Kiwi is the edible fruit of the Chinese ray pen. Native to China, this climbing, deciduous shrub has large, hairy leaves and whitish flowers. Although it loves warmth, the shrub can also be successfully cultivated in Germany.
Can you grow kiwi plants in Germany?
Kiwi plants can be grown successfully in Germany if you choose a wind-protected, warm location with slightly acidic, nutrient-rich soil and provide climbing aid. For successful fertilization, both male and female plants are necessary or you can choose self-pollinating varieties.
Can you plant kiwis in Germany?
Although the hardy creeper is native to subtropical regions, the exotic climbing fruit is also successfully bred by many hobby gardeners in Germany. Suitable varieties ensure good yields if some planting and care instructions are followed.
Which location is optimal?
A warm, sheltered location is ideal. The kiwi plants also need climbing aid. This could e.g. B. be attached to a south or southwest facing arbor, pergolas or house wall. A high fence is also sufficient.
Which floor is suitable?
For good growth, the kiwi needs a slightly acidic, nutrient-rich, humus-rich soil. If the soil is alkaline, add some rhododendron soil (€18.00 on Amazon) or peat to the planting hole to improve growth. A layer of mulch not only prevents drying out, but also keeps the pH value of the soil in a favorable acidic range.
What should you pay attention to when planting or sowing?
Kiwi plants grown from seeds often take up to ten years until they bloom for the first time. The purchased young plants, on the other hand, bear flowers and fruit after just two to four years. If you want to harvest your own kiwifruit, you should also note that you have to plant at least one female and one male plant in the garden.
Planting spacing
The dioecious kiwi plants bear either only male or only female flowers. Both types of flowers are required for the fertilization process. which are not planted too far apart. The distance between the two bushes should ideally be between 1-4 meters. A male plant is capable of fertilizing up to seven female plants growing in its immediate vicinity.
Self-pollinated varieties
The self-pollinating kiwi varieties, which are also commercially available, bear male and female flowers at the same time on one plant. They therefore do not require a pollinator variety, but produce better yields if more than one plant grows next to each other.
How are kiwi plants propagated?
The new kiwi plants are grown from seeds or cuttings. Propagation through offshoots is also recommended. It is best to cut the cuttings, which are around 10-15 cm long, from a woody shoot in spring and place them in the potting soil or in a sand-peat mixture for rooting. The substrate should be kept evenly moist.
Offshoots can easily be grown from the long shoots of the kiwi plant. To do this, place one of the lower shoots on the ground and cover it with soil so that the tip of the shoot remains on the surface. Root formation can be accelerated by cutting the shoot beforehand. After growth, the daughter plant is separated from the mother plant and moved.
The black edible seeds of the kiwi fruit can be sown. To do this, soak the seeds in warm water for several days so that they can separate from the pulp. The seeds are then lightly pressed into the peaty soil, not covered. An indoor greenhouse or transparent film over the planter provides the necessary moisture. The germination time is approx. 2 weeks.
When is the best time to plant kiwis?
The commercially available container plants can be planted from early spring to late autumn. If the shrubs are planted in early summer, they have a better chance of surviving the winter unscathed. The young bushes planted in autumn should be given good winter protection or overwintered in a potted plant in a frost-free, dark room in the first year.
When does the kiwi bush bloom?
You can often only expect the first flowers from the third year or later. The yellowish white flowers appear in May-June. If you don't know whether you have planted a male or female plant, you can tell by looking at the flower at the latest. Fruits only form from female flowers.
When is harvest time for kiwis?
The brown, hairy, oval fruits ripen in late autumn and are usually harvested unripe in October and November in temperate climates. During storage, the kiwifruit ripens until it is fully ripe for consumption. You can expect the first fruits in your own garden in around the fourth year.
Tip
The fruit, originally introduced to New Zealand as the Chinese gooseberry, is said to have been renamed kiwi by New Zealand farmers after the native bird, the kiwi. Under this name the fruit spread first in England and later on the European continent.
