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Kiwi Fruit

 
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Old Man of the 80's



Joined: 22 Apr 2006
Posts: 303
Location: Wittering, UK
PostPosted: Tue Jun 27, 2006 10:52 pm    Post subject: Kiwi Fruit Reply with quote
I recently picked up a kiwi plant from the garden centre for the allotment. Lovely looking thing, and I'm the first one down there to get one, so it's novel as well. Only problem is, I'm not sure what to do with it. I've had a quick flick through a book in Woolies but wasn't allowed my pocket money from Mrs 80's so couldn't buy it (something about spending it all on eggs!?!). All I caught was you shouldn't grow in a greenhouse as it will thrive and take over, and you won't get a really good crop for about 7 years.

What sort of soil is best, currently in an alkali soil (not sure how strong)

Shade/sun/shelter?

I've got the RHS fruit book on it's way from amazon but it seems somewhat delayed. If anyone can give me a quick heads up I will be most grateful. If I'm doing everything drastically wrong then I can get something done about it tomorrow as the plant isn't looking brilliant at the moment.

Cheers
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Gilly C



Joined: 22 Jun 2006
Posts: 2236
Location: South Cumbria
PostPosted: Tue Jun 27, 2006 11:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
from RHS encyclopedia of gardening
can only be grown in the open in sunny sheltered areas since when they are in growth they are sensitive to adverse weather conditions. soil should be well aerated deep and rich in organic matter with ph6-7 incorporate a general purpose fertilizer into the site at the rate of 2-4oz per plant now here is the bad news Kiwi fruit bear either male or female flowers 1 male is needed for 8-9 females then it goes on to say about wire supports mulching etc let me know if you need more a bit tired to type it all tonight I hope the missus will let you buy some more to get some fruit I love Kiwis !
If you know the variety there is a list stating M or F
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Lisa



Joined: 14 Apr 2005
Posts: 3236
Location: Milton Keynes, Bucks
PostPosted: Wed Jun 28, 2006 7:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
There are at least a couple of varieties for sale now described as "self-fertile" and at least one described as very hardy eg here.

Allotments for All is my fav gardening forum - might be worth trying a search on there for more info.

And this is from the Plants for a Future website:

Quote:
Actinidia species
All members of this genus of climbing plants produce edible fruits, though they do not all do well in Britain. The best known species is A. deliciosa, the Kiwi Fruit. This is widely sold in British greengrocers, though not many people realize it can be grown here successfully, at least in the warmer parts of the country. If you want fruit that you can pick then you will need to prune the plants to keep them small - if left unpruned they will romp away and can grow to the top of trees 20 metres or more tall! There are two main difficulties with this crop. The first is that, although the dormant plants are quite cold-hardy, the young shoots in spring are very susceptible to frost damage. It is therefore best to grow them on a westerly aspect so that they are protected from the morning sun but still get plenty of warm sunshine. The second problem is that plants are usually either male or female, so you need to grow at least one male plant for every 4 - 5 females in order to get fruit. There are some cultivars that do not need a male for fertilization, though these are said to have inferior fruits. When grown from seed, the vast majority of seedlings are male, so it is best to buy named varieties. Heywood is the female form that is most commonly offered, though others can sometimes be found. Tomuri is said to be a good pollinator.
Of the other species, probably the best to try in this country is A. arguta, the Tara Vine. This is even hardier than the Kiwi, its fruit is rather smaller but this is not covered with hairs and so can be eaten without peeling.


Sounds like it really depends exactly what variety you've got then...
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Old Man of the 80's



Joined: 22 Apr 2006
Posts: 303
Location: Wittering, UK
PostPosted: Wed Jun 28, 2006 8:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Wow wow wow.

So much information, it brings a tear to my eye! Not sure on the exact species but am heading down there in a while so will see what the label says. It's not been much use so far with what to do with it but hopefully has the species etc.

Still waiting for books from amazon, think they must be floating down it at the moment, still in tree form, on the way to the paper factories!!
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