Actinidia arguta - hardy kiwi

"Ananasnaja" (female)

Dioecious plant! A female and a male plant are required.

Height: 8-10m

Growing conditions in Latvia’s climatic zones: western, central, more rarely eastern zone.

Crown: climber

Flowers: white, up to 2cm wide, fragrant, blooms in mid VI

Fruits: oval, about 3cm long, with brownish-red skin, very tasty. Ripens gradually from the end of IX.

Foliage: glossy, about 10cm long, thicker than that of Manchurian kiwi, dark green and hairless above, lighter beneath, with red hairs, turning yellow in autumn.

Hardiness: slightly lower than Actinidia kolomikta, frost resistance down to -28⁰C

Growing conditions: A very vigorous, deciduous climber that can reach even 30m in height. Trunk diameter 10-15cm, with light brown bark. Young shoots are light grey or light brown and attach themselves to supports by twining around them. Dioecious plants producing fruits - berries with a kiwi flavour, rich in vitamin C. It is recommended to plant in a sunny location sheltered from prevailing winds. Fertile soil is required. Plants should be planted 2m apart from one another, at the same depth as grown in the container. Does not tolerate dry air or dry soil. Fast-growing, may suffer from spring frosts. Plant together with the variety "Weiki"M (male)

Care:Fertilising. In spring, before bud break, scatter 30g of ammonium nitrate around the plant. Well-rotted manure may be incorporated. Later fertilise with a compound NPK fertiliser. In autumn, after harvest, at the end of September, fertilise with phosphorus and potassium mineral fertilisers.

Training: Must not be pruned in spring while leafless, because then they bleed sap and normal growth is disturbed. Actinidias are pruned in autumn, after the first serious frosts, when the leaves have already fallen. Remove thin, weak, broken and unnecessarily crown-thickening shoots. Vegetative shoots are pruned to obtain the desired crown shape of the actinidia. Mixed shoots are pruned, leaving no more than 30 cm in length.