Key Points of Red-Fleshed Kiwi Growing Technique and a Detailed Explanation of How Many Years Until Fruiting

Red-fleshed kiwi is a fruit that can be used both as food and as medicine, and it has very high economic value; it is grown most widely in places such as Sichuan and Hangzhou. So what growing techniques does it have? And generally how many years until it bears fruit? According to Uncle Li, a red-fleshed kiwi grower in Sichuan, it generally bears fruit in 3 years, reaches full production in 5 years, and with a reasonable load and a good supply of water and fertilizer, it has a growth cycle of 60 years.

What growing techniques does red-fleshed kiwi have?

1. Propagating red-fleshed kiwi by dormant-branch cuttings has the characteristics of an abundant source of cuttings, more nutrients stored in the branches, and rapid new shoot growth of the seedlings after rooting, and the plants can leave the nursery in the same year.

1. Selecting cuttings: thin dormant branches root earlier after cutting. Thick dormant branches root later and are prone to water loss and flower death under adverse climatic conditions. However, using branches that are too thin as cuttings makes it difficult to raise robust seedlings, so branches with a diameter of 8 to 10 mm should be selected as cuttings.

2. Cutting at the right time: kiwi trees are generally pruned from January to mid-February, and the pruned branches can be used as cuttings, cut and inserted right away. If the cuttings are collected earlier but the cutting period is late, a protective agent can be applied to the cut, then they can be wrapped in plastic film for storage, or stored at 5 degrees C, or stored in a cool open-field place. No matter which storage method is used, it is essential to strictly prevent the cuttings from losing water and drying out. The cutting period must not be later than April. Clean fine sandy soil or sandy soil should be used as the cutting bed soil.

3. Treating the cuttings: to increase the seedling survival rate, after red-fleshed kiwi cuttings are trimmed, soak them in a 50-fold rooting promoter solution for 20 hours, so that the cuttings fully absorb water and rooting is promoted. When using a wooden box as the cutting bed, the cuttings can be shorter, preferably about 10 cm. When using field soil as the cutting bed, the cuttings should be longer, preferably 15 to 20 cm, and in both cases they should be inserted deeply.

4. Potting in time: after the cuttings root, they can be potted. The potting soil should have good water-holding capacity, otherwise the growth of the cutting seedlings will be affected. At the early stage of transplanting, the pot diameter should preferably be 10.5 to 12 cm, and as the seedlings grow, they should be transplanted into larger pots in time. After the new shoots of the cutting seedlings elongate, they need to be supported with stakes as early as possible.

2. After red-fleshed kiwi undergoes artificial pollination, it can produce large fruits. Fruits without seeds will all drop. The more seeds they contain, the larger the fruit.

1. Pollen collection: collect the swollen flower buds of the male flowers before they open. Or collect the flowers after they open but before the anthers dehisce. Then sift the male flowers directly on an iron mesh with 2 to 3 mm openings. Or cut out the anthers with scissors. Or use an anther-collecting machine to collect them. Then the anthers can be spread thinly on kraft paper and left for 1 day and night at room temperature of 22 to 25 degrees C and humidity of 50 percent, so that they dehisce. After dehiscence, collect the pollen with a sieve of mesh size 80 to 100. When storing kiwi pollen, first put it into a container such as a tea canister containing a desiccant, then wrap 1 teaspoon of pollen separately in medicine wrapping paper, and place it in a cold storage room for preservation, taking it out for use whenever necessary.

2. Pollination method: carry out artificial pollination with a cotton swab or the like within 3 days after the male flowers open. Within 5 days after the male flowers open, the ability to fertilize is still maintained, and artificial pollination is reliable when the petals have not yet turned brown. Lycopodium powder can be used as a pollen extender. The degree of extension is generally 30 to 50 times the volume of the pollen. To enable the pollen to adhere to more pistils, the pollen and lycopodium powder can be put into a plastic bag and fully shaken and stirred. Kiwi pollen that has already been diluted and extended with lycopodium powder must be used on the same day. Cotton swabs or feathers can be used as pollination tools. Pollination work must be careful and thorough. When the stigma of the female flower is in good condition, artificial pollination can sometimes be carried out even in the rain.

3. Orchard site selection and management

1. Red-fleshed kiwi likes warmth and moisture, but is afraid of drought, wind damage and strong sunlight. When selecting a site, special attention should be paid to the surrounding ecological environment, and there must be no pollution from the industrial “three wastes”.

2. Kiwi likes light but fears sunburn; in plain terms, it likes sunlight but fears high temperatures, and it is rather sensitive to strong light. It is a fruit tree species with moderate light preference, likes diffused light, and avoids direct strong light.

2. Because kiwi is rather sensitive to strong wind, sheltered, flat land or sloping land with a gradient below 15 degrees is better; sloping land above 15 degrees, low-lying valleys, hilltops and wind gaps are not suitable for establishing an orchard. In areas with frequent wind damage, wind protection measures should be well implemented, and some valuable windbreak trees can be planted nearby. Plots prone to waterlogging are also unsuitable, because the root system of kiwi is a fleshy root with strong respiration and requires a relatively high oxygen content in the soil, that is, the necessary soil permeability. An altitude of 450 to 750 m is most ideal.

3. Deep, loose and fertile soil is required, with a slightly acidic soil pH of 5.5 to 7. If the pH is within 4, it is strongly acidic, which is very unfavorable to the growth of red-fleshed kiwi; if the pH is above 7.5, iron deficiency will occur. Red-fleshed kiwi has a slightly stronger demand for iron than any other fruit tree.

4. Red-fleshed kiwi has four key periods of water demand: the first is the sprouting period, which is needed for flowering and budding; the second is the bud emergence period, which is needed for flower bud growth; the third is the fruit rapid growth period, which mainly supplies what is needed for young fruit growth; the fourth is the period from June to August in summer, which is the period when leaf transpiration is most vigorous and water demand is relatively large. During the key periods of water demand, timely irrigation should be carried out according to soil moisture, but too much water must not be applied at one time.

5. Red-fleshed kiwi has four key periods of water demand: the first is the sprouting period, which is needed for flowering and budding; the second is the bud emergence period, which is needed for flower bud growth; the third is the fruit rapid growth period, which mainly supplies what is needed for young fruit growth; the fourth is the period from June to August in summer, which is the period when leaf transpiration is most vigorous and water demand is relatively large. During the key periods of water demand, timely irrigation should be carried out according to soil moisture, but too much water must not be applied at one time.

6. Kiwi is rather sensitive to fertilizer. In production, the principles of far, scattered and dilute must be well mastered when fertilizing kiwi, that is, the method of applying small amounts many times, which can meet the fertilizer demand without causing fertilizer damage. Organic fertilizer should be the main type, with chemical fertilizer as a supplement. Organic fertilizers include decomposed compost, waterlogged manure, barnyard manure, biogas manure, green manure, crop straw manure, cake fertilizer, etc. Chlorine-containing chemical fertilizers or compound fertilizers are not suitable for application. The amount of fertilizer applied should be determined according to the tree size and fruit yield of the orchard, soil conditions and fertilization characteristics. The mixing ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the fertilizer is 1:0.7 to 0.8:0.8 to 0.9. Add appropriate amounts of boron, zinc, iron, calcium, magnesium and other trace element fertilizers as needed.

4. Pest and disease control

1. The main insect pests occurring on kiwi are scale insects, apple small leaf roller moths and leafhoppers; the main diseases are canker, gray mold, brown spot and black spot, with the focus on the control of kiwi canker.

2. The main insect pests occurring on kiwi are scale insects, apple small leaf roller moths and leafhoppers; the main diseases are canker, gray mold, brown spot and black spot, with the focus on the control of kiwi canker.