A close relative of the kiwi in your area. Kiwi - what kind of fruit is it, how does it grow in nature and in culture? What is the name of garden kiwi?

This rough, pubescent berry is a storehouse of vitamin C. It’s hard to believe that it has existed in this form for less than 100 years. Thanks to New Zealand breeders, it has become larger and much tastier. To understand whether it is possible to grow healthy berries at home, let’s imagine how kiwi grows in its homeland.

The birthplace of Yang Tao, which means strawberry peach in Chinese, is China. The culture belongs to the genus Actinidia, species Actinidia sinensis. It was brought to New Zealand at the beginning of the 20th century. The Chinese berry weighed no more than 30 g. Thanks to selection, it became larger, its taste was enriched without sacrificing its beneficial properties, which make it possible to use the fruit for the treatment and prevention of many diseases.

Like its ancestor, kiwi is a vine. But it is not found in the wild. This is an artificially improved plant. Even a new name was invented for it.

Where does kiwi grow? Cultivated plantations of the exotic fruit can be found wherever the climate allows it to grow: in Italy, South Korea, Chile, Greece. But the recognized leaders in the production of this healthy berry are New Zealand and China. So the kiwi returned to his homeland in triumph. Despite the considerable difficulties associated with growing this exotic fruit, the first plantations appeared not so long ago in Abkhazia, in the south of Dagestan, on the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar Territory. In short, now in order to find out how kiwi grows, you don’t need to go abroad. You can see this exotic on the territory of our country.

Kiwi can withstand temperatures down to -15 degrees, so it winters well under cover even in regions with cool winters.

Biologist from Uzhgorod G.V. Straton, through long selection, created a new variety of Kiwi - Valentine, which can withstand frosts down to -28 degrees without freezing! This plant can winter even in the middle zone.

A vine needs support; in a wild forest, trees play its role. On plantations, supports are created artificially by tying plants to specially stretched nets and installed poles.

What does kiwi grow on? Like its ancestors, it loves fertile, loose soil with a high humus content, moist but without stagnant water. Actinidia in the forest most often grows in partial shade. Cultivated kiwi prefers sun. It also needs regular watering, fertilizing, mulching, pruning and shaping. There is a lot of hassle when growing this berry. But this doesn’t stop real gardeners. Many people try to grow this valuable fruit at home.

Growing at home

Growing kiwi from seeds is a fascinating activity that requires patience and compliance with all the rules of agricultural technology. You will have to wait a long time for the first fruits - kiwi blooms only 3-4 years after sowing, sometimes flowering occurs only after 6 years of cultivation. But even flowering is not a guarantee that fruit will set. This plant requires a pollinator. We need a Kiwi man and a Kiwi woman to live nearby. To maximize the likelihood of such a neighborhood, several specimens of this exotic fruit will have to be planted in pots, since it is possible to find out which plant has grown - male or female - only with the beginning of flowering. On female specimens the pistil of the flowers is much larger. There are monoecious plants that bear both male and female flowers at the same time. They don't need a pollinator.

When kiwi is propagated by seed, at least 70% of the plants will be male.

Preparing and germinating seeds

Seeds are easy to obtain. To do this, just buy kiwi in the store. The fruit must be completely ripe. Seeds have the highest germination rate in early spring. It is at this time that they begin to germinate.

The algorithm for preparing seeds for sowing is as follows.

• Remove the seeds from half the fruit and thoroughly wash them from the pulp.
• The seeds are dried.
• Place on a cotton pad moistened with hot water, which is placed on a saucer.
• Put on a plastic bag and place in a warm place. The bag must be removed regularly to ventilate the seeds. The cotton pad should always be damp, but not over-moistened.
• As soon as small roots appear, it is time to plant the seeds.

Transplantation into soil

For initial cultivation, small plastic containers with a transparent lid are most suitable. This is a ready-made mini-greenhouse for plants. Drainage is made at the bottom of each container and filled with a planting mixture of peat, sand, humus and turf soil in equal parts. The seeds are laid out on the surface of the moistened planting mixture and sprinkled with a thin layer of soil. Its thickness should not be more than 3 mm. Germinated seeds germinate in 2 weeks. It is necessary to spray the soil surface with water, as young seedlings are very sensitive to lack of moisture. Tender shoots are shaded from direct sunlight. As soon as the plants have 2 pairs of true leaves, they are planted in larger containers.

How to make a pick?

In order for the plants to grow and develop well in the future, the soil for them is prepared in the same way as for seedlings, but the amount of peat is reduced by increasing the proportion of turf soil and humus. The kiwi root system grows wider than deep, so the containers for planting are not too deep, but wide.

Sequence of actions when picking.

• Drainage is made at the bottom of the planting container.
• Cover it with soil to 1/3 of the height of the pot.
• Carefully remove the plant from the container in which it grew before picking. The earthen ball cannot be disturbed, so the plants are watered 2 hours before picking.
• Place the plant in a new pot, covering the roots with soil.
• The first few days after picking, small kiwis especially need protection from direct sunlight.

Kiwi reproduction

The seed propagation method is described in detail above. It is inconvenient because you not only have to grow a lot of plants, but also wait a long time for fruiting. It is much easier to propagate kiwi vegetatively. Both lignified cuttings of the first year of life, which are harvested in winter, and green ones, which are cut in summer, are suitable for this. Rooted, they will completely repeat the characteristics of the plant from which they were cut.

The cut branch should not be thinner than 5 mm and have 3 buds. You need to cut them with a well-sharpened knife so that the sections do not wrinkle. The bottom cut should be directly under the bud and have a slope of 45 degrees. The upper cut is made straight, departing approximately 1 cm from the bud. For cuttings of summer harvest, cut off all leaves except the top one. It is shortened by a third. The prepared cuttings are placed with the lower cut into a container filled with water at room temperature to a height of 4 cm. After a day, they are transferred to a solution of a root formation stimulator, in which they are kept for 24 hours. In both cases, put a plastic bag on the container with cuttings. After this, the cuttings are ready for planting in a cutting bed with peat soil. The mini-greenhouse must have a double covering - a film and a backing made of non-woven material. When using artificial fog, the rooting rate of cuttings is up to 95%. Rooted cuttings are planted in separate containers and grown in a greenhouse. In warm climates, plants are ready for planting in the ground after a year; in other cases, they are planted after 2 years.

Kiwi can be propagated by pieces of roots 1 to 1.5 cm thick and up to 30 cm long. They are planted in a substrate with a temperature of about 24 degrees. It must be constant, so bottom heating will be needed. As soon as the shoots grown from dormant buds reach a height of 15 cm, they are transplanted into separate containers, shortening the parent root. Subsequently, they are grown in the same way as rooted cuttings.

To obtain a large number of seedlings on plantations, the grafting method is used: split grafting, simple and improved copulation, summer budding with a shield in a T-shaped cut. Budding can be done in spring and summer; all other types of vaccinations are carried out before the buds open.

Features of care

To successfully grow kiwi, 3 components are enough: a lot of light, timely watering and annual fertilizing with vermicompost or humus.

This plant can only be grown on a southern windowsill, but the light should be diffused. In winter, additional illumination with phytolamps may be required. Do not forget that it is a liana and will thank you for good care with rapid growth - an adult plant can grow up to 7 m. During the growth process, it needs support. Any artificial restriction in growth will certainly affect flowering and fruiting. Kiwi can be pruned only in the dormant stage in winter, which requires a temperature of about 10 degrees Celsius, and after the leaves have fully bloomed in summer. In the phase of the beginning of sap flow, the plant is very vulnerable and can simply bleed out juice. Pinching the tips of the shoots will give the plant the opportunity to grow wider. In order for it to develop evenly, the kiwi pot needs to be rotated 15 degrees every 2 weeks.

Kiwi loves water very much, so it needs to be watered regularly, but not fanatically, so as not to cause rotting of the roots.

You can feed exotics once a year with organic matter. Vermicompost or matured compost is buried in a groove around the trunk. You can't dig deep - The roots of the plant are superficial and it does not like loosening. It is better to mulch the soil in the pot, for example, with chopped wood chips or bark. In summer, during rapid growth, complex mineral fertilizers for indoor plants will not be superfluous. The frequency of fertilizing is once a decade. As the kiwi grows, it will need a larger container, where it is transplanted in the spring before the buds open.

Why is kiwi dying?

The main reason for the death of the plant is improper watering. It is harmed by both lack and excess of water.

Other reasons include the following:

• the appearance of fungal diseases and untimely control of them;
• unnoticed pests that are not controlled;
• lack of lighting and nutrition;
• freezing of the plant if it grows on a balcony or loggia;
• cutting and pinching shoots during active sap flow;
• damage to young shoots by cats who really like the smell of kiwi.

In home culture, kiwi rarely gets sick and is damaged by pests. If you follow all the rules of agricultural technology, the plant will be healthy and will give you tasty and very healthy fruits.

Lemons and oranges grown on a windowsill will no longer surprise anyone. Therefore, amateur flower growers are constantly trying to “domesticate” new crops. Kiwi can also be grown in captivity. If you set a goal, in a few years you can get stably fruit-bearing plants from seeds.

Kiwi at home

In nature, kiwi (the plant is known to botanists as Actinidia sinensis) is a tree-like vine that prefers a tropical or subtropical climate. At the tops of the shoots, whole clusters of large fruits ripen, similar in appearance to very large gooseberries. Depending on the type, they may be smooth or rough to the touch.

In nature, the kiwi vine reaches 7–10 m in length

In principle, there is nothing difficult in creating a microclimate for kiwi that is close to optimal. But the plant belongs to the category of dioecious. This means that for fruiting to occur there must be at least two specimens - male and female. They can only be distinguished during flowering. The former, acting as pollinators, lack a pistil, but have many stamens. One male plant is enough to pollinate five to six female plants. The only self-pollinating kiwi variety in existence is Jenny. But even in this variety, the presence of male plants nearby has a positive effect on productivity.

The presence of a male plant is useful even if the variety is self-pollinating

Video: how to determine the sex of a kiwi plant

Amateur flower growers value kiwi not only for its fruiting, but also for its long and abundant flowering. Large five- or six-petalled flowers gradually change color from snow-white to yellowish-cream, lemon or lime.

Fruits at home, as a rule, ripen less than the description of a particular kiwi variety promises. But in terms of the content of vitamins, macro- and microelements, and taste, they are in no way inferior to those grown outdoors. Ripe fruits are easily separated from the vine. They are stored in the refrigerator, the approximate “shelf life” is one and a half to two weeks.

“Homemade” kiwis are small but very tasty

There are no problems with obtaining kiwi seeds at home. They can be taken from any berry purchased in the store. But seedlings grown in this way rarely inherit the varietal characteristics of the “parent”, and the taste of the fruit leaves much to be desired. Therefore, they are most often used as a rootstock, and any seedling of a certain variety purchased from a specialized nursery acts as a scion.

Viable seeds can be obtained from the kiwi fruit, which can be purchased at any grocery store.

The harvest from kiwi grown from seeds will have to wait quite a long time. As a rule, such plants bloom for the first time no earlier than six years after planting.

It is advisable to obtain planting material from mature and healthy-looking fruits

For proper development of kiwi, warmth and sunlight are vital. Therefore, the pot is placed in the brightest place in the apartment, for example, on a south or south-west window sill, turning it periodically (every 2–2.5 weeks) so that the heat is distributed evenly. Cold drafts are strictly contraindicated. Equally important are regular fertilizing (preferably organic) and proper watering.

In nature, kiwi is a vine, so support for it must be taken care of in advance.

For some reason, actinidia juice has an effect on cats (and, to a lesser extent, cats) similar to that of valerian tincture. Therefore, it is worth putting the pot somewhere where cats definitely cannot reach it, or surrounding the plant with a net.

Cats do not eat kiwi leaves and shoots, but they can severely damage the plant when trying to get to the juice, which for some reason they are very partial to.

Planting and transplanting procedure

Growing kiwi begins with obtaining seeds. The fruits must be ripe and without the slightest trace of rot, mold, or pest damage. The collected seeds are sown immediately after collection; the best time for this is spring.

Obtaining seeds

The variety of kiwi does not matter for this. The main thing is that the fruit is mature and healthy in appearance. Ripe berries can be identified by their characteristic subtle aroma. Each kiwi contains more than a thousand seeds.

Seeds are prepared for planting as follows:

Preparing for landing

The root system of kiwi is quite developed, expanding greatly in width, but superficial and fibrous. Therefore, there is no point in purchasing a deep pot that is shaped like a bucket. The best option is a container similar to a bowl or salad bowl. A prerequisite is the presence of drainage holes. As for materials, you should give preference to natural ceramics - it allows air to pass through better, preventing moisture from stagnating.

A bucket-shaped pot can greatly slow down the growth of the vine, so the best option is a wide and shallow pot so that the roots have room to spread out.

Kiwi prefers soil that is light and loose, but still nutritious. A mixture of peat chips, coarse river sand and black soil in a ratio of 1:2:3 is well suited for it. You can add 8–10 g of sifted wood ash and powdered eggshells for each liter of finished substrate. Another soil option is vermiculite or perlite, peat and humus in approximately equal proportions. If you don’t want to prepare the soil mixture yourself, you can look in specialized stores for a substrate intended for any tropical vines.

Peat is a necessary component of soil for kiwi

Planting seeds in the ground

There is nothing complicated in the procedure itself. But there are some nuances that you need to familiarize yourself with in advance.

1. Expanded clay or other drainage material is poured onto the bottom of a clean pot, creating a layer at least 3–4 cm thick. On top is a disinfected substrate, filling approximately 2/3 of the container. To sterilize it, it can be treated with steam, heat or cold.
2. The soil is well moistened by spraying from a spray bottle and leveled. When the water is absorbed, sow the seeds as evenly as possible. Some gardeners recommend leaving them on the surface, others advise covering them with a thin (1–1.5 mm) layer of fine sand.
3. The plantings are once again moderately moistened, the pot is covered with glass or covered with plastic film to create a greenhouse effect. To place the container, choose the warmest place in the apartment (temperature not lower than 25–27ºС). It is also desirable to have at least 12–14 hours of daylight and bottom heating. To avoid condensation, the greenhouse is opened for ventilation for 3–5 minutes every day. As the soil dries, spray it with a spray bottle. It should always be slightly damp, but not wet.
4. Shoots appear en masse and quite quickly. 2–3 weeks after this, the plantings are thinned out, getting rid of the weakest seedlings.
5. When the kiwi seedlings reach a height of 10–12 cm (after 4–6 weeks), they are planted in individual containers. Such plants already have 2–3 pairs of true leaves. Suitable soil is a mixture of peat, turf soil and sand in approximately equal proportions. During the picking process, you should try to injure the roots of the plant as little as possible. They are very tender and fragile in seedlings. At the same time, you need to take care of the support. If you stick it into the pot later, there is again a risk of damaging the roots.

Kiwi seeds have good germination, but then many sprouts may die, it depends on the conditions of their maintenance

Since the kiwi vine differs in its growth rate, and purchasing pots “for growth” is not recommended for any indoor plants, young specimens will have to be replanted quite often, every 5–6 months. For the first few weeks after the procedure, it is recommended to move the plant from the windowsill, placing it somewhere where it will definitely not receive direct sunlight. For adult kiwis, the heat is quite comfortable, but young vines can greatly slow down their growth.

Kiwi transplantation is carried out as needed. As a rule, once every two years is sufficient. The diameter of the pot is increased by 3–5 cm. It is carried out using the transshipment method, trying to destroy the earthen lump as little as possible and injure the roots. They are very fragile on the plant.

Kiwis grown at home (especially young specimens) need frequent replanting - the vine grows quite quickly

Video: collecting kiwi seeds and planting them

How to graft a kiwi cutting

Most often, kiwi plants grown from seeds at home are used not to produce a harvest, but as a rootstock for “cultivated” varieties. Only seedlings aged three years and older are suitable for this. Kiwi can be grafted in any way. The results in each case are quite good.

Grafting into cleft

A lignified kiwi cutting is part of an annual shoot, cut from an adult vine of a certain variety in winter. For a plant, such pruning is a mandatory procedure. Green cuttings are obtained by cutting off the tops of shoots formed this season in the summer.

It is very important to securely fix the entire structure during the grafting process.

The optimal length of the cutting is 8–12 cm (2–3 pairs of leaves), the thickness of the shoot from which it is taken is 7–10 mm. It must be absolutely healthy, the bark must be smooth, uniform, elastic and intact. The best time of day to cut cuttings in summer is early morning.

To obtain planting material, use a sharpened, disinfected instrument - scissors, a knife, or pruning shears. The last option is preferable, since it minimally injures the shoot tissue, the bark does not crack or wrinkle. The lower cut is made at an angle of approximately 45º, the upper (straight) is located 8–10 mm above the last bud.

The easiest way is grafting into the cleft. In this case, the cuttings are harvested in the fall and buried in the snow for the winter. The procedure is carried out in mid-spring.

1. The bases of the cut cuttings are placed in a container filled with water at room temperature for about a day. Their tops are covered with a damp cloth or plastic film. After a day, the cuttings are transferred from the water to a solution of any root formation stimulant prepared according to the instructions. After 18–20 hours they are ready for grafting.

   

   Parts of the shoots should be about half immersed in water

2. The rootstock seedling is shortened to a length of 3–5 cm, making an even horizontal cut. In the middle, perpendicular to a scalpel or razor blade, cut a slit 2.5–3 cm deep (the so-called cleft).

   

   It is necessary to ensure that the split is not too wide - the cutting should enter it with some effort

3. A cutting 12–15 cm long, the thickness of which approximately coincides with the thickness of the shoot of the rootstock, is cut from below on both sides at an angle, forming something similar to a wedge 3–3.5 cm long. It should start as close as possible to the lower bud.

   

   The wedge shape is necessary for the most convenient entry of the scion into the rootstock

4. The scion is inserted into the split on the rootstock. Part of the cut on it should remain in the open air. The cut part of the cutting promotes faster fusion of the scion and rootstock.

   

   It is very important to carry out the procedure with clean hands, otherwise the cut may become infected.

5. The junction of the shoots is wrapped with polyethylene tape in several layers. When callus appears, the wrapping is removed.

   

   Electrical tape or cling film will help protect the joint from negative influences

Video: how to properly graft a cutting

Another common method is budding. Essentially, this is the same vaccination. The difference is that in this case, not a whole cutting is used, but only one growth bud, removed from it along with a thin layer of wood. The simplest option is budding in the butt. A bud cut from a scion plant is combined with a bark-cleaned area on the rootstock vine. Some gardeners claim that in order for the parts to grow together, a cross-shaped cut with a depth of 2–4 mm is generally sufficient.

The budding procedure is fundamentally no different from vaccination.

Video: butt budding process

The kiwi liana is characterized by its growth rate, so pruning is a mandatory procedure for it. Such plants look much more aesthetically pleasing and neater, and bear fruit more abundantly. If the growth of the vine is not limited in any way, it can stretch up to 7–10 m in length. It is absolutely impossible to keep such a plant in an apartment.

For seedlings that have grown to a height of 25–30 cm, pinch the top, removing the last 2–3 buds. This stimulates the plant to branch more intensively. But an excess of green mass is also harmful to the plant - all its strength goes into feeding it, so the fruits do not set at all or fall off long before ripening.

An adult kiwi plant at home should consist of 5–7 shoots, starting at a distance of approximately 45–50 cm from the base of the stem. They constantly form dense growth, which will have to be shortened throughout the growing season. It is not advisable to preserve it, since only the lower 5–6 “eyes” of each annual shoot bear fruit.

There is no point in leaving very long shoots on a kiwi vine: only the lower 5–6 buds bear fruit

Old branches are gradually removed, replacing them with replacement shoots. Typically, kiwi needs rejuvenating pruning every 5–6 years. If carried out correctly, the productive life of the vine extends to 40–50 years.

Pruning is especially important when there are several plants located next to each other. If it is not carried out, one of them may simply “strangle” the neighbors. Also, removing excess foliage and weak shoots improves air exchange in the crown, minimizing the risk of the spread of diseases and pest attacks.

A different method of formation is more often used when growing vines outdoors, but such plants also look nice at home.

1. An annual seedling is shortened to a height of 30 cm.
2. After another year, all formed side shoots, except two (the so-called shoulders), are cut off to the growth point.
3. When they reach a length of 1 m, their tops are pinched. From all the growth formed on the “shoulders”, 3–4 lateral branches are left, located at approximately equal distances from each other. They are shortened by cutting off after the fifth or sixth bud.
4. During the active growing season, all growth on these branches and new side shoots on the “shoulders” are immediately removed.
5. After harvesting, the fruiting shoots are pinched so that 6–7 new leaves remain above the last berry. Branches on which there were no fruits are shortened to the fifth leaf bud.
6. At the age of three years, branches are pruned to the point of growth. Soon a new shoot will begin to form from it, which is pinched after five leaves have formed on it.

Secateurs, like any other tool used for pruning kiwi, must be sharpened and disinfected

A very neglected or old kiwi vine can be rejuvenated by radical pruning in the spring. Unlike most indoor plants, kiwi responds normally to the loss of a significant part of the green mass, quickly recovering and starting to grow after such “stress”.

Other important nuances of caring for vines

Those who are going to grow kiwi should first of all remember that this is a southern subtropical plant. This is what you need to focus on when creating an optimal microclimate for it. In unsuitable conditions, the vine will most likely simply refuse to bear fruit.

Creating a suitable microclimate

The most important requirement of a vine is sufficient lighting. The pot is placed on a windowsill facing south or southwest. In winter, there will not be enough natural light, so you will have to use fluorescent or special phytolamps, extending the daylight hours to 12–14 hours. It is better to place them so that the light falls on the plant in a horizontal plane.

Kiwi vitally needs a lot of light, and taking this into account, they select a place for the pot

At the same time, kiwi must be protected from direct sunlight during the hottest hours. They cause serious burns, especially if the vine was watered shortly before. You can shade the kiwi with tulle, a paper screen, or several layers of gauze.

With a lack of light, the stems of the vine become unsightly, the leaves turn pale and smaller, and the spaces between them increase. Flowering and, especially, fruiting in such conditions can not be expected.

Kiwi will most likely react negatively to any changes in living conditions. The plant especially does not like sudden temperature changes and cold drafts. Therefore, a place for it is chosen once and for all, approaching this procedure with all responsibility.

Plant care

Caring for kiwi at home is easy. Basically it comes down to regular watering and fertilizing. This is quite enough for the vine to feel good and bear fruit.

Kiwi prefers natural organic fertilizers. It is best to alternate it with mineral fertilizers. The liana spends quite a lot of energy on the growth and formation of fruits, so fertilizing is applied every 12–15 days, starting from mid-March and until October.

Vermicompost is an absolutely natural fertilizer

The very first fertilizing is vermicompost, humus or rotted compost (a source of nitrogen). A circular groove is made in the pot around the plant and fertilizer is added there. During the season, nutrients will gradually flow to the roots along with water. Then you can alternately use complex mineral fertilizer and infusions of nettle leaves, dandelion, wood ash, and bird droppings.

Kiwi needs frequent and abundant watering, but it does not tolerate stagnation of moisture in the pot. To avoid this, 30–40 minutes after the procedure you will definitely need to drain the excess liquid from the pan. Watering is carried out at least once every 3-4 days. At the same time, moisten the earthen ball as evenly as possible. It is best to use a watering can with a divider attachment for this.

A watering can with a divider helps to evenly wet the earthen ball in a pot of kiwi

In extreme heat, in addition to watering, it is advisable to spray the vine with a fine spray bottle. In both cases, water is used heated to room temperature. You can also use a special humidifier. Or simply place basins with cool water next to the kiwi, organize a “company” for the vine from other indoor plants, place wet expanded clay and sphagnum moss in the tray of the pot.

Sphagnum moss retains moisture well, which is very useful for indoor plants in the heat

In winter, the liana sheds its leaves; this is a natural process for it. As soon as this happens, fertilizing is stopped completely, and the number of waterings is reduced to once every 10–12 days. During hibernation, it is advisable to move the plant to a cool, bright room where the temperature is maintained at 12–16ºС.

Kiwi, like most fruit-bearing tropical plants (lemons, pomegranates, pineapples), sheds its leaves in the winter at home

Diseases and pests that threaten kiwi

Like any actinidia, kiwi rarely suffers from diseases and pests. This also applies to specimens grown at home. But you should not neglect regular inspection of the vine. The earlier a problem is noticed, the easier it is to deal with it.

Often the grower himself is to blame for the deterioration in the appearance and condition of kiwi. Mistakes he makes in care provoke problems with the plant.

Table: how kiwi reacts to improper care

What does the plant look like?	What is the reason
The leaves droop, lose their tone, and partially or completely fall off.	Moisture deficiency. As a rule, the plant recovers after watering.
Brownish-beige spots on leaves and stems.	Burn. The plant suffered from direct sunlight. Stains are nothing more than dead tissue.
“Wet” black-brown spots at the base of the shoots.	Rot fungus. Its development is favored by cool indoor temperatures, especially in combination with excessive and/or frequent watering.
Shrinking and yellowing leaves, reddening petioles, a general deterioration in the tone of the plant.	Nitrogen deficiency. Caused by the use of “poor” soil that is unsuitable for kiwi. Root and foliar feeding with urea solution (1.5–2 g/l) is recommended.
Shrinking leaves of an unnatural dark green color that have lost their shine, a sharp decrease or lack of yield.	Phosphorus deficiency. The plant is fed with superphosphate.
The leaves take on a brick-like hue, quickly dry out and fall off.	Potassium deficiency. Potassium sulfate can be used for feeding. Potassium chloride is not recommended - kiwi, like all actinidia, does not like chlorine.
The leaves change their shade to lime, and blurry brownish spots appear between the veins.	Magnesium deficiency. The liana is fed with magnesium sulfate and potassium magnesium.

Due to lack of light, the kiwi vine stretches unsightly - this applies to both adult plants and very young seedlings

In addition to the so-called non-infectious diseases, the symptoms of which most often disappear when the microclimate is normalized and proper feeding is carried out, kiwi can also suffer from fungal diseases. Most often, when waterlogging occurs, various types of rot develop. Also, the plant is not ignored by such “universal” pests of indoor plants as aphids and scale insects. They are distinguished by their rare “omnivorousness”.

Table: diseases and pests that can threaten kiwi when grown at home

Disease or pest	Symptoms	Control and prevention measures
Large brown spots on leaves with darker edges. Sometimes the border may have a greenish or purple tint. In severe cases, there are gray-brown concentric rings around them.	The disease most often develops when there is a deficiency of potassium and phosphorus in the soil and an excess of nitrogen. At the first signs, the affected parts of the leaves are cut off and two treatments with Bordeaux mixture (10 ml/l) are carried out with an interval of 12–15 days. In severe cases, fungicides Strobi, Horus, Topsin-M, Delan are used.
Dark brown blurry spots on the leaves, longitudinal stripes of the same shade on the stems. Gradually they become covered with grayish-white “fluff” with small black dots. The leaves dry out and fall off.	At the early stage of the disease, the soil is shed with a solution of Alirin-B or Ordan, the vine itself is sprayed with Fitosporin, Trichodermin, Quadris, Ridomil-Gold. A folk remedy is garlic infusion. Carry out 4-5 treatments with an interval of 7-10 days, it is advisable to change the drugs. For prevention, you can tie the base of the shoot with copper wire or spray the plant monthly with an iodine solution (20 drops per liter of milk and liter of water).
“Weeping” black-brown spots at the base of the shoots, mold on the surface of the soil, an unpleasant putrid odor. The stems are easily pulled out of the ground.	If the disease has gone too far, it will no longer be possible to save the plant. In the early stages of rot development, you can try to replant the kiwi, getting rid of all stems and leaves that show the slightest damage. The substrate is completely changed, the pot is sterilized. Add sifted wood ash or Trichodermin to the soil. For a month, when watering, alternate plain water and a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate or Fitosporin, Gamaira, Baktofit.
Rapidly increasing in size grayish spots (like dust) on fruits, leaves and shoots, covered with a fluffy coating of the same color. Eating infected kiwi is not recommended.	If the disease is noticed on time, kiwi is sprayed daily with infusions of garlic and mustard powder until the symptoms completely disappear. The soil is sprinkled with wood ash and crushed chalk. In severe cases, fungicides are used - Teldor, Vectra, Skor, Zineb (according to instructions).
“Watery” spots on leaves and fruits, covered with a thick whitish coating, similar to cotton wool, rotting stems. The disease spreads from bottom to top.	The affected stems and leaves are cut off, the “wounds” are covered with a paste of water, crushed chalk and potassium permanganate, and sprinkled with ash. If this does not help, the plants and soil are treated with Topaz, Maxim, HOM.
Brown-gray rounded “plaques” on leaves and shoots, rapidly increasing in volume. The tissues around them take on a reddish-yellow hue, and the soil in the pot turns black.	Visible scale insects are removed from the plant by lubricating their shells with kerosene, alcohol, vinegar, and machine oil. The leaves are wiped with foam of green potassium or laundry soap. The plant is treated three times with an interval of 7–12 days with Aktara, Fufanon, and Fosbecid. For prevention, the vine is sprayed with infusion of hot pepper or onion once a week.
Colonies of small insects are yellow-green or black-brown in color, clinging to the underside of leaves, tops of shoots, and fruit ovaries. At the same time, they become covered with a transparent sticky coating. The affected parts of the plant become deformed, dry out, and fall off.	If there are few aphids, the plants are washed in the shower, sprayed 3-4 times a day with infusions of any herbs with a strong aroma, garlic, onions, citrus peels, mustard powder, tobacco crumbs. In severe cases, general insecticides are used - Inta-Vir, Fury, Mospilan, Iskra-Bio. Usually 2-3 applications with an interval of 5-7 days are sufficient.

Photo gallery: diseases and pests dangerous to kiwi

The development of phyllostictosis is most often provoked by improper feeding or lack thereof.
Late blight is also known as brown rot.
If the development of root rot has gone too far, the plant can only be thrown away Gray rot affects not only leaves and stems, but also kiwi fruits
White rot is very easy to identify, but getting rid of this disease is quite difficult
A durable shell reliably protects the scale insect, so most folk remedies are not dangerous for it
Aphids are one of the most “universal” pests; both indoor and garden plants are attacked by them.

Actinidia kolomikta, a representative of the Far Eastern flora, has taken root well in our conditions and provides double benefits - it decorates and produces valuable medicinal fruits. They really look like kiwis. Only kiwi is large and fleecy, while actinidia fruits are small and smooth, but very tender with a strong pineapple aroma and very healthy - this is an unsurpassed natural concentrate of vitamin C.

100 g of fresh berries contain from 1000 to 1400 mg% (100-140 g/l). For comparison: in the fruits of Chinese actinidia or kiwi - 150-300, in lemon - 50-70, in the best varieties of black currant - no more than 300-400 mg%. To meet your daily requirement for vitamin C, it is enough to eat just 2-3 fresh northern kiwi berries or 10 g of jam.

The medicinal properties of actinidia help with bleeding, tuberculosis, whooping cough, sluggish digestion and constipation. Restore strength after infectious diseases, hepatitis, industrial and household intoxications, and physical and mental stress. The fruits are consumed fresh, made into jam, marmalade, dried, and processed into juice, wine, and marmalade. Moreover, when processing fruits, ascorbic acid is practically not destroyed, which significantly increases the value of the crop. In recent decades, in many countries, fruits have begun to be consumed not only as part of sweet dishes or salads, but also as an addition to gourmet side dishes for meat dishes. However, you should not get carried away with actinidia if you have diabetes and obesity.

Actinidia is a tree-like vine, in favorable conditions it rises on a support to a height of up to 15 m, without support it grows as a bush up to 2 m high. You will get useful fruits if you simply plant trees on a gazebo, pergola or sunny wall of an outbuilding or home, since the crop is an excellent vertical landscaping element. The plant can be used to create a hedge at the border of a site, “greening” unsightly pillars, arranging trellises and arches. The lifespan of the vine is more than 50 years.

A characteristic distinctive feature of actinidia is natural variegation - a rather rare phenomenon in the plant world. The variegated leaves greatly decorate the vine: it stands out sharply against the general background of bright green vegetation. When blooming, actinidia leaves are bronze, green in summer. In June, some of the leaves, most often from the top, acquire a soft pink tone, which over time intensifies to a bright crimson. The time of the most diverse and intense variegation coincides with the flowering of this plant. Whitening and redness of the leaves occurs predominantly in male specimens, more and more intense in direct sunlight, less in the shade. Sometimes during periods of drought and strong winds or in early spring with insufficient moisture, as well as on poor soils, the edges of the leaf and its top become brownish-red. Bright autumn colors and coloring of leaves usually do not occur. The leaves fade in the fall, become yellowish-green or reddish-green, or remain green for a long time.

So, in order for your vines to live well, and for you to get a full harvest, you need to choose the right place and plant it. It is preferable to grow actinidia in sunny open places, on humus-rich, loose, well-drained soils. The soil reaction can be slightly acidic or neutral. Dry sandy or heavy clay soils are improved by adding a significant amount of organic matter and peat; acidic soils are limed. For planting, prepare holes 60 x 60 x 60 cm or trenches. A drainage layer (crushed stone, coarse sand) is poured onto the bottom in a layer of 10 cm. Next, a mixture of fertile soil layer with well-decomposed compost or vermicompost, neutral peat, lime, and ash. The distance between seedlings is 0.5-1 m. Trench planting promotes better growth and development of plants. When decorating buildings, it is not recommended to grow actinidia directly on the wall. It is necessary to install the trellis parallel to the wall at a distance of 0.7-1.0 m from it. The best time for planting and transplanting is autumn. You can replant in early spring before sap flow begins. Care consists of loosening, maintaining a weed-free condition, watering and shaping. In favorable conditions, the yield can reach 2.5-3.5 kg per plant. Seedlings begin to bear fruit 4-5 years after planting, vegetatively propagated faster - in the 3-4th year.

Actinidia is a dioecious crop, that is, male and female flowers are located on different plants. Therefore, do not forget to create a kind of harem: for 4-5 plants with female flowers, plant one (in the middle) with male flowers. Although female plants are partially self-fertile, the harvest without a “man” will be very poor.

female flower

The berries of sea anemones do not ripen at the same time. Depending on the variety and weather conditions, they reach ripeness in the second half of August - the first half of September. Ripe fruits fall off easily, so they are harvested half-ripe 3-5 days before full ripening, and for ripening they are laid out in a thin layer in a dark, cool room. It should be taken into account that actinidia berries absorb various odors, so they need to be stored in a clean, dry and well-ventilated area.
The famous breeder I.V. Michurin was the first to undertake an in-depth study of the beneficial properties, selection and introduction of vines into culture. He also developed the first varieties, one of them, Clara Zetkin, is still popular and widespread. Currently, the number of varieties of Actinidia kolomikta reaches several dozen. From us you can buy Large-fruited, Pineapple, Fragrant, Nakhodka.

The liana is very frost-resistant. In the area of ​​natural growth during the dormant period, it can withstand frosts down to -45 C without shelter. In our conditions, returning spring frosts can be dangerous for actinidia, since the plant wakes up very early. At the beginning of May, the leaves fully bloom and shoots begin to grow. A short-term drop in temperature to -1-1.5 ºС leads to wilting of the leaves, which, however, are restored. But at -3.5 C the leaves irreversibly turn brown, young shoots and flowers die. A drop to -8 C at the end of May causes the complete destruction of young shoots. The adult plant, of course, does not die. New shoots grow from dormant buds, but there will be no fruiting this year. For one- to two-year-old bushes, such frosts can be deadly. Therefore, in such cases it is necessary to provide timely shelter.
Actinidia in our conditions is not damaged by either pests or diseases. However, young plants still have one natural enemy - cats. In the spring, they are attracted by the ethereal smell, and they gnaw the bark and shoots, as a result of which the plant may die. To protect against cats, seedlings need to be fenced with a metal mesh, digging it to a depth of 10 cm. Adult fruit-bearing plants are almost not touched by cats.
You can purchase actinidia seedlings in many nurseries, botanical gardens, and from collectors.

Blanks

Dried fruits are the most traditional way of preparing actinidia. Ripe fruits are dried in an oven or electric dryer at a temperature of 50-60 C. Moreover, this should be done with short breaks. Thus, the fruits will turn into “raisins”.
Or you can do it differently, more elegantly. Actinidia is collected slightly unripe, but soft, washed, dried to remove droplets of moisture, sprinkled with sugar (300 g per 1 kg of fruit) and allowed to stand at room temperature for a day. The mass of fruits with sugar is poured with hot syrup (300 g of granulated sugar and a glass of water per 1 kg of mass). Heat everything together for 5-8 minutes at a temperature of 80 C. The resulting syrup is drained, and the berries are dried in the oven. It is very important to adhere to a certain temperature and time period: 15 minutes - at a temperature of 80 C, 30 minutes - at a temperature of 70 C, then 3-5 hours at a temperature of 30 C (near the battery) until the product is completely ready. Dried actinidia, very similar to raisins, are placed in boxes with plastic bags placed inside and stored in a dry place.
Actinidia syrup is added to a wide variety of drinks - cocktails, jelly, and used to flavor and vitaminize marmalade. To prepare the syrup, add sugar (500 g per 1 liter) to freshly squeezed juice, dissolve it while heating, bring the mixture to a boil and let stand for 5 minutes. Pour the hot syrup into prepared bottles, seal and place in a cool place.

What kind of overseas fruits have we tried to grow at home: lemons, pomelo, etc. What about growing kiwi? For some reason, this plant is not so often found in pots, but in vain: planting and caring for it is not difficult, although, of course, there are a couple of nuances.

What are we going to plant?

There are two ways to get your own kiwi vine: plant a cutting or grow seedlings from seeds. Each method has its pros and cons, but in general it doesn’t really matter which one you choose.

Cuttings

The growth process will go slightly faster than when planting with seeds.

— It is necessary to find a branch for planting, which can be a problem even in the southern regions of the country.

The branch is cut into sections with 2-3 buds, the cuttings are kept in 4-5 cm of water until roots form for 1 day, then another day in a root former solution, and then planted in open or closed ground.

Seeds

You can get planting material from any store-bought fruit.

— You will have to wait longer until the seedlings reach a sufficient size for planting in the ground. Caring for fragile sprouts is more difficult, and the number of manipulations with the plant increases sharply.

The seeds are germinated in a warm place in a mini-greenhouse, for which you can use a bowl, a damp cloth and film. After pecking, 2-3 seeds are planted to a depth of 1 cm in a container covered with a transparent plastic lid or film. Don’t forget to periodically open the lid or remove the film for ventilation! When the plants sprout, which happens after 6-8 days, they need to be thinned out to get rid of weak specimens, and when the sprouts reach a length of 10-12 cm, they are transplanted into individual pots or open ground.

The easiest and fastest way to remove kiwi seeds from the fruit is with tweezers, but if you are afraid of damaging the planting material, you can crush the pulp, put it in a glass and wait a little: the pulp will settle to the bottom and the seeds will float.

Plant at home or in open ground?

Yes, a kiwi liana, spread across the metal frame of a gazebo at the dacha, would plunge the guests of your house into shock, but, unfortunately, it is possible to provide kiwis with proper care in the open ground without a greenhouse in our country only in the south, and even then not everywhere such a plant will deign to take root due to some other factors. But growing a vine at home is not a question.

• Temperature

You probably already realized that kiwi is a heat-loving plant (what else can you expect from a tropical liana?), and with warmth and sunshine in most of our country, everything is not very rosy. At home, the situation will be corrected by additional lighting and central heating, although in winter a cold window sill with drafts can become a problem, and in summer – burns from direct sunlight. But an outdoor plant, even in the south, will have to be wrapped or even put indoors for the winter because of the cold, and even in spring and autumn due to temperature changes, which kiwi does not like much more than frost.

By the way

Most varieties of kiwi that you will find in the store tolerate temperatures down to -15C, and sometimes down to -20C, but this does not mean that the plant will feel comfortable at such a temperature.

• Priming

Proper soil is another challenge of growing kiwis outdoors, as they like nutritious, aerated soil, and the soil on your site may not fit this description. Here the problem can be solved by collecting soil yourself (the root system of kiwi is quite superficial, so this is quite realistic) and fertilizers: it is best to use organic matter for kiwi. There are no problems with home planting: the substrate from the store is quite suitable.

Despite its love for aerated soils, kiwi does not like loosening. In addition, it is also dangerous for it: it is almost impossible to loosen the soil without disturbing its root system.

• Watering

Both in the open ground at the dacha and in a decorative pot at home, you can regulate watering yourself: 2-3 times a week for the warm season and 1 time every 2 weeks for the cold season, when growth slows down - sufficient moisture for this plant. True, there is such a nuance: like indoor flowers, it is recommended to water kiwi only with settled water. But with the issue of water stagnation, which is detrimental to kiwi, everything is somewhat more complicated. Yes, you can put expanded clay in a pot, but kiwi is unlikely to make friends with clayey open soils.

In the heat, spraying with a spray bottle is added to the care of kiwi, regardless of whether the plant is in the house or outside.

It turns out that growing kiwi in open ground is possible, but not for the lazy: only an interested gardener with some experience will be able to provide comfortable conditions for the plant and wait for it to bear fruit. But even a person far from gardening can easily grow kiwi in a pot.

When can we expect the harvest?

If you can provide favorable conditions for the growth of kiwi, you can count on a harvest. True, the minimum waiting period for the first fetus is about 3 years, and with each violation of the rules of care it will become longer and longer. So, in mid-latitudes, even experienced gardeners sometimes wait 8-10 years for their first harvest! At home, flowering may also be delayed a little.

But the main thing not to miss is this: kiwi is a dioecious plant, which means that in order to bear fruit you need to have female and male plants. When planting from cuttings, you will know the gender of the seedling and will be able to plant several female and a couple of male plants. But when growing from seeds, you will not find out the gender until the first flowering, which will happen only after 3 years. It turns out that you will have to leave as many vines as possible in order to increase the chances of detecting both female and male ones among them, and wait until the gender characteristics in the form of different the shapes of the flowers will not show themselves.

So you have a chance to enjoy your own grown kiwis, although this will require some effort and patience. But if one day you can say: “I grew this kiwi myself!”, then it will be worth it.

Kiwi (Actinidia deliciosa) is a plant whose natural habitat is forest. Essentially, kiwi is a vine that grows by wrapping its vine around trees, and its length can reach 7.5 meters. One kiwi bush can grow up to 4.5 meters wide, entwining all the trees and shrubs within this area. When growing vines for agricultural purposes, kiwi grows like grapes, supported by a system of garters and supports.

Kiwi leaves are usually oval or round in shape, grow from 17 to 25 cm in diameter, and have a leathery texture. Young leaves and shoots are covered with red hairs, mature foliage takes on a dark green color, the upper side of the leaf is smooth, the lower side has white fluff and light veins.

During the flowering period, kiwi grows large white-cream flowers from 2.5 to 5 cm in diameter. Flowering lasts for several weeks from early May to June, depending on the climatic conditions of the growing location. Kiwi plants are dioecious, producing only male or only female flowers, thus requiring different sexes of kiwi nearby to bear fruit.

Kiwi fruits grow up to 5 cm long, oval or ovoid in shape, the skin of which is reddish-brown in color and covered with short, stiff hairs. The pulp of the kiwi fruit is bright green, sometimes yellow, with a light core. Many light lines extend radially from the center of the fruit, between which are scattered small dark purple, almost black seeds, invisible when eaten.

Conditions for growing kiwi.

Under natural conditions, kiwi grows as a shady plant, but strives for sunny spots. The kiwi vine must be protected from winds, which, with strong gusts in the spring, can damage all young shoots. When industrially grown, the kiwi liana needs a serious system of suspensions that replace the plant with trees from its natural growing conditions. Such pendants are usually arranged in the form of a grid attached to pole supports.

Kiwis prefer to grow in moderately acidic soils (pH 5 - 6.5), rich in organic material and well drained. The plant does not tolerate saline soils. Kiwi needs a large amount of moisture throughout the growing season, but water stagnation is unacceptable. Regular watering in the summer heat is mandatory; the soil under kiwi should not be allowed to dry out. Symptoms of lack of moisture in kiwi are sagging leaves, drying out at the edges, as well as complete loss of foliage from new growing shoots. Kiwis are more likely to die from water problems than from any other cause.

Kiwis are powerful consumers of nitrogen, so nitrogen fertilizers should be used in abundance in the first half of the growing season. At the end of the fruiting season, the use of nitrogen fertilizer will increase the size of the fruits, however, their preservation will deteriorate. Mulching with manure or straw is very useful for kiwi. But direct contact of the vine with the mulch should not be allowed, otherwise the shoot may rot.

For good fruiting, winter pruning of kiwi is mandatory. Kiwis are relatively free from pests and diseases in cultivation areas, since these areas are significantly removed from their historical places of growth in China and insects are still just taking a closer look at the new plant. However, there is a strange problem that the stems have a catnip smell and, as a result, cats are not averse to rubbing themselves against kiwi stems. And this can threaten young plants with damage and death. Garden snails can also cause trouble for young kiwis.