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Growing Kiwi Fruit

Written by Peter Horn on .

Growing Kiwi Fruit

Kiwi fruit, known as Chinese gooseberry, is the edible berry of woody wines which can reach 18 to 24 feet in length. Kiwis can grow 2.2 inches in diameter and 3.1 inches in length. Kiwi fruits have a soft texture, unique flavor, and their skins are covered by brown hairs. The leading producers of kiwis in the world are New Zealand, Chile, and Italy.  

Health Benefits

  • The high content of vitamin C may aid asthma treatment. In addition, vitamin C and E in kiwis help to enhance lung functioning in children.
  • The fiber in kiwis helps promote digestion by treating both constipation and loose stools. Kiwi also boosts your immunity and firm your skin.
  • Kiwi fruit extracts showed promising potential against oral cancer cells. The fruit also reduced DNA oxidative damage.
  • Kiwis are rich in potassium, a nutrient essential for heart health. An intake of two to three kiwi fruits may lower platelet hyperactivity and levels of plasma lipids.
  • Including kiwi fruit in your diet can improve glycemic response. The fruit also has high water content, making it an ideal addition to a diabetes diet.
  • Kiwi contains a peptide called kissper that is known to fight inflammation.
  • Kiwis help in weight loss because of the low calories and very negligible fat content.
  • Kiwis are a powerful source of Vitamin C (antioxidant) that helps to keep our eyes healthy.
  • Eating kiwi fruit before sleep improves sleep quality.
 

Types of Kiwi Fruit

There are three main types of kiwi plants that can be grown in home gardens kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa), hardy kiwifruit (Actinidia arguta), and super-hardy kiwifruit (Actinidia kolomikta). Kiwi fruit (Actinidia) is the most significant, most edible, and commonly available. It produces fuzzy brown fruits that are about the size of an extra-large chicken egg. Hardy kiwifruit, known as “bowerberry,” has smooth, green, grape-sized fruit. Hardy kiwis are much sweeter than the larger kiwifruits. Super Hardy Kiwis are smooth-skinned, smaller in size, and tolerate up to -40F in the winter season.  

Care

  • Unless it’s raining, water the plants during peak summer season or other dry periods.
  • Do not fertilize the first year. After that, fertilize with a well-balanced fertilizer or soy flour in the spring.
  • Begin to form the flexible support of the vines in the first year of planting.
  • Prune the side shoots (if they are not blooming) 2-3 times during the growing season.
  • Flowers and fruits of kiwi plants on old wood.
  • Regularly remove water shoots (vigorous shoots that come from old wood) and shoots from the trunk.
  • Prune female vines during the winter months when the plant is dormant. Prune male vines in early summer after flowering.
  • In cold regions, hardy kiwi vines can die every year. Remove dead stems and cover with leaves or straw.
 

Conditions Required

  • You will require enough space for your kiwi plants to develop.
  • Most kiwi seedlings germinate best in full sun or light shade.
  • Kiwis generally need a slightly acidic soil with a pH between 6.0 and 6.5. If your soil is too alkaline, you can try acidifying it to create the right conditions for the kiwi to grow.
  • The soil required for kiwi is humid but well-drained.
 

Harvesting

Harvesting your kiwis at the exact time is very tricky. Professional gardeners use a refractometer that collects the number of sugars present in fruit to determine the precise time of fruit harvest. But as home gardeners, we should know when to pick kiwis manually when the time comes. In late October to mid-November, Kiwi fruit matures when the seeds of kiwis turn black, and the sugar level rises. Once the kiwi is harvested, the starch turns into sugar and is ready to eat once the fruit is 12-15 percent sugar. If you face some problems in determining fruit ripening, pick fruit and cut it to check its seed, whether black or brown. If the seeds are black, it is time for kiwi fruit to harvest. Kiwi fruit’s final process of ripening occurred when we removed them from the vines. After harvesting, handle them with care because there are chances of any damage, and we know that damaged fruit has a limited storage life.  

Pests, Disease, and Their Remedies

1- Armillaria root rot Armillaria mellea

Armillaria Disease, also known as the honey toadstool or bootlace fungus, is the most destructive root disease to manage in kiwifruit. Armillaria growth in the crown and trunk is very fast as compared to the soil and roots. Indigenous fungus production due to damped soil in the roots and trunk are the leading causes of Armillaria root rot. Management Remove all dead kiwifruit vines and willows, gums that are greater than 1 inch in diameter. Don’t overwater your vines because it results in soil dampness that is the leading cause of fungus production.
  • Bacterial blightPseudomonas
Bacterial blight appears as the rot of floral buds and flowers and spots on leaves after rain or overhead irrigation periods. Bacteria enter through these injured tissues in conditions that favor their growth. Management: Avoid your plants from severe injuries that allow bacteria to enter and build up their colonies. There is no chemical control suggested for this disease.
  • Bacterial cankerPseudomonas syringae
Bacterial canker can penetrate plants through natural or artificial apertures such as pruning wounds or the flowers preventing fruit formation. The bacteria even infect the pollen, thus spreading the disease even further. The bacterial survival and proliferation are favored by high levels of humidity and moderate temperatures. Management: It is advisable to avoid aspersion irrigation systems, drastic pruning, and tractors and farm equipment within the infected areas.
  • Crown gallAgrobacterium tumefaciens
Foliar symptoms typical of crown rot pathogen are reduced plant vigor, small leaves; poor growth; open canopy, and reduced yield. The presence of galls is the apparent reason for crown gall, but they are not always visible because of their small size. Management: To control crown gall, you should avoid your kiwi vines from injuries. Existing galls can be surgically removed by pruning equipment.