How To Grow Kiwi Fruit in Your Garden
The steps on how to grow kiwi fruit in your garden are pretty easy. So if you are someone who fancies the kiwi fruit a lot, why don’t you consider planting this fruit in your backyard?
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Kiwi is an attractive and sweet fruit produced mostly in the states of California and in some cities of New Zealand as well. For those who live in areas with mild winters and frost-free season that’s long enough for the fruit to ripen, then you can definitely grow any Kiwi varieties in your yard. Here are the steps to growing Kiwi fruit successfully.
Also Read: 21 Amazing Uses of Epsom Salt for Gardening
Obtain Kiwi Fruit Seeds
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If you have decided to grow Kiwi fruit, obtaining the seeds can be as easy as going to the grocery store and then buying the fruit. According to some gardeners, seeds coming from organic fruits will be more likely to germinate and can grow to adult kiwi plants.
In order to remove the seeds from the fresh Kiwi fruit, you just have to slice the fruit in half and then scoop them out with a spoon or with the use of your fingers.
Place the seeds in a small cup and then rinse them in order to remove the fruit. To rinse, simply swish the water around in the bowl when rinsing and then strain it back a few times.
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Most Kiwi growers would favor buying young Kiwi plants created through propagation from nurseries instead of sprouting them from seeds. This is because propagated cultivars have traits that are more consistent from generations to generations.
In addition, most of the Kiwi varieties are delicious and therefore, both the male and female plant will be required in order for fruiting to occur.
Since the only way to tell the difference between the two is their flowers and flowering will normally require several years to take place, it is therefore difficult to space the seedlings accurately in order to obtain fruit production and optimal pollination.
Sprout the Seeds
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The next step on how to grow kiwi fruit is to place the seeds in a resealable plastic bag after placing in a damp paper towel. Zip up the bag and then place it in warm spot. Make sure to check the seeds every single day until such time that you see that they have already started to sprout.
When you notice that the paper towel has been drying out right before your seeds start to germinate, then moisten the towels again. Remember that when it comes to growing kiwi fruit, the seeds will require a humid environment in order for them to sprout.
Plant the Germinated Seeds
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The next step on how to grow kiwi fruit is to prepare and moisten some of the pots filled with seed starter potting mix. There should be one pot for about three to four seeds. Tear a section of the paper towel you have used in germinating the seeds, where there are seeds clinging into it. Then plant all of these into the pots. Repeat the process until all seedlings have been planted.
Place the plants in an area that receives a lot of light. Perhaps, you can place it at the windowsill, unless when you have a basement that’s equipped with grow lights.
It is important to remember that young plants are a bit sensitive to winter chills, and thus, a lot of Kiwi growers will keep their plants indoors during the first two years.
Make sure to transfer the plants to bigger pots if you notice that they have outgrown the smaller pots. At this point, start boosting the plants nutrition with the use of a starter fertilizer.
Here are some great pot design ideas for gardens.
Also Read: Grow Betel Leaf Plant
Transplanting Seedlings
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Look for a good spot in your garden to grow Kiwi fruit successfully. Ensure that the condition of such area is suitable and that the soil should be moist and well drained.
Transplanting the Kiwi fruit plant is basically the same as transplanting other types of plants. The main difference is that you need to space the plants appropriately so each will be at the base of its own structure.
Simply dig a hole for each of the plant that’s a bit bigger than their existing pots. Lift each plant carefully out of the pot, and make sure to include the roots and the dirt where they cling. Place the roots inside the holes that you dug. Finish up by filling the edges of the hole with some loose soil. Make sure to keep weeds away from the garden.
Try disturbing the roots as little as possible in order to avoid any shock. If you plan to grow fruit, then keep as many plants as you can. As soon as they begin to flower, which should take around five years, you can start identifying the male and female plants, you can then cull the extras.
Build a Sturdy Trellis for your Plants
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It is important to remember that Kiwi fruits are vine plants and can grow as much as 30 feet long and will weigh a fair amount of weight. Just like with other vines, they can grow best on vertical structures that offer sturdy support and much bigger access to light.
The Kiwi fruit vines could grow in most types of trellises, fences and gazebos. Most Kiwi fruit growers will make use of six foot high trellis that have T-bar spaced about 20 feet apart. Here are some great DIY trellis garden ideas.
Prune The Plants Regularly
You must prune your Kiwi plant regularly, at least once in a year. Trim off any excess canes and any lateral shoots that cannot be supported by the trellis. The excess canes are those vines that have grown a huge bark like skin.
Lateral shoots refer to branches that will go off into the sides. The vines of the Kiwi plant will not need to support the weight of the shoots on their own until such time that they reach the top of the trellis, when you use the T-support system. As soon as the vines reach the top part of the trellis, they should be able to horizontally grow across it.
The optimal time for pruning the female plants is during the late winter and when the plant is still dormant. The male plants can be pruned at a later time, after its flowering.
Also Read: How To Grow Bell Peppers Indoors From Seeds
Harvest The Fruit Once It’s Ripe
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After a few years since you start planting your Kiwi plant, you should notice that your plants would start producing fruits. Yields could start small, although it will generally increase each year as the plant begins to mature.
The Kiwi fruit will usually ripen around the months of September and October. When the frosts take place in your area, it is important that you begin harvesting the fruit right before it ripens and you should leave it to finish ripening through refrigeration.
Snap the fruit off its stalk once their skin starts to change its color, which is usually brown for most varieties of Kiwi fruit. Another means to check if the fruit is already ready for harvest is to check out those black seeds from a sample fruit.
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Final Thoughts
The steps on how to grow kiwi fruit in your garden are not really as complicated as what everyone thought. The key to successfully grow the plant is to ensure that the plant has a temperate environment during the warm summers and cool winters.
