How to Grow Hardy Kiwi (Actinidia arguta)? Detailed Guide to Planting Techniques and Precautions
Summary Site selection: avoid wind gaps and cold-air pooling areas; a sufficient water source is needed; choose a semi-shaded, semi-sunny slope, preferably one facing east. Soil: sandy loam with a pH of 6.5-7 is better. Layout: arrange bisexual-flowered and unisexual-flowered cultivars in strips. Irrigation and drainage: irrigate and drain promptly. Trellis systems: mainly three types - overhead trellis, T-bar trellis and hedgerow trellis - choose according to actual conditions. Planting: prepare the soil and apply base fertilizer before planting; after planting, water thoroughly and cover with soil. Management: prune and weed promptly, and actively prevent and control pests and diseases.
Hardy kiwi fruit is rich in nutrients, containing more than 20 kinds of amino acids and multiple vitamins; in particular, its vitamin C content is dozens of times that of other fruits, making it an excellent raw material for developing functional health foods.
1. Orchard Site Selection
1. Climatic conditions: The hardy kiwi tree has strong cold resistance, but in the Tonghua area of Jilin, artificially cultivated plants in exposed sites suffer freeze damage at the young stage, and mature trees also suffer freeze damage in certain years.
2. When selecting an orchard site, consideration should be given to avoiding wind gaps and cold-air pooling areas; in addition, areas prone to hail should also be avoided.
3. When establishing an orchard, water source conditions and the necessary irrigation facilities should be considered.
2. Soil Conditions
1. The hardy kiwi tree is a shallow-rooted species; a soil layer thickness of 50cm is sufficient to meet its growth and development needs. Except for waterlogged lowland and heavy clay, orchards can be established on other soil types; the best soil acidity and alkalinity is sandy loam or loam with a pH of 6.5-7.0.
2. Terrain and topographic conditions: flat land and mountainous land are both acceptable; for mountain cultivation, it is best to choose a semi-shaded, semi-sunny slope, preferably one facing east. Flat land, gullies, riversides, and areas in front of and behind houses are all suitable sites for planting hardy kiwi.
3. Social conditions: for large-scale development of the hardy kiwi industry, factors such as transportation conditions, social labor conditions, material supply conditions and environmental pollution must be considered.
3. Orchard Design
1. Rational layout: carry out rational planning and layout according to the terrain, soil type and thickness, and water source location of the selected orchard site, such as roads, management buildings, warehouses, fruit-drying yards, manure storage yards, etc.
2. Plot division: from the perspective of cultivated cultivars, hardy kiwi is a dioecious plant; in artificial cultivation, pollinator trees must be configured in a certain proportion to obtain high and stable economic yields. Pollinator trees require male flowers and female flowers to open at the same time; the differences in maturity periods among cultivars and whether pollinator trees are configured should be considered. Bisexual-flowered and unisexual-flowered cultivars should be arranged in adjacent strips, and the plots should be narrow and long to facilitate pollination. From the perspective of terrain height, different terrain heights should be divided into different plots to facilitate irrigation and drainage.
4. Road Design
1. Main roads, branch roads and working roads are set up within the orchard. In large orchards, the main road width is 5-6 m, branch roads 3-4 m, and working roads 2-3 m; in medium orchards, the main road is 3-4 m and working roads 2-3 m. The main road should run east-west, branch roads north-south, and working roads should form a closed pattern around the orchard, with all roads connected into a grid.
2. Irrigation and drainage system: a high-yield hardy kiwi orchard can neither be dry nor waterlogged, so irrigation and drainage must be carried out promptly. Installing a drip irrigation system can meet production needs.
3. Windbreak barriers: windbreak forest belts should be planted around the orchard. For the windbreak, choose shrub or small tree species with dense branches and leaves and a plant form that is not too tall. The belt width is 0.8-1.0 m, and tree height should be controlled at about 3 m, which can provide wind protection and block damage from drifting herbicides in surrounding areas.
5. Trellis Systems and Planting Density
1. Overhead trellis: a trellis surface width of more than 5 m is a large overhead trellis, and less than 5 m is a small overhead trellis. The advantages of the overhead trellis are that in mountainous rural areas it is convenient to use wooden frames, pruning technical requirements are relatively simpler, and yields are higher.
2. T-bar trellis: trellis surface width 2 m, single-row concrete posts, low orchard establishment cost, convenient management and spraying, good ventilation and light penetration, stable yield, good fruit quality, but relatively poor wind resistance.
3. Hedgerow trellis: converting a Schisandra orchard into a hardy kiwi orchard requires little investment, but because the row spacing is narrow, it is not suitable for mechanized operations. With the hedgerow trellis, hardy kiwi early-stage yield rises quickly, and pruning, spraying and harvesting are convenient, but later yield increase potential is small, and seedling investment is relatively large. For the overhead trellis, row spacing is 4 m or more, and trellis surface height is 1.8-2.0 m; for the T-bar trellis, row spacing is 4 m and trellis surface height is 1.8-2.0 m; for the hedgerow trellis, row spacing is 2.5-3.0 m and trellis height is 2.0 m. Plant and row spacing and planting density: overhead trellis 2 m×(4-5 m), 83-66 plants per mu; T-bar trellis 2 m×4 m, 83 plants per mu; hedgerow trellis 2 m×2.5 m-3.0 m, 133-111 plants per mu.
6. Planting Methods
1. Before planting, trench soil preparation is needed; dig trenches 25-30 cm deep, apply sufficient well-rotted livestock manure as base fertilizer, and plant the plants on the south side of an east-west hedgerow trellis.
2. When planting, first dig a planting hole 30 cm wide and 35 cm deep, backfill a small amount of soil first, tread it with the foot into a “steamed bun” shape, place the seedling into the hole, spread the root system, backfill soil to half the height of the seedling, tread gently and firmly, irrigate thoroughly twice, then cover with soil.
3. Because kiwi is mostly dioecious, pollinator trees should be configured at planting, and the ratio of female to male plants should preferably be 8:1; planting can be done in both spring and autumn.
7. Tending and Management
1. Training and pruning: mainly use hedgerow and overhead trellis training. In the first 1-2 years after planting, cultivate 3 main vines, and in the 3rd year cultivate fruiting branches. Through pruning, the fruiting mother branches and their fruiting branches on the side vines are evenly distributed; after 3-4 years, the vines can cover the trellis. Pruning can be carried out in summer and late autumn.
2. Irrigation and fertilization: hardy kiwi likes warm and moist conditions, so attention must be paid to irrigation throughout the year; the soil should neither be dry nor waterlogged. Generally, irrigation can be combined with fertilization. Before winter, irrigate with antifreeze water, and after thawing, carry out spring irrigation. Fertilization should be frequent, in small amounts, and shallow. Base fertilizer can be applied in trenches in both spring and autumn, with fertilization 2 times a year. For young trees planted in the current year, apply the first topdressing when buds sprout and new shoots begin to grow, applying quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer urea; apply the second topdressing in late July, applying phosphorus and potassium fertilizer (diammonium phosphate and 40% potassium sulfate mixed 2:1), or apply human excrement and urine.
8. Herbicides
1. For chemical weed control in the orchard, all herbicides containing 2,4-D are strictly prohibited. Other herbicides, as long as they are not sprayed onto the leaf surface, will not cause obvious phytotoxicity. New herbicides must be tested before use.
2. It can be said that growing hardy kiwi is relatively simple; pay attention to planting density and irrigation and drainage, be careful when choosing herbicides, and pruning requires some skill when the time comes. Overall, it is very suitable for planting.