How to Plant Kiwi Fruit
A small tip for life, introducing how to plant kiwi fruit and the related knowledge of kiwi cultivation techniques and management. Corrections are welcome if there are any mistakes!
Kiwi fruit, also known as奇异果 (actinidia deliciosa), fox peach, Chinese gooseberry, monkey peach, and Yangtang pear, is native to southern China and belongs to the Actinidiaceae family, Actinidia genus. Kiwi fruit not only has a sweet and sour taste that is loved by many but also contains actinidine, tannins, pectin, proteinases, and sugars, as well as trace elements such as calcium, zinc, potassium, and 17 essential amino acids for the human body. It is rich in vitamin C, fructose, citric acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, and fats. Let's learn about kiwi cultivation techniques below.
1. Planting Time
In the southern regions, which are relatively warm and rarely experience freezing in winter, planting is done during the autumn rainy season. In the northern regions, planting usually takes place during the dormant period of kiwi seedlings, which is before the early spring in March or after the kiwi trees shed their leaves and before sprouting.
2. Land Preparation and Fertilization
Land preparation is generally done after rain when the soil is loose, as deep turning at this time is more effective. During the deep turning process, apply farmyard manure as a base fertilizer, with an application rate of over 250 kilograms per mu. After deep turning, dig ditches about 30 cm deep and wide, with a row spacing of about 3 meters, and pile the excavated soil in the middle of the ridge, creating a ridged shape with lower sides and a higher middle.
3. Planting Method
Since kiwi is a dioecious plant, with pollination done by male trees and fruiting by female trees, it is necessary to evenly disperse male and female trees in a ratio of 1:6 or 1:8, maintaining a plant spacing of 3 meters and a row spacing of 4 meters.
4. Soil Management
Soil management for kiwi includes deep turning and tillage with weeding. Deep turning is usually combined with applying base fertilizer. After 1 to 2 years of planting, dig a trench around the outer edge of the plant roots for fertilizer application. After the garden cleaning or pruning is finished, deeply turn the soil outside the trench by 20 to 30 cm. Tillage for weeding should be 10 to 15 cm deep. In spring, shallow tillage is done near the tree bases, and in June to July, shallow tillage near the tree bases is combined with weeding.
5. Fertilization Management
Fertilization for young kiwi trees should be done in small amounts multiple times, with thin fertilizers applied frequently. It is best to use composting methods, digging shallow trenches at a certain distance from the roots, applying fertilizer, and then covering the soil. Apply fertilizer three times a year and top-dress twice, with the first dressing during the seedling germination period, applying 4 pounds of NPK compound fertilizer per plant, and the second dressing during the seedling growth period, applying compound fertilizer according to the growth status of the seedlings. After harvesting, apply 40 pounds of organic fertilizer and 3 pounds of phosphate fertilizer.
6. Water Management
Since kiwi roots are shallow, excessively dry or wet soil is not conducive to plant growth. Kiwi fruit prefers moist soil. In hot and dry weather during the summer, if the soil is too dry, the leaves can wither and wilt, and new shoots may stop growing due to lack of water. Therefore, managing kiwi's water supply is essential. Water the plants when the soil is dry to keep it moist but not soggy.
The above introduction on how to plant kiwi fruit and the specific contents of kiwi cultivation techniques and management are provided for everyone's reference and operation.