Planting Actinidia

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

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Features of species and varieties of actinidia

The flowering of a male plant of actinidia cultivar Purple

Actinidia is a dioecious plant, functionally female flowers form on some plants, on others - male ones.

On female plants, in the center of the flower, a round pistil is visible, and around there are numerous small stamens with anthers with yellow pollen in the actinidia Kolomikt, Polygam and Chinese, black pollen in the actinidia Purple and Giralda, and sulfur in the actinidia Argut. Outwardly, they are normally developed, but they create sterile pollen. Male flowers have 20-50 stamens, and in the center of the flower there is a more noticeable ovary.

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flowering of a female plant of actinidia

The mother flowers are larger than the flowers of the male plants, but there are much more flowers on the male plants than on the female ones, and there are especially many of them on the male plants of Actinidia Purpurea.

Flowering depends on the type of plant and occurs at different times. As noted above, actinidia Kolomikta blooms first, after it already has an ovary, actinidia Arguta and Purple begin to bloom. Actinidia Polygamus blooms later than all.

White petals of flowers of male plants crumble 10-15 days after the beginning of flowering, and in female flowers an ovary begins to grow very quickly, while holding the petals for a certain time.

Fruiting actinidia purple garden

Actinidia flowers are pollinated by bees, bumblebees, wind and butterflies; there are many beauty beetles on the flowers.

Actinidia flowers do not have nectars, therefore flowers for bees serve as a source of pollen, i.e. a source of protein feed.

The ripening time of fruits in different species of actinidia is different and from the beginning of bud dissolution 120-125 days for Kolomikta, 145-155 days for Argut and Purple; 150-160 days for Actinidia Polygam. The fruit of the plant is a multi-seeded berry.

The shape of the fruits of hybrid varieties is different: from the original with a pointed tip - in the Figurnaya variety; cylindrical - in the Original variety; broadly ovate, compressed on both sides - in the Kievskaya hybrid variety, oval, compressed on both sides - in the Kievskaya large-fruited variety, to an oblong-elliptical shape - in the Purple actinidia.

Actinidia Figured

Depending on the variety, berries are weighing from 5-7 g (September, Figurnaya) to 20-25 g (Kiev large-fruited). The color of their fruits when ripe is from dark green to deep maroon color.

At the same time, an interesting feature is observed: regardless of the hybrid variety, mature fruits on the same plant in the shade of the leaves have a dark green color, and in the sun they acquire a light pink hue and, accordingly, have a different taste. The flesh of the actinidia fruit is tender, juicy, sweet with a pleasant pineapple flavor.

It should be added that simultaneously with the growth of shoots and ripening of fruits, new buds are formed, which are laid in the axils of new leaves, the buds themselves are hidden under the bark of the wood, but they are clearly visible after the fall of leaves.

Planting actinidia

Ripening actinidia crop on vines and wire

Based on the conditions of natural growth, actinidia, like a liana, has formed specific requirements for light, soil and moisture.

And this is expressed in the fact that at a young age the plant must be shaded from direct sunlight, and with age it should be given the opportunity to grow in open sunny areas, which contributes to the fastest ripening of fruits, better ripening of the plant's wood and, consequently, greater frost resistance.

Actinidia does not like the close occurrence of groundwater, but reacts very positively to summer dressing and watering.

Actinidia fruits from the author's garden

Its root system is fibrous, most of them are located at a depth of up to 30 cm, therefore, the plant requires fertile soils that are well air and moisture permeable, but at the same time, they are sufficiently water-absorbing.

The superficial location of the roots of actinidia plants makes them vulnerable to adverse environmental factors. They are damaged during mechanical tillage, freeze in winter, and suffer from a lack of moisture in dry summer. Gardeners must constantly remember that there is a direct relationship between the development of the root system of a plant and its aboveground part.

Therefore, the planting site must be well prepared: it is necessary to dig up the soil to a depth of 60 cm, and rooted cuttings must be planted as deep as possible and even with part of the shoot. Deep planting provides better development of the root system of the plant and at the same time slightly delays its early development due to the gradual warming of the soil.

Bush method of growing actinidia

For better survival of the seedling, it is recommended to add two to three glasses of barley to the planting hole. For the winter, especially in the early years, the root zone must be covered with manure, sawdust or just earth.

Mulch is an important condition for the preservation of roots in summer from drought, in winter from frost, and it also provides them with constant food. Due to the intensive growth of the aboveground mass, vines grow better on soil rich in organic fertilizers, slightly acidic or acidic with a pH of 4.0-5.5, they do not tolerate liming, and potassium chloride cannot be applied under them.

The place for planting actinidia in the garden is chosen taking into account the requirements of these plants to environmental conditions, as well as taking into account the method of growing this plant - in the form of a vine using a support or a bush method.

Trellis method of growing actinidia

Based on the fact that actinidia is a dioecious plant, for pollination of female plants, it is necessary to plant male plants in a ratio of 8: 1, 10: 1, and if the number of female plants is small, then a male can be grafted into the crown of one of the female plants.

By grafting, it is possible to form a plant from different varieties and thus obtain actinidia with fruits of different colors.

If you have a desire to receive information about actinidia, about its breeding, please call (Lida): (8-10-375) 01561-574-56, mob. tel.: 00375-444814998, email: [email protected] - Viktor Ivanovich Guzenko.

Read the next part. Formation of actinidia and biochemical composition →