissue, the cut will “cry” for a long time. In summer or autumn, weak, fruit-bearing, thickening shoots are removed, leaving mostly horizontally growing ones at a distance of 30-40 cm from each other.

Wintering kiwi in the open field

I have kiwis planted at a distance of 1 m from the southern wall of the house. In the early years in November, I untied the ropes from the racks for which the vines were attached, and lowered the whips as low as possible to the ground, trying not to touch it. To a height of about 10 cm, the trunk circle was mulched. He put two wooden shields in the form of a hut (0.5 m high) over the vines so that the vine would not be broken by snow falling from the roof, and covered the shields with 2-3 layers of polyethylene from above. Partially the hut was covered with snow falling from the roof. At the beginning of spring, when night frosts cease to fall below -15 ° C, the shelter was slightly opened so that on sunny days there would be no greenhouse effect and the vine would not wake up ahead of time. For a vegetative vine, even a small minus is critical. A few years ago, when freezing at -5 ° C (May 8), the vines that started to grow froze to the ground. Fortunately, they did not die, and by August they had fully recovered. Mature plants are difficult to bend to the ground. I had to slightly change the design of the winter shelter. In autumn, on the racks to which the vines are attached, I lay cellular polycarbonate, fasten it at one end to the wall of the house and make a small canopy. I untie the creepers from the racks and tilt them to the wall of the house. From the outside, I close them with 2-3 layers of polyethylene, which I attach to the racks. In such a winter shelter without additional heating, creepers hibernate almost without damage. Only unripened shoots freeze over. In May, when the threat of frost has passed, I remove the polyethylene.

In the photo: Winter box for wintering kiwi in the open field

Kiwi harvest

All varieties of kiwi ripen no earlier than December, but can ripen harvested. Therefore, they are torn off before the first frosts and I ripen at home. To speed up ripening, you can put kiwi in one plastic bag with (1 apple per 10 kiwi).

Popular varieties of female plants

  • hayward - the most common variety in the world. Late ripe. Vigorous. The yield is high. The flowers are white at first, and after 2-3 days they are cream, up to 6.5 cm in diameter, solitary, rarely in inflorescences of 2-3 flowers. Flowering lasts 10-14 days. The fruits are large, leveled, oval in cross section. Fruit length up to 6.5 cm, weight up to 100 g. Straw-greenish pulp.
  • Bruno - early maturing. Vigorous. The flowers are white-cream, 5.5 cm in diameter, they are both single and collected in inflorescences of 2-3 pcs. Flowering lasts 10-12 days. The fruits are cylindrical in longitudinal section, rounded in cross section. Length up to 8 cm, circumference - 12 cm, weight 50-70 g. The flesh is green.
  • Monty - mid-season. Vigorous. The flowers are white-cream, up to 5 cm in diameter, solitary or in inflorescences of 2-3 pcs. Flowering lasts up to 12-14 days. The fruits are medium to large, slightly pear-shaped in longitudinal section and oval in cross section. Their length is 6.4 cm, circumference 13.8 cm, weight is about 30 g. The flesh is greenish-yellow. The taste, unlike the listed varieties, is mediocre.
  • Abbot - mid-season. Medium height. The flowers are white-cream, up to 6.5 cm in diameter, both single and collected in inflorescences of 2-3 pcs. Flowering lasts 10-12 days. The fruits are evenly colored, elongated in the longitudinal and rounded in the transverse directions. Fruit length 6.6 cm, weight 65 g. The flesh is green.
  • Jenny - medium early. Medium height. Self-pollinated. Fruits weighing up to 60-80 g. Similar to hayward , but has smaller fruits.


Popular varieties of male plants

  • matua - Abundant and long-blooming variety. Vigorous. Flowers - from single to collected in inflorescences of 3-5 pieces. The villi on the pedicel are single, short.
  • Tomuri - blooms a little later than the variety matua . Vigorous. Flowering is long, but less abundant. The flowers are large, from single to collected in inflorescences of 2-7 pcs. The villi on the pedicel are thin and long.

In the photo: Kiwi fruit grown in the open field in the Moscow region

Kiwi is one of the most popular exotic fruits that can be found on the shelves of almost all stores. If you love these green hairy fruits, then we have good news for you: kiwifruit can be grown at home. In our article, we will show you how to do this using only the seeds from the fruit.

Requirements for growing kiwi at home

In order for the plant to be accepted and developed, as well as to produce a crop, it is important to comply with certain requirements:

  • kiwi loves light and warmth, so the pot should be placed on the windowsill on the sunny side;
  • make sure that it is protected from drafts;
  • the plant loves moisture, so it is recommended to spray it daily;
  • make sure that the soil is also always moist, but do not flood the sprout.

Important! For growing kiwi, you should choose a spacious room, as the vine grows quickly and it can become crowded, and the date of the harvest can move indefinitely.

Remember that kiwi is an exotic fruit, and for its normal development it is necessary to create conditions as close as possible to natural ones.

Growing process

The growing process includes several stages, each of which is important and can affect the yield of the plant.

Preparing seeds for planting

To extract the seeds from the fruit, you need to choose a fresh kiwi that has ripened well.

The process includes the following steps:

  • the pulp of the fruit must be mashed with a fork;
  • move the resulting porridge into a gauze bag, which should first be folded into 2-3 layers;
  • rinse the bag until the pulp is completely removed;
  • the seeds that remain in the gauze must be removed and laid out on a paper sheet; the leaf is left at room temperature so that the seeds dry out properly, make sure that direct sunlight does not fall on them.

After extracting the seeds, they begin to stratify them. To do this, planting material must be mixed with sand, placed in a closed container and left in the refrigerator in the vegetable compartment for 2-3 months.

During this period, it is important to ensure that the sand is always wet, from time to time it is worth airing the container. After the "artificial winter" is completed, planting material can be used for sowing activities.

Before you sow the seeds, you need to germinate them. On a saucer you need to put a cotton pad, which is pre-wetted with hot water. Seeds are laid out in an even layer on it.

In order for the seeds to germinate, greenhouse conditions must be created. It is necessary to cover the plate with polyethylene, and at night it must be removed, and put on again in the morning, adding a little water to the cotton pad. After about 2 weeks, the seeds will germinate - this indicates their readiness for planting in the ground.

Soil preparation

For planting seeds, choose medium-sized pots. Ideal for kiwifruit is light fertile soil with low acidity. The soil can be purchased at specialized stores or prepared independently.

To do this, in equal proportions, you need to mix humus, sand, leafy and soddy soil. Before proceeding to disembarkation, the mixture must be subjected to heat treatment.

Planting germinated seeds in the ground

The planting process includes the following steps:

  1. A drainage layer is laid at the bottom.
  2. The prepared soil mixture is poured on top of the drainage.
  3. Holes are made in the soil, the depth of which is no more than 5 mm.
  4. Planting material is laid out in the holes, covered with a thin layer of soil and moistened a little.
  5. The pot or container is covered with plastic wrap, placed in a warm and bright room.

Did you know? In 1992, a new kiwi variety was developed in New Zealand. It is distinguished by an unusual golden color of the pulp and high cost.

Every day, the shelter must be removed and the plantings should be aired and watered.

The subtleties of caring for kiwi

After 4 weeks, several leaves will appear on the sprout. It is during this period that the seedlings are planted in separate small pots. Kiwi has a very delicate superficial root system, so you should carefully remove the seedlings from the common container.

If the roots are damaged, the plant may die.

When transplanting kiwi into pots, it is very important to add a little to the prepared soil mixture. Further top dressing should be carried out from March to September every 2 weeks.
Ideal for this.

Kiwi is a moisture-loving plant, and it is very important not to allow the soil to dry out.

It should always be kept moist, but overflowing can cause the roots to rot. Choose pots that have drainage holes to allow excess water to escape from the soil.

Be sure to ensure that water does not stagnate in the pan. In the hot period, it is recommended to spray the plant daily.

To obtain a crop, in addition to ensuring the proper level of illumination, regular moistening and proper feeding, other measures must be taken.

It is imperative to make supports. They are needed so that the vine can rise up. To improve branching, it is necessary to regularly pinch the plants.

Do not forget that in order to obtain a crop, it is necessary to cross-pollinate male and female flowers. If it is carried out, the first fruits can be harvested 6-7 years after planting.

Vegetative propagation of kiwi

In addition to growing kiwi from seeds, there are other methods of propagation. Let's consider them in more detail.

In a split with a hardened cutting

To use this method, you will need hardened cuttings that contain at least 3 buds. Be sure to cut obliquely the lower edge under the lowest kidney, and above the top one should leave a distance of 1 cm.

Important! In the autumn and winter periods, soil moistening should be carried out only if the surface layer is completely dry, otherwise the root system may rot.


After that, the planting material must be placed in water and a growth stimulator added to it (you can use the drug). The plant should be kept in a container of water for at least 12 hours.

Then you need to prepare seedling boxes, lay out a drainage layer at the bottom, and a prepared mixture on top, which includes peat and sand in equal parts.

Then the cuttings are planted in a container, they are moistened, covered with glass jars on top and left in a dark place with good lighting.

Every day you need to remove the jar and spray the seedlings, and, if necessary, water them. After 3-4 weeks, the seedlings should have a root system. From this point on, it is possible to plant in separate pots with a drainage layer and specially prepared soil.

In a split with a green cutting

To implement this method, it is worth using green cuttings, which are harvested during summer pruning. They must have 2-3 kidneys.

The lower cut is carried out at an angle of 45 degrees, and the upper one should be performed 1 cm above the uppermost kidney, exactly. Then the cuttings must be placed in a container with water (4-5 cm), covered with paper and left for 24 hours.

budding

The simplest method of budding (grafting) is budding in the butt, as it can be performed both in spring and summer, provided that the air temperature is above +10 °C. First of all, you need to choose a rootstock plant. Below the budding area by 40 cm, all leaves and shoots must be removed.

Only a few fresh shoots should be cut from the scion, and it is important that they already have buds. On the rootstock at an angle of 45 degrees, it is necessary to make a cut, the length of which is 6-7 mm, and then make the second cut 3 mm higher.

It must be led down so that it connects with the first. On the cutting of the scion, it is worth carrying out the same procedure, only the kidney should be located in the middle of the shield. The shield with the kidney should be placed in a cut on the rootstock and wrapped with plastic tape.

Why does the plant die

The main causes of plant death include:

  • insufficient moisture or excess watering;
  • bad light;
  • lack of useful elements in the soil;
  • damage to the plant by fungal diseases and pests.

The most common diseases include:

  • shield;
  • remove all affected foliage and stem sections;
  • remove the plant from the container, flush the root system and remove its rotten parts;
  • transplant kiwi into clean soil;
  • spray the plant and irrigate the soil with a fungicidal solution.