Every avid gardener sooner or later finds apple and pear trees boring, and craves something exotic. We've decided to tell you how to grow kiwi from seeds at home. The photos will clearly demonstrate that it's possible, provided certain conditions are met.
Kiwi is one of the few plants that grows and bears fruit remarkably well in our climate, takes root well, and survives the winter well.
You can also find out how it is carried out Planting and caring for grapes in the Moscow region.
Interestingly, kiwi can be grown from the seeds of any fruit. The key is that the fruit should be well-ripened, soft, smooth, and not rotten. To be on the safe side, place a store-bought kiwi on a windowsill for 2-3 days. Then, cut it into quarters and remove the seeds. You can also spread the pulp and seeds on a piece of paper, and once the moisture evaporates, the seeds will be easy to remove.
Before planting, in spring, place the seeds on a cotton pad, napkin, or toilet paper. Cover the pad with a cloth and water with warm water. For several days, keep the paper moist and the container warm.
Once the tiny sprouts emerge, the seeds need to be planted in soil. The good thing is that you can choose almost any type of soil.
How to grow kiwi at home? Read on for a more detailed description.
1. Expanded clay should be placed on the bottom to prevent water from stagnating and to ensure good drainage.
2. Pour soil on top.
3. Place the seeds just a little deeper and only lightly cover them with soil.
4. At first, instead of watering, the soil should be sprayed with water from a spray bottle.
When the seedlings appeared
A week after planting, the kiwi will delight you with long-awaited sprouts. If all the planted seeds have sprouted and the sprouts are too close together, they need to be thinned out. Roughly, sprouts should be spaced approximately every 10 centimeters. Note that only small plants, approximately 3-5 centimeters in height, can be easily removed by the roots. As the root system becomes stronger, it's best to simply trim off any excess sprouts.
Quite quickly, the kiwi will reach 10-15 centimeters and have 4-5 leaves on each plant. Now the plants are ready for transplanting into individual pots. If this isn't done, they will eventually become crowded and their growth will be significantly slowed.
Preparing for planting kiwi in the ground
If you planted the seeds in early spring, you'll have a fairly mature seedling by summer. During the first summer, when the nights are warm, you can move the pot outside and place it in a wind-free spot. The kiwi is planted in the ground the following spring, when nighttime temperatures rise above 10 degrees Celsius.
The site should also be sheltered from the wind and sunny. Before planting, the soil should be fertilized, dug over, and loosened. Of course, all weeds should be removed. After planting, no digging should be done within a one-meter radius of the kiwi. It's best to mulch the soil with pine needles and remove any weeds by hand.
How will kiwi grow in the garden?
During its first summer, kiwi vines require abundant and frequent watering. We need the root system to develop well and become strong, ready for winter. Since the plant will grow rapidly, it's important to prepare a trellis or pergola to provide space for it to climb.
After some time, the plant requires grafting with cuttings from a fruiting tree. Any experienced gardener can usually perform this procedure. But the most important thing is to cover the plant for the winter, gathering up all the climbing vines, which can reach 5-7 meters in the first year in the ground, and wrapping everything in agrofibre. Place bark or leaves near the roots to prevent the soil from freezing.
Kiwis begin bearing fruit in their third or fourth year, and the fruit is best harvested immediately after the first frost. These are all the details of growing kiwis at home. We hope this article helps you grow kiwis without much hassle.
We also advise you to find out, How to grow strawberries in pots, an interesting way.