What are the latest growing conditions for kiwifruit?

Kiwifruit likes shady and moist growing environment conditions, and is afraid of drought, waterlogging, and wind. It is cold-tolerant but not tolerant of late spring frost. The planting time runs from late autumn to early spring, from late October in autumn and late February in spring before the sap bleeding period of the branches. The harvest of kiwifruit is from mid-September to mid-October. Let us take a look below at the conditions required for growing kiwifruit!

Kiwifruit growing conditions

It is understood that most of the varieties currently cultivated are mainly the two species Actinidia deliciosa and Actinidia chinensis, which respectively originated mainly in the central and southwestern regions and the central and southeastern regions of China. In the subsequent process of cultivation spread, it was found that they can be cultivated from Beijing to Hainan, and from Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan to Taiwan, China.

1. Light conditions

First, let us talk about liking light but fearing sunburn. If you are a careful person and are close to mountainous areas with wild kiwifruit, you will find that kiwifruit in the mountains basically grows on shady slopes or semi-shady slopes, or else by riversides. Why? Because it fears sunburn. The kiwifruit plant has a very strong ability to use diffused light. Even growing twined and attached on a large tree is no problem at all, but it cannot be overly shaded. If there is a serious lack of light, its branches will die back. This is why production emphasizes reasonable plant and row spacing. This is why New Zealand set kiwifruit row and plant spacing at 5*5 or 5*6. It precisely makes full use of this habit of kiwifruit, and to a certain extent made their kiwifruit the world's number one. In plain terms, it likes sunlight but fears high temperatures.

2. Precipitation conditions

Next, let us talk about liking water but fearing waterlogging. The main reason is that kiwifruit is a broadleaf fruit tree. Especially in summer, leaf transpiration is very vigorous, and the water demand is relatively large. Therefore, in the three months of June, July, and August, soil moisture content is generally required to be maintained at 70%, which is ideal. But at the same time, the root system of kiwifruit is a fleshy root with strong respiration and needs a relatively high oxygen content in the soil, that is, it needs the necessary soil permeability. Therefore, according to the relationship between soil water and air, it cannot be watered too much. This is a very contradictory unity. What should be done? Therefore, it is necessary to grow grass on the ground, increase the application of organic fertilizer, strengthen the soil's water storage capacity, and emphasize the scientific water-use principle of mulching to preserve soil moisture first and irrigation second. In production, many orchards have large numbers of unexplained tree deaths in summer and autumn. In fact, the trees were watered to death, soaked to death, and drowned. Large kiwifruit trees will never die of drought; they only die of waterlogging. Many fruit growers have experience that in summer, if it rains continuously, or if it has just been irrigated and then rain falls, once the weather clears and the temperature quickly rises again, many kiwifruit trees immediately show wilting (fruit growers commonly call it "afternoon droop"). If not handled in time, the trees will soon die. This is the typical pattern of liking water but fearing waterlogging.

3. Fertilization management

Finally, let us talk about liking fertilizer but fearing burn. The growth amount and extremely strong growth vigor of kiwifruit determine the urgency of its demand for nutrients. Coupled with the production mentality of pursuing yields exploitatively, once kiwifruit lacks inorganic nutrients, it shows yellowing, small leaves, and halted growth. Therefore, kiwifruit is relatively sensitive to nutrients, but the fleshy root system is also very sensitive to soil salt concentration (especially under continuous high temperature and drought), thus forming a new contradictory unity. In view of this, production requires that fertilization of kiwifruit must grasp the principle of far, scattered, and dilute, that is, the method of applying small amounts many times, which can both meet nutrient demand and avoid fertilizer damage. This is the kiwifruit's liking fertilizer but fearing burn.

4. Temperature conditions

Temperature is the main factor limiting the distribution and growth and development of kiwifruit. Each species has a suitable temperature range, and beyond this range it grows poorly or cannot survive. Most kiwifruit species require a warm and humid climate, that is, a subtropical or temperate humid to semi-humid climate, and are mainly distributed across a vast area from 18 to 34 degrees north latitude. The annual average temperature is about 11.3 to 16.9°C, the extreme maximum temperature is 42.6°C, the extreme minimum temperature is about -20.3°C, the effective accumulated temperature above 10°C is 4500 to 5200°C, and the frost-free period is 160 to 270 days.

5. Other conditions

In addition to considering the natural environment, kiwifruit cultivation also needs to consider local social, economic, transportation, microclimate, and site environment conditions. Generally speaking, good public security, sufficient investment, convenient transportation, flat land, fertile soil, convenient drainage and irrigation, sufficient light, and a mild climate. Plots that are not in wind gaps or hail paths are ideal orchard site selections.

Main kiwifruit growing regions

China is the native center of kiwifruit. The world's place of origin for kiwifruit is in China, especially the Qinling mountainous area in the Guanzhong region of Shaanxi Province. Kiwifruit grows on mountain slopes at forest edges or in thickets, and some are cultivated in orchards and gardens. In China, it is distributed in Shaanxi, Sichuan, Henan, and other areas north of the Yangtze River basin. Our seven major kiwifruit growing regions are:

1. The Qinling mountainous area of Shaanxi (mainly Zhouzhi County of Xi'an, China's hometown of kiwifruit, and the adjacent Huxian County, Meixian County of Baoji, and Wugong County of Xianyang).

2. The Dabie Mountains area, including the Funiu Mountains and Tongbai Mountains of Nanyang in Henan Province, and Tiantai Mountain of Huanggang in Hubei Province.

3. The Guizhou Plateau and western Hunan Province.

4. Heping County of Heyuan in Guangdong.

5. The northwestern region of Sichuan Province and the southwestern region of Hubei Province.

6. Jiangshan City of Zhejiang Province.

7. Fengxin County of Jiangxi Province.

8. Shaanxi Province is China's largest kiwifruit-growing province, mainly distributed in Zhouzhi County and Huxian County of Xi'an, Meixian County of Baoji, and Wugong County of Xianyang.

Kiwifruit growing risks

1. Kiwifruit requires a relatively large one-time investment, and the income period takes more than 2 years. Especially during the young tree stage, management must not be relaxed, otherwise the expected goal cannot be achieved.

2. Kiwifruit has a fleshy root system. It fears both drying and waterlogging, and is very easily killed by drying or waterlogging. Drought resistance and drainage must not be ignored.