golden quality kiwi fruit | buy at a cheap price
You may find many trees for sale and you may know kiwi fruit from what you see in the grocery store: an odd, brown, egg-shaped fruit with green or golden flesh
Other types of kiwi fruit produce bite-sized fruits with a smooth, edible peel
The variety you can grow in your home garden depends on the climate in your area
Kiwi fruit plants are dioecious, which means that the male and female plants are separate
While male plants do not produce fruits, they are necessary for pollination and fruit production in female plants
It is better to plant vines and females of the same species
Some self-fertilizing kiwifruit varieties do not require vines for male pollination
In most species, vines and females can only be distinguished from each other at the time of flowering
Male flowers of vines contain only pollen-producing petals
Female flowers have anthers that do not produce viable pollen
You can tell them from the male flowers by the multi-branched central pistil
After successful pollination and fertilization, the pistil develops into fruits
While the types of kiwi fruit differ in flower size, you can distinguish between male and female by the pistil
Sometimes nursery plants are misnamed
Gardeners may think that they buy one female (a bearer) and one male vine, but they produce two males or two women
A female vine does not bear fruit without a male
To be sure, check the gender of each vine on the inflorescence
Kiwi fruit plants are vigorous climbers
They are native to the extreme cold of tropical regions of East Asia, depending on the species
Many of these varieties are available from nurseries
Some were developed for fruit production, others for decoration
Most people are familiar with the green and brown kiwi fruit
This variety is only suitable for the warmer locations of western Oregon
For most other regions, this winter cold is not enough
The golden-brown kiwi (Actinidia chinensis), which is also found in many grocery stores, cannot be grown in the home garden in any area of Oregon
However, the small, soft-fruited kiwifruit (Actinidia arguta) is adapted to most areas of Oregon
This variety was formerly sold as hardy or small kiwifruit but is now called kiwi berry
The most common or cultivated kiwi varieties have green or red flesh
Arctic kiwifruit produces fruit that is smaller and less flavorful than Actinidia Arguta in our region
However, the arctic kiwifruit is the cooler cultivar available
Arctic kiwi fruit is also commonly grown as an ornamental for its pink-tinged leaves
The flavor varies greatly between the varieties
Kiwi fruit is one of the best natural sources of vitamin C, containing 430 mg per 100 grams of fresh weight
(An orange contains 70 mg per 100 grams of fresh weight
) Kiwi fruit is also rich in oxalic acid
People who are prone to developing kidney stones often need to avoid fruits and vegetables that are high in oxalic acid
kiwi fruit varieties Choose a type and type appropriate for your area
Kiwi fruit is relatively easy to propagate using hardwood cuttings
Wood removed during cutting can be used to make scraps and share
Only one group of green-pulp kiwi fruit is available for the home garden: ‘Hayward’
‘Hayward’ and Wanted Male (Actinidia deliciosa) are not suitable for the colder regions of Oregon
Stems and fruiting woods can be damaged by cold temperatures, especially after a warm spell and when the vines are not completely dormant (fall or late winter)
Stem damage weakens older plants and sometimes kills young vines
A scale is provided in the cold hardness zone to determine the suitability of the zone
Note that the cold hardiness zone varies within the region
Many of these (and others) are available through local retail and mail-order nurseries
Plants often sell out quickly, so order before planting in the spring
Buy a male of the same species
Site selection Kiwi fruit vines have been producing for more than 20 years depending on species, climate, soil pressure, and pest pressure
Choose a site carefully for optimal plant life
The ideal environmental conditions for kiwi fruit are full sun exposure and fertile, well-drained soil, sandy loam, or clay soil with moderate water holding capacity
In central Oregon, amend the native soil with compost to increase water-holding capacity
While the plants can tolerate partial shade, crop quality, and fruit quality may decline
Avoid planting in low or low-lying areas where cold air may accumulate
All kiwi varieties are susceptible to frost damage in late winter to early spring
Avoid high winds in your garden
Kiwi fruit vines are delicate because their long stems can break in the wind
Wind can also cause the fruits to rub against each other or the stems
causes wounds
Kiwi plants are also susceptible to Verticillium wilt, a soil-borne fungal disease
Avoid planting vines in areas where other crops susceptible to verticillium infestation, such as strawberries, raspberries, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and some ornamentals, have been grown within the past five years
Soil Nutrient Testing and Adjustment If you are going to grow kiwi fruit in your garden soil, it is a good idea to take a soil sample and test it before planting
Collect soil samples a year or more in advance
This will provide enough time to amend the soil if necessary
Kiwi fruit plants require a soil pH of 5
6 to 6
5
If the soil test shows that the soil pH is too low (too acidic) or too high (too basic), you can amend the soil to improve the ph
A typical soil analysis would also include phosphorous (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sodium (Na)
Also test for organic matter and boron (B), especially in the Willamette Valley where vitamin B deficiency is common
Nitrogen (N) levels in the soil are not useful because N is not applied before planting
Alternatively, supplement with N fertilizer after planting
Table 2 shows the recommended soil nutrients for kiwifruit
