Growing kiwis in the garden is not that easy. Kiwiberries, on the other hand, do. It just depends on the right care. Then the harvest will be rich.
You don't necessarily have to buy kiwis in the supermarket. They can also be grown in the form of kiwi berries in your own garden. The long, slender shoots of the mini kiwi grow meters high. The mostly creamy-white flowers appear in June. The yellow autumn color is particularly attractive.
The little sister of the supermarket kiwi is also a real vitamin bomb. Just 100 grams of the small power berry covers almost the entire daily requirement of vitamin C. Reason enough to take a closer look at the kiwi berry and to explain the requirements for successful cultivation in more detail.
Water the kiwiberries correctly
It is important to know that a lot of water evaporates through the leaves of the plants. Regular watering is therefore essential if the plant is to bear sufficient fruit. You should therefore water the plant daily during the growth period and on particularly hot days. Otherwise, watering two to three times a week is sufficient. The soil must not dry out. This requires a sure instinct, because the kiwi berry does not get waterlogged. The plants are just as sensitive to drought.
Fertilize kiwiberries properly
After planting, you should initially refrain from fertilizing. If you have added compost to the potting soil, this fulfills the function of an effective slow-release fertiliser. You should start with additional fertilization in the second year at the earliest.
Important:
If young plants are fertilized too much, the plant will sprout too much. The shoots may not mature properly, which can result in frost damage.
You can start giving organic fertilizer as early as the end of March. You should stop applying fertilizer in late summer so that the shoots have enough time to mature before winter. You can mix organic fertilizer under the mulch layer. Animal manure is an advantageous natural fertilizer from the third year onwards.
While the fruit is forming, the mini kiwis have oneincreased nutritional needs. You can pour a low concentration of commercially available liquid fertilizer for flowering plants over the mulch layer. Since kiwiberries are sensitive to s alt, you should not use mineral fertilizers.
Education is necessary
Kiwiberries aim high. In their natural environment, they climb up tree trunks. In the home garden must therefore be helped. The easiest method is to grow the mini kiwi in a columnar shape. However, this has a negative effect on the possible crop yields. The horizontal guidance of the shoots is an advantage. A T-scaffold has proven itself here. Pay attention to stability in the construction, because the fruits bring a lot of weight with them. Incidentally, training on the T-frame makes cutting easier for you.
Overwintering kiwiberries properly
While the large kiwis from the supermarket can tolerate some frost but are reluctant to bloom, their smaller relatives are much more robust. Depending on the variety and species, temperatures down to -30 degrees can be tolerated without the flowering suffering.
However, late frosts pose a threat to the mini kiwi. After all, the plants begin to sprout as early as March. So make sure you have a sheltered location. Night frost leads to freezing of the fresh shoots. The plants also do not tolerate excessive sunlight in winter. Too dry or too moist soil also affects the winter hardiness of the mini kiwi.
Detecting and combating diseases of the kiwi berry
Diseases and pests are less of a problem for the kiwi berry. The plants are considered to be extremely robust and adapted to our conditions. However, they can also be infested. Or mistakes in care cause problems for the berries.
❍ Maintenance error:
Care mistakes can lead to a general weakening of the plants and this can lead to pest infestation or fungal diseases. If the plants are too damp, the roots will begin to rot. If this remains undetected, the entire plants often die.
❍ Snail infestation:
Especially young plants are often visited by snails. In addition to applying chemical pesticides, dusting the soil around the plant with pine needles or gravel can also help. Cat litter can also serve as a barrier and protect plants from snail infestation. However, you must change the litter after it rains.
❍ Verticillium Wilt:
According to some reports,mini kiwis are also susceptible to Verticillium wilt. Therefore, do not choose a location in the immediate vicinity of potatoes, strawberries and other nightshade plants.
❍ Cherry Vinegar Fly:
In the recent past, the kiwi berry has also made an enemy of the spotted-wing drosophila. Ripe fruits are slit open by the insects and used to lay eggs. Effective remedies are not yet on the market. It is therefore important to know that the spotted-wing drosophila only attacks ripe fruit whose skin has already become soft. If you harvest the fruit at an earlier stage of ripeness and then let it ripen in the refrigerator, the fruit should be spared an infestation.