How kiwi grows in the wild and at home. Kiwi - what kind of fruit, how does it grow in nature and in culture

Almost all flower growers, striving to improve their own skills, at one point decide to grow fruit-bearing crops, such as citrus fruits, coffee or creepers. And many are interested in whether it is possible to start growing kiwi at home. In reality, this is quite possible, but certain requirements must be observed in the process.

Kiwi is a fruit-bearing vine, also known as the Chinese gooseberry. And in order for this culture to begin to bear fruit, you need to simultaneously grow two varieties of plants - male (required for pollination) and female. If you plan to grow from seeds, then get ready for the fact that you have to wait for the flowering period, because that's when you can determine the sex of the vine. In most cases, kiwi blooms in the sixth year of life.

So, the growing process is simple, but you will have to be careful, caring and patient.

You can grow kiwi:

• cuttings;
• seeds;
• adventitious root buds.

All methods have their own nuances, advantages and disadvantages, which we will get acquainted with a little later. However, there are a number general rules relating to kiwi breeding.

Kiwi is a distant relative of grapes, and therefore a similar cultivation technology is used here. The described culture is warm and photophilous, so it must be placed in a well-lit place (preferably without drafts). It should be remembered that the direct rays of the sun can lead to foliage burns, therefore, the light should fall from the side. More the best way- This artificial lighting directed vertically.

In the process of development, the pots should be periodically scrolled clockwise (10-15 ° every two weeks). This will provide the plants with a straight silhouette, and the crown will turn out to be thick and uniform.

Note! There are many varieties of kiwi, but, characteristically, almost all of them are suitable for growing at home.

It should also be remembered that kiwi is a dioecious crop, and therefore one male and at least two or three female plants are required for normal fruiting. If kiwi is grown from seeds, then approximately 80 percent of the seedlings come out male, so there should be as many of them as possible.

Now let's take a look at the actual workflow.

Kiwi - growing at home

Start growing kiwi better in early spring, since then the highest germination of seeds is observed. This is very important point so don't delay sowing. Also consider the fact that kiwi naturally grows in regions with long and warm summers, so the conditions for the plant should be as comfortable as possible.

Traditionally, the process begins with the preparation of everything you need.

Stage one. We prepare everything you need

To grow vines, you must prepare:

The "shop" soil can be replaced with a soil mixture prepared by oneself, consisting of peat, sand and black soil (in equal proportions). By the way, when you dive seedlings into pots, this soil mixture is also well suited, only there should be less peat in it.

Stage two. We prepare the seeds

Take a ripe fruit and cut it in half. You can eat one part, and extract about 20 grains from the other. Cleanse the grains from the pulp (otherwise they will rot in the ground), but do this carefully, do not damage the shell. To simplify the procedure, you can throw the seeds into the water, mix them well and leave for a while to settle. Repeat the procedure two or three times - this minimizes the risk that the seeds will rot.

After that, spread the seeds on a napkin and dry for four hours.

Stage three. Sprouting seeds

Step one. Place a piece of cotton wool in a saucer and pour boiling water over it. There should be enough water so that the cotton wool is saturated with it, but the saucer should not be poured.

Step two. Cover the saucer with a piece of cling film and place it in the brightest spot in your home.

Step three. Every evening, remove the film, and return the next morning, topping up a small amount of water (cotton must be damp all the time).

Step four. After about a week, when the first shoots appear (in the form of thin white roots), you should plant the seeds in the soil.

Stage four. Planting seeds in soil

As for the soil, it should be the same as indicated in one of the previous paragraphs. Pour it into prepared containers or pots (the bottom must be previously covered with expanded clay drainage layer) and make small holes on the surface (the depth should not exceed one centimeter). Place the seeds in the holes, lightly cover with soil, but do not tamp.

Cover the containers with foil or glass and place in a warm place. Alternatively, you can put them in a mini-greenhouse. In the future, water the soil daily. It should not dry out, otherwise the sprouts will simply die. When watering, you can use a spray bottle, or you can place the pots in a pan and pour water there.

Note! When the first shoots are formed, proceed to accustoming to fresh air. To do this, remove the glass / film daily, increasing the ventilation period over time.

Stage five. We make a pick

About four weeks after planting the seeds, when there are several true leaves on the seedlings, perform a pick, i.e. transplant the plants into individual pots. The soil at this stage, as noted earlier, should already contain a smaller amount of peat, while more turf soil can be used. Be very careful when doing this, because root system the vines are extremely tender and located on the surface, which means that it is easy to damage it.

Why do you need a transplant? The fact is that this plant has rather wide leaves, which, as they develop, will shade each other.

Stage six. Further care

To ensure conditions as close to natural as possible, you must adhere to a number of rules. Let's look at these rules in more detail.

Table. Key Requirements

Note! Pay extra in summer mineral fertilizer complex type. Do this about once every seven to ten days.

Features of vegetative propagation of kiwi

Seedlings of this crop are grown using the same technology as described above. The only difference is that the seeds must be sown in January. Two years later, a kiwi of one variety or another is grafted onto a seedling, which by that time will grow up and get stronger.

Grafting can be done in the same ways that are used for other plants; in particular, it is:

• budding;
• split with a green handle;
• a similar process, but with a lignified cutting.

Then the vine can be planted in open ground. If the kiwifruit will be grown indoors, as in our case, then care should be taken to ensure that the container is deep enough (the roots should have plenty of room for further growth).

You can also grow seedlings from rooted cuttings. The disadvantage of this method is considered to be low germination at indoor cultivation- Plants are either few or none at all. Concerning further care, then it is the same as when growing with seeds. When the cutting / seedling enters the period active growth, it will no longer be afraid of low temperatures and will be able to easily adapt to any conditions.

How to get a big harvest?

Liana needs to be placed correctly. She needs a lot of space, so it's better to grow her on an insulated balcony. Also organize a support along which the plant will climb, or make a beautiful and original balcony frame out of it. The length of one creeper, by the way, can reach seven meters.

Note! To obtain fruits, care must be taken about pollination. AT natural conditions insects do this, in our case, you have to do everything with your own hands.

If there are too many male vines, you can graft “eyes” from female ones on them, which will allow you to get fruits. Ideally, five or six females should fall on the male plant, and if the proportions are wrong, then it is better to graft. The "eyes" take root well, due to which the yield will increase markedly.

Video - Kiwi Grafting

Also periodically inspect kiwi leaves, and for two reasons at once.

1. This will allow you to detect the fungus in time and clean the leaves.
2. Liana can be “infected” with various pests from neighboring plants, so in addition to inspecting, try to place the kiwi as far away from them as possible.

With the onset of autumn, cut off the old shoots: it is recommended to remove those branches that have already bear fruit. This will free up space for new shoots, and the vine itself will not grow old and will bear fruit for many years.

If the liana grows on the balcony, then in winter you will have to additionally protect it from frost. To do this, remove the shoots after the image and wrap them. When spring comes, they will more intensively produce young sprouts.

And finally, one more helpful advice. For some reason, cats love kiwi branches and foliage, so if you have such a pet, then take care of protecting the plant - you can, for example, enclose it with a net. Otherwise, the kiwi may die.

Video - Features of growing kiwi

Many people still do not know what kiwi is and how it grows. We are sure that this useful fruit maybe not a fruit. Or maybe kiwi is a berry? So let's try to figure out what is kiwi, where and how does it grow?

What is kiwi?

Kiwi is tree vine fruit Actinidia . It was first heard about in China. The fruits of wild vines weighed no more than 30 g. After cultivation, their weight changed and tripled, and the taste became more acceptable for eating.

Breeders from New Zealand, where the kiwi came from China, gave it the usual name for us in honor of the bird, so similar in shape and color to this fruit. Most people think that kiwi is a fruit. In fact kiwi is considered a berry, and its second name is "Chinese gooseberry".

It tastes unique and resembles either strawberries and melons, or gooseberries or bananas.

It seems that all fruits are the same, but they are not. Known several varieties of kiwi:

• Hayward.
• Abbott.
• Monty.
• Bruno.

They differ in color, fruit size, yield, and even taste and composition. For example, fruits of the variety Hayward the most common due to the impressive size and juicy taste. And the fruits of the variety Monty extremely small, but in terms of the content of potassium and vitamin With they have no equal.

Where does kiwi grow?

The fields where kiwi is grown can be found in many countries, despite capricious character the last one. by the most a major manufacturer kiwi is New Zealand . About 3,000 farms produce enough kiwi fruit to supply more than 60 countries.

In other countries, they also grow "Chinese gooseberries", but mainly for the domestic market. These are countries such as:

• China.
• Italy.
• Iran.
• Chile.
• Greece.

The kiwi did not have a relationship with the United States, since it took root there only in California and Hawaii.

For our country bred special frost-resistant varieties . Plantations with kiwi can be found mainly in the Kuban. The local climate is quite suitable for growing exotic berry, which is in no way inferior in its taste characteristics to overseas fruits. Such a product is both cheaper and more useful.

Useful properties of kiwi

Kiwi has a high medicinal value, due to high content of vitamin C. There is an opinion that one kiwi can replace a whole bucket of apples. Kiwi also contains:

• Vitamin A.
• B group vitamins.
• Quinic acid, thanks to which the berry has such an expressive taste.
• actinide enzyme.
• Kiwi fruits are useful for people seeking to lose weight. They contain a lot nutrients for 1 calorie.

Minerals:

• Magnesium.
• Calcium.
• Potassium.
• Phosphorus.

Kiwi fruits are extremely useful for pregnant women, they can be used as a source calcium and magnesium so necessary for a developing organism.

How to choose a good kiwi?

For kiwi to be really useful, it must be chosen correctly. Only really ripe fruit, which properly stored, will contain useful material. What should you pay attention to?

1. The smell of kiwi should be fragrant fruity.
2. The skin of a ripe kiwi is firm and smooth to the touch.
3. When pressed, the ripe fruit will be soft, and the unripe hard.
4. If the peel looks wrinkled, then the fruit has lost a significant amount of fluid, and with it nutrients.
5. The overripe fruit has dark spots and cracks, as if it had burst.

Having bought kiwi fruits, they must be properly stored at home.

• In the refrigerator, kiwifruit can be stored for 3-4 weeks, if necessary.
• If you have already bought a fruit and realized that it is not ripe, put it in a place where there is no sunlight for several days. There he will reach the desired state. Our grandmothers and mothers used this method.

How does kiwi grow in nature?

For those who are interested in seeing how it grows " fluffy berry» in nature, it is better to go to China. There, kiwi was preserved in its original form of thirty-gram fruits.

Outwardly, the plant looks like a tree that is about to fall. The fruits are similar to grapes. Branches depart from the trunk - creepers, the length of which can often reach 5 meters or more. They wrap everything around them.

During flowering, from May to June, on the tree appear flowers white color , rather large. Although kiwi prefers shade, it still cannot do without sunlight, like any other plant. And of course, needs to in large numbers moisture. However, if water stagnates in the soil, the plant may die.

On plantations, kiwi looks completely different. When grown in industrial scale the liana needs a support that will replace natural conditions growth. They are arranged in the form of a grid fixed on poles. Yes, kiwi extremely tough shrub.

How does kiwi grow at home?

If you suddenly want to conduct an experiment and grow kiwi at home, so that its vines will envelop your room, and you can eat fresh berries for breakfast, you must follow these rules:

1. Remove the seeds from the ripe fruit and rinse them gently under running water.
2. Dip the seeds in a vessel filled with water. They will sprout in a week.
3. Transfer the germinated seeds to a damp cloth and cover, for example, with a cut plastic bottle.
4. Once the roots have hatched, it's time to transplant the seedlings into the soil.
5. As soon as the leaves appear and they grow a little, transplant the plant again, into a larger container.
6. The plant needs frequent watering especially during the flowering period.
7. It is better to place a pot of kiwi on the southwest side, there is more light and heat.
8. Weaker plants must be removed.

If you are in a hurry, then it is better to take cuttings, they will bloom much faster than a seedling.

Also kiwi can be grafted. To do this, you need to take male plants and instill a female bud in them. But it will require a lot of space in order to plant a few trees. At proper care"fluffy berry" can bloom in 3 or 4 years.

After reading this article, you learned how kiwi grows, where and what it is, a fruit or a berry. Now, if you want to eat a ripe fruit, you can grow it at home yourself.

Growing plant video

In this video, biologist Anton Kamzolov will tell and show how kiwi grows in the yard at home in Ukraine, in the city of Uzhgorod:

Kiwi is an exotic green fruit with a unique sweet and sour taste. What is kiwi? Bush, tree, grass? Let's find out where this plant came from. What conditions does it like? And how to grow it in your own home?

What tree does kiwi grow on?

The exotic fruit comes from the genus Actinidia, which translates as "ray". All representatives of the genus have a characteristic radiant arrangement of ovary columns (this is clearly visible if you cut the kiwi across). There are approximately 75 species. They are mainly distributed in South-East Asia, 4 species can be found on Far East Russia.

On a tree or shrub, it is sometimes difficult to answer. Actinidia are considered woody vines, but sometimes they are also called shrubs. However, regardless of whether the kiwi is a tree or a shrub, its fruit is a berry. It combines several flavors, sweet and sour at the same time.

Outside, the berries are unsightly, reminiscent of potatoes covered with villi. The average size ripe kiwi is 100 grams. Inside it usually has a saturated green color. There is a "golden" variety of this plant (Gold kiwi), the fruits of which are yellow in color.

How did we find out about kiwi?

There is an opinion that people owe the origin of kiwi to New Zealand. This is absolutely not the case, although the tree got its catchy and short name thanks to enterprising New Zealand merchants. The plant was named after a small bird that appearance resembles its fruits.

The real homeland of the "hairy" berry is China. Until XX in New Zealand, they did not suspect what a kiwi tree looks like. For three hundred years, it grew wild in East and North China, until a friend of Alexander Ellison brought him a few seeds of an unknown fruit as a gift.

Ellison began to cultivate the kiwi tree, calling it "Chinese gooseberry." The wild fruit was much smaller and harder than the modern one. To make it tasty and attractive, Alexander Ellison spent a lot of effort and more than 30 years of his life, however, only the gardener's relatives knew about it.

It was Ellison's neighbor James McLaughlin who discovered the kiwifruit world, turning vine growing into a goldmine. In the 1960s, he acquired a whole plantation of miracle berries, selling them abroad. Now New Zealand is one of the largest suppliers of kiwi. It is grown in Japan, Greece, Chile, Iran, Italy and other countries, but mainly for the domestic market.

Beneficial features

Kiwi is incredible useful product. One berry replenishes the body daily rate vitamin C, which is responsible for tissue growth, iron absorption, resistance to infections. It also contains the antioxidant vitamin E, folic acid and vitamin B6. In addition, the berry is rich in sodium, magnesium, fiber, zinc, chromium, potassium, calcium and iron.

Eating kiwi, you can increase stress resistance, improve digestion. The berry will help prevent cardiovascular diseases, the appearance of premature gray hair, save you from hair loss, and improve immunity in general.

"Chinese gooseberry" contains a lot of potassium and is able to remove excess cholesterol. Kiwi is used for iodine deficiency, hypertension, for the prevention of cancer and rheumatism. It is good for weight loss, as it burns fat very well. The crushed pulp is used for cosmetic purposes to nourish and moisturize the skin.

Kiwi rarely causes allergic reactions, so it is often recommended for children. The fruits have strong restorative and tonic properties. Effectively affect the body after illnesses, with general weakness. They are also recommended for general prevention.

Kiwi seed

It is possible to grow an Asian berry right on your windowsill. It's easier to do it from seeds. It will take longer for a kiwi tree to germinate than from cuttings, but it will become more resistant to diseases and external conditions. Seeds should be removed from a ripe fruit, otherwise they may not germinate at all.

Seeds must be carefully removed from the berry, washed with a sieve or gauze from the remnants of the pulp. For planting, it is better to choose several seeds to increase the chances of germination. Put them in a small container, fill with water and leave in a warm place. Water should be changed periodically. Seeds will begin to germinate within a week, after which they can be planted.

For each plant, it is advisable to choose a separate container with peat. Sprouts are placed on the surface of the earth, lightly sprinkled on top. The container should be placed in a well-lit, warm place, you can make a greenhouse from a film stretched from above. In the absence of a greenhouse, the sprouts are sprayed with water daily.

Kiwi care

The tree at home begins to grow quickly. When several pairs of leaves appear, you can seat them in permanent pots. The bottom of the pot is laid with drainage. In order for the plant to receive maximum nutrients, it is important to choose right soil. It should contain an admixture of sand, peat, preferably turf and humus.

The home kiwi tree develops rapidly, so it is recommended to install supports right away. To prevent the vine from growing excessively, pinch the top regularly. The plant should be repotted every spring, and in winter it is better to use additional lighting.

The kiwi tree loves moisture. It needs to be sprayed periodically. Mature plants are watered a little less often than young ones. At home, the water is defended so that the chlorine evaporates. When growing vines in the garden, abundant watering is required during the dry season. In spring, the plant is watered only after the end of the threat of frost, in winter it is watered several times a month.

The leaves of the plants are quite large and, as they grow, obscure the sunlight to neighboring individuals. In the garden, trees are planted a few meters apart. It is desirable to orient the support from north to south. So the kiwi will have more access to lighting.

Plant features

Kiwi is a male and female plant for its pollination. The method of planting from seeds is usually more affordable. However, with this method, 70% of the individuals will be male. You can check this only after flowering - in the third or fourth year.

To obtain fruits for three female trees, it is enough to have one male tree. They are distinguished by their flowers, female plants the pestle will be larger. In order not to make a mistake during the experiment, you can buy cuttings ready for planting. Then the result will be predictable.

Until the age of 10 years, the kiwi tree increases its yield every year. The berries are often picked greenish and left to ripen. The fruits can be preserved in this form for up to six months in conditions from 0 to 6 degrees.

The plant loves heat. On the open areas its land must be covered from frost. Despite this, varieties have been developed that can withstand the harsh climate of Russia. They bear fruit no worse than the "southern relatives".

Kiwi in cooking

The taste of this berry is difficult to describe. It sours like gooseberries, but at the same time it looks like strawberries, apples, pineapples and even bananas. However, everyone different descriptions. It is good to eat it after a hearty meal of meat, fish, dairy products, as the berry improves digestion and helps the body process proteins.

Anything can be made from kiwi. It is used to make jams, preserves, rubbing with sugar and mixing with other berries or fruits. Compotes and fresh juices are made from ripe green fruits. They perfectly emphasize the taste of meat and fish dishes, without interrupting the main taste.

Out of ignorance, difficulties can arise with the preparation of jelly. The fact is that kiwi juice contains a substance that prevents gelatin from hardening. To avoid this, the pulp of the berry must be doused with boiling water.

beauty berry

If you resist and do not eat juicy kiwi, it can be used for masks. The fruit is incredibly beneficial for facial skin. Numerous vitamins and microelements in its composition improve blood circulation in cells, promote skin healing, enrich it with oxygen.

Kiwi nourishes and tightens the skin, making it supple and elastic. After such masks, the face acquires a lighter and healthier shade. Combined with other ingredients, kiwi fruit is suitable for all skin types. For problem skin, the berry is used together with poppy seeds. For oily mix with lemon, horseradish or clay.

The pulp of the fruit is also used for sensitive skin types, although one should be careful here. Saturated juice can cause irritation. Before performing various manipulations with kiwi, it is worth checking how the body reacts to it. To do this, you can apply a little mixture on small plot skin.

Due to the large size of the berries, many mistakenly call There are others interesting information about the exotic plant:

• In ancient times, Chinese rulers used kiwi fruit as an aphrodisiac.
• The tree is little susceptible to disease, and insects practically do not eat it.
• Because of the shaggy skin, kiwi is called the "monkey peach" in China.
• The wild plant is extremely rare. The size of its fruit reaches only 35 grams, cultivated kiwi can grow up to 110.
• The plant lives on average 40 years.

• Vitamin C in this berry contains more than in citrus fruits, but less than in red bell pepper and parsley.
• Kiwi peel is also useful. It is believed that it contains a lot of fiber and has antioxidant properties. True, it can have a laxative effect, so you need to be careful.

Conclusion

Kiwi is a unique berry brought from China to New Zealand at the beginning of the 20th century. If not for the painstaking work and perseverance of Alexander Ellison, we would not have known about it at all. AT wild nature the berry is not particularly remarkable and small, but its cultural variety is very popular.

Kiwi contains fiber, various trace elements, vitamins, due to which the fruit was nicknamed the "vitamin bomb". He is excellent tool, which increases the body's resistance and restores its strength. Berries are widely used in cooking and cosmetology.

Kiwi grows with a vine that grows up to seven meters in height. You can grow a plant both at home and in the country, closing for a while extreme cold. The kiwi tree is not too whimsical. There are no big difficulties with his care, but the number of berries on the vine will increase every year.

Kiwi is a fruit interesting plant, which is called Chinese actinidia or gourmet actinidia. Kiwi got its name because it resembles a bird of the same name: the shape of the fruit is oval, and the skin is covered with a short soft fluff.

Where does kiwi grow?

China is considered the birthplace of kiwi. When this little green fruit appeared in Asian countries, it became known as the Chinese gooseberry. At the beginning of the twentieth century, as ornamental plant heat-loving actinidia began to be cultivated in New Zealand, and it did not disappoint its fans: it actively developed in a favorable island climate. Nowadays, kiwi grows in large quantities in Georgia, Abkhazia, Bulgaria on the border with Greece, Indonesia, Italy. AT Krasnodar Territory grow up large-fruited varieties this plant.

In the Far East of Russia, Chinese actinidia grows - actinidia kolomikta. It is of undeniable value as decorative liana but its fruits are sour. This tree is unusually beautiful during flowering, and its leaves are able to change color depending on the intensity of the light and the angle of incidence of the rays.

kiwi plant

The tree on which kiwi grows belongs to the vine species. Actinidia is a plant with tree-like flexible branches that can reach 20-25 m in length. For favorable development, she needs a support that could hold a considerable weight of the plant. All varieties of this liana differ in one feature: their leaves during the season are able to change their color several times. They can be whitish, pink and pink-crimson, dark and light green.

Kiwis grow in clusters. At the beginning of ripening, the fruits are green, but over time they become brown and covered with fluff. But the middle of the fruit remains green. The flesh of kiwi is mostly sweet and sour, with slight variations in taste in one direction or another, depending on the type of plant.

There are varieties in which the fruits reach a weight of 130 g. In conditions other than subtropics, it is difficult to grow such types of actinidia, therefore, in countries with many types of vines, they do not bear fruit well. Most climatic zones kiwi is expedient to grow only as an ornamental plant. These trees love well-lit areas, fertile, well-drained soil, and places that provide natural protection from the wind. Kiwi can be grown in. For this purpose, both seeds and vegetative processes can be used.

This rough, hairy berry is just a storehouse of vitamin C. It is 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 a healthy berry at home, let's imagine how kiwi grows in our homeland.

How and where does kiwi grow in nature

The birthplace of Yang Tao, which in Chinese means strawberry peach, China. The culture belongs to the genus Actinidia, the species Actinidia Chinese. It was brought to New Zealand in the early 20th century. Chinese berry weighed no more than 30 g. Thanks to selection, it became larger, its taste was enriched without compromising the beneficial properties that allow the fruit to be used for the treatment and prevention of many diseases.

Like its progenitor, kiwi is a liana. But it does not occur in the wild. This is an artificially improved plant. Even the name for it is new.

Where does kiwi grow? cultural plantations exotic fruit can be found wherever the climate allows it to grow: in Italy, South Korea, Chile, Greece. But recognized leaders in the production of this useful berry are New Zealand and China. So the kiwi returned in triumph to his homeland. 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 Black Sea coast Krasnodar Territory. In a word, now in order to find out how kiwi grows, you do not 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.

A biologist from Uzhgorod G.V. Straton, through a long selection, created new variety Kiwi - Valentine, which can withstand frosts down to -28 degrees without freezing! This plant will be able to winter even in the middle lane.

A creeper 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 his progenitors, he loves fertile loose soil with a high content of humus, moist, but without stagnant water. Actinidia in the forest most often grows in partial shade. Cultural kiwi prefers the sun. He also needs regular watering, fertilizing, mulching, pruning and shaping. There is a lot of trouble when growing this berry. But this does not stop real gardeners. Many try to grow a valuable fruit at home.