Kiwifruit Seeds: Latest Prices and How to Grow Them

Kiwifruit, also known as kiwi, fox peach, monkey pear and so on, is a large deciduous woody vine of the genus Actinidia in the family Actinidiaceae. Its place of origin is the Xiangxi region of Hunan Province in China, and the northern foot of the Qinling Mountains in Shaanxi is the region richest in kiwifruit resources in China, where folk artificial cultivation has a history of more than a thousand years. Now let us take a look at kiwifruit seed prices and growing methods!

How much is a jin of kiwifruit seeds?

The price of kiwifruit seeds is about 40 to 50 yuan per jin, but prices vary depending on seed quality, variety, place of origin, market and so on. Seedlings raised by sowing kiwifruit seeds are called seedling trees; seedling trees are of great significance for introduction and cultivation in non-producing areas and non-natural distribution areas. Direct propagation by seed can achieve the purpose of introduction and domestication, and can also be used to breed new varieties. In production, they are mostly used to propagate rootstock, providing the material basis for grafting strong seedlings of superior clones.

What environment does kiwifruit need to grow?

1. Climate: Kiwifruit tolerates partial shade and prefers cool, humid environments. It fears drought, waterlogging and wind, tolerates cold but not late-spring frost. It is best to choose areas with a mild climate, ample sunlight, abundant rainfall, fairly even precipitation during the growing season, high air humidity, and few early or late frost and freeze injuries.

2. Soil: For kiwifruit growth, deep and fertile soil with good aeration, a groundwater level below 1 m, high organic matter content, and a slightly acidic sandy soil with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5 is suitable. Strongly acidic or alkaline soil needs to be improved before cultivation.

3. Light: Kiwifruit likes light but fears scorching sun, and has a very strong ability to use diffused light. Even growing twined around and attached to a large tree is no problem, but it cannot be too heavily shaded. If light is seriously lacking, the branches will die. In plain terms, it likes sunlight but fears high temperatures.

4. Temperature: Kiwifruit likes warmth. In fact, temperature is the main factor limiting the distribution, growth and development of kiwifruit. Each species has a suitable temperature range; beyond this range it grows poorly or cannot survive, but most species require a warm and humid climate.

5. Fertilizer: Kiwifruit likes fertilizer. Once it lacks inorganic nutrients, it shows yellowing, small leaves, stopped growth and other phenomena, but its fleshy root system is also very sensitive to soil salt concentration. In production, the method of applying fertilizer in small amounts many times is required, which can meet nutrient needs without causing fertilizer damage.

6. Water: Kiwifruit likes water but fears waterlogging. However, the root system of kiwifruit is a fleshy root with strong respiration and needs a relatively high oxygen content in the soil, that is, the necessary soil aeration. Therefore, according to the balance between soil water and air, it should not be watered too much.

How are kiwifruit seeds planted?

1. Seed collection: Collect ripe fruit from early September to mid-to-late October. After the fruit ripens and softens, squeeze out the fruit together with the seeds, put them into a gauze bag and rub them so that the seeds separate from the flesh. Then wash them repeatedly with clean water, and place the washed seeds indoors to dry in the shade.

2. Sand storage treatment: Soak the seeds in warm water at 40 to 50°C for 2 hours, then soak them in cold water for a day and a night, then store them in sand for 50 to 60 days before sowing. During sand storage, kiwifruit seeds fear both dryness and moisture, so check and turn them frequently to prevent mold.

2. Sowing at the right time: The sowing period for kiwifruit is generally from late March to early April. Finely level the soil in the seedbed, then water it thoroughly with a slow stream. After the water seeps in, scatter the seeds on the seedbed, cover with a layer of fine sandy soil, then press gently and level it, and cover with grass on top to maintain moisture.

3. Seedbed management: After sowing kiwifruit, pay attention to spraying water frequently to keep the soil moist. After emergence, ventilate and harden the seedlings to prevent lodging. When the seedlings grow to 2 to 3 true leaves and 4 to 5 true leaves, thin them in stages; the thinned seedlings can be transplanted.

High-yield cultivation techniques for kiwifruit

1. Orchard site selection: The kiwifruit root system is fragile. It fears both waterlogging and high-temperature drought. New shoots fear strong wind as well as late-spring cold or low-temperature freeze injury. It is suitable for planting in sub-alpine areas. An orchard should be built in a place with deep soil, fertile soil, loose texture, good drainage and convenient transportation.

2. Seed selection and seedling raising: There are many kiwifruit varieties, such as Hongyang, Qingcheng No. 1, Chuanmi No. 2, Miliang No. 1 and so on. Suitable varieties should be selected according to the geographical environment. Seedling methods mainly include rootstock seedling cultivation and grafted seedling cultivation, and their seedling-raising methods differ.

3. Young seedling planting: Kiwifruit is planted from October to the end of February of the following year. Select seedlings that are disease-free, pest-free, growing vigorously, and have a well-developed and intact root system, with a female:male ratio of 10:1. When planting, spread the root system evenly on the soil mound, with the roots slanting straight; after the roots are placed, fill with fine soil and firm it.

4. Trellis erection and wire pulling: The trellis methods used for kiwifruit include T-shaped trellises, hedge trellises, tripod trellises, greenhouse trellises and so on. Flat-topped greenhouse trellises are mostly used. Existing small-diameter trees can be used on site as living posts, plus some replaceable bamboo or wooden posts, with concrete posts used at key positions.

5. Topdressing and watering: Before planting kiwifruit, 2.5 kg of fruit-tree fertilizer can be applied once per plant in the pit or trench. Young trees use the method of applying fertilizer in small amounts many times. Afterward, fertilizer is generally applied 3 times per year, 1 basal application and 2 topdressings, mainly with quick-acting fertilizer, with a nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium ratio of 4:2:1.

6. Pruning and fruit thinning: Kiwifruit pruning is divided into winter pruning, summer pruning and male-plant pruning. Winter pruning is carried out from after leaf fall to 1 month before early-spring budbreak. Summer pruning is mainly carried out from mid-May to early July. Fruit thinning is generally carried out 1 month after flowering, keeping the middle fruit and thinning the side fruit.

7. Timely harvesting: Harvesting kiwifruit too early or too late will affect the quality and flavor of the fruit. Harvesting should be done on a windless sunny day. Rainy days, after rain, and mornings when dew has not dried are all unsuitable for harvesting. The best picking time is before 10 a.m. when the temperature has not yet risen.

Kiwifruit pest and disease control techniques

1. Ripe rot

[Symptoms] When kiwifruit ripens, a spot resembling a thumb pressure mark appears on one side of the harvested fruit. The edge of the lesion is dark green or water-soaked, and in the middle there is often milky white conical decay. Within a few days it can extend deep into the middle of the flesh and even cause the whole fruit to rot.

[Control method] From two weeks after flower drop to the fruit expansion stage, spray the canopy with 50% carbendazim 800-fold solution or 1:0.5:200 Bordeaux mixture, or 80% thiophanate wettable powder 1000-fold solution 2 to 3 times, with a spraying interval of about 20 days.

2. Root rot

[Symptoms] In the early stage, dark brown water-soaked lesions appear at the root collar, and after gradually expanding, white silky hyphae grow. The cortex and xylem of the diseased part gradually rot, with a smell of distillers' grains, and afterward the roots below gradually turn black and rot, eventually causing the entire plant to die.

[Control method] In March and mid-to-late June, use 0.5 kg of zineb plus 200 kg of water to drench the roots. When diseased plants are found, dig away the soil at the root collar, carefully scrape off the diseased part and a small amount of healthy tissue, disinfect with 0.1% mercuric chloride, then apply Bordeaux mixture, and after half a month replace with new soil and cover it.

3. Stem-end rot

[Symptoms] On the affected fruit, obvious water-soaked symptoms first appear at the fruit stalk. Afterward the lesion spreads evenly downward, the flesh rots downward from the fruit stalk and spreads through the whole fruit, and a layer of uneven downy gray-white mold grows on the peel of the diseased part.

[Control method] Spray a fungicide once in the late flowering stage and once before harvest. Before harvest, the pesticide should be applied so that the solution lands on the fruit stalk as much as possible, such as soaking the fruit for 1 minute with 50% carbendazim 1000-fold solution plus 2,4-D 100 to 200 ppm.

4. Leafhoppers

[Symptoms] Adults and nymphs suck the sap of kiwifruit buds, leaves and branch tips. On damaged leaf surfaces, yellow-white spots first appear and gradually expand into patches. In severe cases, the whole leaf turns pale and falls early, the tree weakens, and yield drops sharply.

[Control method] During the peak occurrence period of adults, spray 40% dimethoate 1:1200-fold solution, or spray 25% deltamethrin 3000-fold solution or 50% pirimicarb wettable powder 4000-fold solution and other pyrethroid pesticides.