James
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anyone grown hardy kiwi? (advice please)Has anyone tried growing hardy kiwis (Actinidia)? If so, any advice?
With a dioecious variety, do you need a male to set fruit or will a single female set infertile (seedless) fruit without a pollen sorce? (PFAF says “Male and female plants must usually be grown if seed is required”, but doesn’t mention a male requirement if fruit only is required…)
How large do the vines become?
How much sun do they need/ how much shade can they tolerate?
What is the yield?
Are the fruits worth growing the vine for?
I ask because we have a length of garden wall that needs a climber (partial sun), and Wilkos have Actinidia vines for £4 at the mo…
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Blue Peter
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Re: anyone grown hardy kiwi? (advice please) | James wrote: | Has anyone tried growing hardy kiwis (Actinidia)? If so, any advice?
With a dioecious variety, do you need a male to set fruit or will a single female set infertile (seedless) fruit without a pollen sorce? (PFAF says “Male and female plants must usually be grown if seed is required”, but doesn’t mention a male requirement if fruit only is required…)
How large do the vines become?
How much sun do they need/ how much shade can they tolerate?
What is the yield?
Are the fruits worth growing the vine for?
I ask because we have a length of garden wall that needs a climber (partial sun), and Wilkos have Actinidia vines for £4 at the mo… |
Yes, you need male and female for fruit (one man does 8 women or so  ). Is there supposed to be a self-fertile variety - Issa?
Peter.
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Slim
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You do need a male, as the females won't set fruit without being pollinated.
I think that size depends a bit on variety and your microclimate. They have the potential to get really big.
Yield probably depends a bit on sun/shade, as can the ornamental properties (which is maybe why the ones you're looking at are for sale? do they have white/pink/green leaves?)
I'm under the impression that a really well established plant (when pollinated and happy with its locale) can yield a lot of little kiwis.
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tahir
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Re: anyone grown hardy kiwi? (advice please) | James wrote: | | Wilkos have Actinidia vines for £4 at the mo… |
All kiwis are Actinidias, A deliciosa is normal ones, A arguta is the (bulk of) little (non hairy) ones
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James
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Re: anyone grown hardy kiwi? (advice please) | tahir wrote: |
All kiwis are Actinidias, A deliciosa is normal ones, A arguta is the (bulk of) little (non hairy) ones |
Yes. Wilkos aren't renowned for their labelling. The image of the fruit on the label and the leaves on the plant look like images of hardy kiwis that I've seen.
I'm a little confused, becuase on the label it has the sign for a female (circle with cross), then it indicates that it fruits in autumn.
Slim- they're plain green leaves. I wouldn't expect it to be an ornamental vine. Knowing Wilkos, it'll be quite basic, it'll probably be whatever the large Dutch nursery houses are mass producing this year- the most common variety.
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yummersetter
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um yes well I've kind of got them - I went through the trauma last summer of diagnosing that the reason mine didn't fruit was because my two female /one male plants were all apparently male - they've now been well chopped back while I work out if I can bud onto them from the female plants I bought last autumn from Reeds
Mine are pretty rampant if not controlled, I have them over arches along a pathway in the sun and they send out 15ft shoots over the summer, about twenty per plant from a 9ft main upright stem. On a par with the grapevines, but I keep more on top of the vines and don't let them get out of hand. Pretty flowers though - there was a thread about mine last June or so with photos.
I think I'd take a chance if they're £4
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tahir
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Re: anyone grown hardy kiwi? (advice please) | James wrote: | | I'm a little confused, becuase on the label it has the sign for a female (circle with cross), then it indicates that it fruits in autumn. |
Well they'd be right on both counts there.
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Lorrainelovesplants
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There is a self fertile variety called Jenny.
They get very big and heavy so you will need substantial support forit (think of the weight of massive tomato plants about 20 feet in legnth and with numerous branches)
The yeild will depend on feeding and climate obviously. If your thinking of producing as a sellable crop there aint going to be much profit and they will all glut at the one time.
We have 1 plant here, very hardy, very big, too many Kiwi fruit for us. Sell some to local greengrocer.
Worth growing as an oddity.
You can make jam from them, I suppose.
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ros
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That's interesting, how many Kiwi is too many? I got given a "Jenny" for Christmas and it's shooting out in all directions. How does one keep it under control - a hard prune in autumn?
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Lorrainelovesplants
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One plant is more than enough for a large garden. Amount of fruit could be 60-70 fruit all at one time on a romping 30 ft long vine.
Always take out dead/damaged wood first, then prune to shape, in autumn. Appears to be very hardy.
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ros
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thanks for that - sounds like one plant might be one too many for my small garden then 
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