Autumn planting of actinidia kolomikta. Growing actinidia in the garden: practical tips for beginners. Possible mistakes when planting actinidia

Anyone who believes that he has not seen actinidia is only partly right. Someone had a chance to visit the Botanical Garden or visit the “Apothecary Garden” - often newlyweds are photographed there against the backdrop of graceful vines, strewn with white corollas of flowers in June. Some, walking through garden plots, noticed climbing plants with strange white and pink leaves, as if stained with paint. And few people have not tried kiwi. This is also actinidia, but Chinese, or actinidia deliciosa.

Origin of actinidia and brief description

Actinidia (from the Greek ακτινιδιον - ray) is a genus of woody vines of the Actinidiaceae family. For residents of our Far East, Primorye or Khabarovsk Territory, there is nothing exotic in these plants. Actinidia has been living there since the Tertiary period, when those parts were still subtropical. With the onset of glaciers, the climate underwent changes, but actinidia did not disappear, like other plants, but adapted to more severe conditions. Currently, four species of actinidia out of the existing seventy-five grow in the Far East.

Actinidia are deciduous vines with tree-like climbing or erect stems. Actinidia stems need support. They do not have aerial roots, so they are planted next to buildings without damaging buildings. Actinidia leaves have a very decorative look. Painted in different time year in various colors from white to crimson, they attract attention, creating a feeling of a fabulous holiday.

Actinidia are used for vertical gardening, decorate the facades of buildings

Actinidia is a dioecious plant. If you have an idea to not only decorate the garden, but also enjoy original berries, you need to plant at least two plants. And it’s better even significantly more, for example, in a ratio of 1:3, where the lower figure applies to male plants. Before flowering, it will not be possible to distinguish a female plant from a male one. After flowering, it is noticeable that male flowers lack a pistil, while female flowers have both stamens and a pistil. The corollas of the flowers are usually white.

Male actinidia flowers lack a pistil, but female flowers have both pistil and stamens.

Actinidia fruits are dark green berries, often oblong, but some are spherical. The length of the fruit is up to 3 cm, width 1.5 cm. Ripe berries are aromatic, sweet, soft, with a large number of small seeds.

It is safe to say that in the future actinidia will occupy one of the first-class places among the fruit plants of our region, capable of completely displacing grapes in the quality of their fruits... not only replacing them in all types of use, but far surpassing them in the quality of their fruits...
I. V. Michurin
Kuragodnikova G. A. Integrated economic and biological assessment of actinidia varieties in the Central Chernobyl Region

Actinidia can grow up to 80–100 years. In the first years it grows quickly, then slows down. Fruiting continues until about 50 years.

Landing rules

Before you start planting actinidia, you need to decide for what purpose it is intended. For decorative purposes, the gender of plants and their growth conditions do not matter. To obtain a harvest of aromatic berries, you need to acquire seedlings of male and female types, and it is best to select more seedlings of the female type. The optimal age for seedlings is from two to four years.

For actinidia to bear fruit, sunny areas are necessary, but too open spaces may cause burns to plants. Illuminated areas where the plant will be shaded during the hottest part of the day are best suited.

For normal growth and development, actinidia needs slightly acidic or neutral soils, well drained, fertile. It does not grow in lowlands or on clay soils. River pebbles are used as drainage in the planting hole for actinidia, but not gravel or crushed stone, since the calcium they contain can alkalize the soil. At high occurrence groundwater for actinidia, an artificial mound is poured, broken bricks and pebbles are used for drainage.

Video: first actinidia harvest

Where is the best place to plant a liana?

If possible, it is better to plant actinidia on natural slopes, where water does not stagnate and the plants will be well lit. Like all vines, actinidia needs strong support. The plant is planted along the fence, next to the house, on trellises or in arched structures. The fruits appear at the top of the crown, so it is important to think about the type of support in advance to make it convenient to harvest in the future. Actinidia are characterized by long fruiting.

It is not recommended to plant actinidia next to large fruit trees. Such a neighborhood suppresses actinidia, depriving it of sun and moisture, and regular loosening of the tree trunk fruit trees injures superficially located roots of vines.

Actinidia is not planted in areas where it has already been cultivated before, but a new place is selected. Scientists also noticed that apple trees have a bad effect on the growth of actinidia, while the proximity to currant bushes is favorable.

Planting actinidia in spring

Planting holes are prepared in advance. The size of the holes should be 50x50x50 cm. They are located at a distance of about one and a half or two meters. If there is a sufficient amount of fertilizer in the hole, the distance may be less if you plan to decorate the facade of the house.

Seedlings are selected in advance, injured and dried areas of roots and branches are cut off.
Broken bricks, pebbles, and small river stones are poured into the bottom of the holes.
The drainage layer is covered with peat humus mixture.
A mixture of soil and sand is poured on top of this layer. mineral fertilizers, containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in a ratio of 1:5:1; no more than 30–40 g of fertilizer per hole.
Actinidia are planted in mounds with mineral fertilizers.
The soil is compacted well, making sure that the root collar does not go deep.
Water generously and mulch with sawdust, pine needles or dry peat.

You cannot add chlorine-containing fertilizers to the planting hole; actinidia do not tolerate chlorine. In the first years, cats are dangerous for seedlings; they damage young shoots in order to feast on the plant juice. Old woody stems are not affected by cat claws. Young seedlings are most often saved by a fence made of metal mesh.

Autumn planting

If you need to plant actinidia in the fall, it is important to know that this is done no later than 2-3 weeks before the expected frost. Otherwise, there are no differences: the planting hole is prepared in the usual way; after planting, the hole is mulched with peat, humus or compost. Young actinidia seedlings are covered in the first year. Mature plants tolerate winter well; in isolated cases, it is only necessary to remove branches damaged by frost. There is no need to remove actinidia from the trellises and cover them.

Video: planting actinidia

Reproduction methods

Like any angiosperm, actinidia can reproduce vegetatively and generatively. At vegetative propagation cuttings from male plants are preserved masculine properties, and female cuttings, respectively, have all the properties of the mother plants. Plants obtained by cuttings begin to bear fruit in the third or fourth year after planting. Reproduction by arc layering also belongs to the vegetative type.

When propagated by seeds, that is, generative, it is impossible to determine the sex of the plant before the first flowering, but according to reviews, seedlings obtained from seeds are more hardy. Plants grown from seedlings bear fruit only in the seventh year.

Propagation by cuttings

Annual strong shoots are most suitable for actinidia cuttings. Cuttings are cut in June, when sap flow is no longer so intense.

A half-meter-long branch is cut from a powerful one-year-old shoot.
Divide it into cuttings 10–15 cm long, so that each has 3 buds.
The cut under the lower bud runs at an angle of 45°, and above the upper one, transversely, 5 cm above the bud itself.
The lower leaves are removed, the upper ones are cut in half to reduce the area of evaporation.
If you treat the cut with Kornevin, rooting will be fast.
The holes are prepared in advance so that the cuttings are at a distance of 5 cm from each other.
The soil in the holes is mixed with humus and river sand in a ratio of 2:2:1.
Mineral fertilizers that do not contain chlorine (!) are applied at the rate of no more than 100 grams per m 2.
The soil-humus mixture is watered abundantly, and the cuttings are planted at an angle of 60 degrees.
The soil is thoroughly compacted, while the middle bud of the cutting remains above the soil level.
If the cuttings were not planted in a greenhouse or hothouse, they are placed in ordinary glass jars.
After planting, make sure that the soil is sufficiently moist and spray the cuttings up to five times a day.
Before frost, the cuttings are covered with fallen leaves or mowed grass.
In early spring Before the buds swell, the rooted sprouts are planted in the selected area at intervals.
Subsequently, as the seedling grows and develops, a vine is formed on a stable support.

After planting the seedling in a permanent place, the vine is formed

The described method is otherwise called “green cuttings”. There is also a way to take cuttings from woody shoots. They are harvested in late autumn or winter: straight cuttings are cut, tied into bunches, stored in vertical position in a box with sand at low (up to +5 o C) temperatures. In the spring, they are planted in a greenhouse and cared for in the same way as green cuttings.

Rooting cuttings

If you want to propagate an actinidia variety already existing on the site, choose a strong shoot. In the summer, when the sap flow has slowed down and young leaves have appeared, they bend it to the ground and pin it.

The cuttings are pinned tightly and covered with soil for rooting.

The place where the layer touches the ground is covered with a mound of soil and mulched. In this case, the top of the shoot is not covered; it can be tied to a peg. The mound is watered, the new shoot that appears is constantly sprayed. In the fall, the rooted cuttings are separated from the mother plant and transplanted to a permanent place.

Planting seeds

To grow actinidia from seeds, you need to have enormous patience. Fresh seeds are used for sowing, as they quickly lose their viability.

The seeds are taken from ripe soft fruits, placed in a bag or thin strainer, washed thoroughly and dried on a napkin in the shade.
In early December, seeds wrapped in a cloth are poured with water so that the cloth is completely covered. The water is changed daily.
After four days, the cloth with the seeds is taken out, lightly wrung out and immersed in clean calcined wet sand at room temperature for two months. During this period, once a week, the seeds are removed, the cloth is unrolled for five minutes to ventilate, wrapped again, washed in water, lightly wrung out and immersed back in the sand. It is important that the sand does not dry out.
At the beginning of February, a box with sand and seeds is buried deep in the snow.
After 2 months, the box is transferred to a room with a temperature of 10–12 o C and left for 3–4 weeks.
The hatched seeds are planted on fertile soil, grown at room temperature until two or three true leaves appear, then transplanted into open ground.

Actinidia grown from seeds are more hardy, but bear fruit later than seedlings obtained vegetatively, in the sixth or seventh year.

Transplanting actinidia to a new place

When transplanting actinidia, it is important to remember that it cannot be injured during active sap flow; it may die. Therefore, it is best to transplant young seedlings up to three years old and either in early spring, before buds open, or late in autumn. It is better to install supports for actinidia in advance so as not to injure superficially located roots.

To care for actinidia, it is important not only to plant it on fertile, well-drained soil and regularly water it, but also to ensure sufficient air humidity, preventing loss of foliage.

Actinidia on an arched structure is a real garden decoration

Actinidia is easy to grow. Choice suitable type and plant varieties, proper care and adherence to agricultural practices will provide you with a guaranteed result. You will collect the fruits annually, and the decorative climbing vines will delight summer residents all summer. Protect young shoots from cats, don’t forget about support, water and feed them on time - and enjoy the vitamin-rich berries.

Actinidia arguta or kolomikta
First of all, you need to deal with . If you don’t want to annually cut out dead shoots that couldn’t withstand frost and harsh weather, plant actinidia on your plot kolomikta . If you have the opportunity to find a secluded place for the plant, which is well warmed up by the rays of the sun, then you can try planting actinidia arguta – it is less winter-hardy, but still endures most winters without loss. Other types and varieties of actinidia are more difficult to obtain, and you don’t need them - they are more capricious to care for and less winter-hardy.

In general actinidia kolomikta more attractive for many reasons: winter hardiness, monoecy, and more interesting appearance. Actinidia leaf tips kolomikta about five days before flowering they look as if they were dipped in a can of paint - white. Then they begin to turn pink, turning crimson. During this period, the leaf consists of three colors and looks decorative in autumn.

How to choose actinidia seedlings
Nurseries usually sell two-year-old seedlings. They are 45-50 cm long and have signs of a vine - elongated and rather thin shoots. The roots are usually well developed - choose those seedlings on which they are not torn or trimmed.

Actinidia male and female
When choosing a variety in a nursery, be sure to buy both male and female specimens for, because this vine is a typical dioecious plant, like sea buckthorn, for example. On one plant, only flowers with stamens, that is, male, are formed, and on the other, only with pistils, that is, female. Both of them, planted separately, will only bloom, but will not bear fruit.

You can plant 5 female plants for one male plant, no need to worry, there will be enough pollen for all the flowers. They will be pollinated by the wind and insects, such as bees and bumblebees, which happily fly to the actinidia for nectar.

Actinidia self-fertile
In their work, breeders are trying to obtain bisexual and monoecious varieties. For example, monoecy is characteristic of actinidia kolomikta . Her male flowers are often located at the bottom of the vine, and the female flowers at the top. They are quite capable of being pollinated by their own pollen. However, the yields from such pollination are not very large, and I would still advise planting male plants too.

Actinidia propagation by cuttings
Actinidia is usually propagated by rooting green cuttings. This is a fairly simple and extremely effective process for propagating this plant. Cuttings are harvested in late May - early June. Shoots that have not yet become lignified are cut 12-15 cm long and immersed in the nutrient soil of the greenhouse, consisting of river sand, peat and humus in equal parts. The greenhouse is covered with film, the soil is constantly moistened, and the temperature in the greenhouse is maintained at a high temperature.

Under such conditions, more than 80% of the cuttings take root, but these are not yet ready-made seedlings. To plant a rooted cutting in a permanent place, it needs to be grown for another season in a bed with loose and nutritious soil. You can plant cuttings after digging them out of the greenhouse in September in the same fall. In the spring you need to apply fertilizer - nitroammophoska in the amount of 1 tbsp. l. per 1 sq. m of planted cuttings.

Preparation landing pit
I advise planting actinidia seedlings in a permanent place in the spring, when the soil is rich in moisture, and there is a long season ahead, so that actinidia gains strength before wintering. You need to place the root system of the seedling in holes, but first you need to prepare the soil well - dig it up with a full spade, break up the clods, and level it.

In areas where the soil is poor, before digging, it is advisable to scatter rotted manure (3-5 kg per 1 sq. m) or wood ash (500-600 g per 1 sq. m) over the surface, and then dig up the soil. If you decide to do this, then it is better to apply fertilizers in the fall. In the spring, the soil will need to be dug up and leveled again.

It is recommended to make the holes 50 by 50 cm in size, but in general they should correspond to the size of the roots, so they can be larger if the roots are strong, and smaller if the roots are weak. It is advisable to pour a layer of drainage (2-3 cm) at the bottom of the hole, then approx. 2 kg (peat and humus in equal parts). Water the prepared area (half a bucket of water) and place the seedling, straightening the roots and covering them with nutritious soil.

Immediately after planting, be sure to water the plants (half a bucket of water) and mulch the surface with peat or humus.

Actinidia planting scheme
When planting seedlings, maintain a distance of 30 cm between plants and 50 cm between rows. If you plant actinidia in a row, then leave at least 3 m between the plants, because they grow actively, they can become very intertwined, and the yield will decrease.

Advice - when planting, try to deepen the root collar by 2-3 cm.
They say that this way plants develop faster and are more resistant to freezing of the root system.

Support for actinidia
About a month after planting, you will need to install the first supports - pegs on which to attach the vine, and on next year a full-fledged trellis. A simple trellis structure with a pair of pillars on the sides and three rows of wire in the center can be used as a support.

The vine is often planted near the gazebo, veranda and arch, along a hedge or fence. Well, if you build a frame in the form of some kind of figure, actinidia will cover the entire structure, and a bizarre green creature will grow on your site.

Further care for actinidia consists of regular fertilizing, watering, loosening the soil, pruning and covering for the winter.

Feeding actinidia
In spring, nitroammophoska will be a suitable fertilizer. For plants 3-4 years old, 1/2 tbsp is enough. l. of this fertilizer, diluted in water, for older vines - a whole tablespoon. I pour the solution directly under the bush.

During the flowering period I use superphosphate - 1/2 tbsp. l. under a bush. In autumn - potassium salt in the same dosage.

Watering and loosening the soil
Watering actinidia is recommended only in severe drought - if, for example, there is no rain for 3 days and it is really hot. One bucket of water in the evening will be enough.

When loosening the soil, do not forget about the weeds - they must be removed. It has long been noticed that with a clean bite area and loose soil, plants develop better.

Actinidia pruning
Only those vines that become impudent and extend far beyond the boundaries of the plant, often creeping right along the ground, will need to be trimmed regularly. Sanitary pruning is usually carried out at the end of February, when it is necessary to remove all broken, poorly developed or thickening shoots growing deep into the crown. Annual shoots that grow more than a meter can be shortened by half.

Actinidia shelter for the winter
In the middle zone, I do not cover actinidia, but for the winter I add sawdust to a height of 10-15 cm around the root collar. In early spring, I remove them as soon as they have moved away from the frost.

Actinidia harvests in September. The fruits may fall off, so you shouldn’t delay harvesting - they have become soft, which means you need to pick them. It is quite possible to collect it by shaking it onto burlap. If you need to pick earlier, then place the slightly unripe berries on a newspaper in a dark place in the living room - they will arrive in 5-7 days.

Growing vines in a garden plot is designed for a long time - actinidia can bloom and bear fruit consistently for about 30 years. But this plant needs long-term and reliable support. Lianas under big trees It is undesirable to plant them, as they will take away moisture and light from the vine. Scientists have found, for example, that an actinidia seedling does not tolerate close-growing apple trees, but grows well with currants. Also, you can’t plant it in the place where actinidia grew; you shouldn’t dig the soil around the vines deeply; only shallow loosening is permissible. For this reason, this plant is not planted close to fruit trees, around which the soil is dug up in the trunk circle every year. In the garden, it is necessary to allocate a special place for the vines - next to the house or near a hedge, giving it the opportunity to weave along a suitable support - trellises or ladders from which there is no need to even remove the actinidia for the winter.

Soil for planting actinidia

Any soil is suitable for this plant, except clayey and waterlogged soils. The main thing that is necessary for this crop is natural and reliable drainage, and for this, vines are best planted in elevated places, on gentle slopes with good water drainage. Actinidia seedlings grow very well and for this reason it requires slightly acidic soil rich in organic matter. The liana does not tolerate lime; for this reason, the soil should not be limed before planting. The roots of the plant are in the top layer of soil and in nature are located directly under the lush forest floor, under which for a long time moisture is retained. In addition to lime, potassium chloride cannot be added under actinidia.

Planting vines

Actinidia should be planted in early spring; plants in the garden are planted at 2-3 years of age. In the trench or hole prepared for planting, first lay drainage layer– small stones, broken bricks, pebbles. You cannot use crushed stone for this, because it contains lime. Add 8-10 kg to the pit organic fertilizers and a mixture of minerals, chlorine-containing fertilizers cannot be used to fertilize actinidia seedlings. First of all, soil is poured onto the drainage, then a mixture of soil, sand and fertilizers. A seedling is planted on the resulting mound without covering the root collar with soil. After this, the plant must be well watered and the soil mulched with compost, peat or humus. There should be a distance of at least 2 m between planted plants.

Plant care

Caring for actinidia consists of finely loosening the soil, periodically fertilizing with fertilizer, watering and weeding. Liana loves airborne moisture, for this reason in hot and dry weather it will be excellent to spray it in the morning and evening hours clean water. The plant is formed starting from the age of two years, best in the form of a standard-free, multi-sleeved fan. There is no need to remove actinidia from the trellis and cover it for the winter; you must remember that the plant cannot be pruned in the spring; even minor damage during sap flow significantly weakens the vine and can even destroy it. Young actinidia seedlings must be protected from cats, they eat the buds and bark on them, often for this purpose, a metal mesh is installed around the bush. Each plant has its own disadvantages, actinidia has only three of them: instability to frosts in late spring, which damage flowers and young shoots, non-simultaneous ripening and rapid shedding of the crop.

Winter hardiness of actinidia

The most frost-resistant - a. kolomikta, even in severe frosts the plant is practically not damaged, in a. Arguta and A. polygamy, some of the shoots that have not ripened since autumn may be damaged.

Actinidia is becoming increasingly popular in gardening stores, the cultivation and care of which is very simple, and the result is pleasant. From the bush you can collect at least 20 kg of tasty fruits, depending on age. What is this? In order not to be verbose, let's say that one of the varieties of this plant is kiwi. So how should you care for your miracle relative to get a big harvest?

Brief information about actinidia

Actinidia is an ornamental and medicinal shrub vine that brings a bountiful harvest every year. The homeland of the plant is China. In the Primorsky Territory of the Far East you can often find wild actinidia, on the basis of which many winter-hardy varieties have been bred that can grow and bear fruit in our conditions. Most often, we encounter the plant not in the form of a bush, but in the form of fruits, which include kiwi.

Due to their variegated leaves, actinidia are often planted in gardens for vertical gardening of verandas, houses, gazebos, pergolas, fences, and trellises. The plant is especially beautiful during the period when many buds bloom (early June). In August-September, large fruits weighing 13-18 g appear in their place.

Fruits can be eaten fresh, or made into jam, compote, marmalade, marshmallows, or added to baked goods. Sun-dried fruits taste somewhat like raisins.

Preparing for landing

Growing and caring for actinidia requires a number of manipulations on which the proper development of the plant depends. Due to the vulnerability of the root system, those seedlings that have it covered are purchased.

You should buy seedlings of three years old or more. Moreover, these should be both male and female specimens in a ratio of 1-2:5, respectively, since actinidia is a dioecious plant and cross-pollination is possible only between plants of the same species.

The sex of the plant is determined by the structure of the flowers during the first bloom. The male specimen has buds with many stamens, but they lack a pistil. In addition, the flowers form inflorescences of 6 or more buds. Male plants are characterized by a dark green color on the upper side of the foliage, which during the summer becomes white with pubescence, and then pink-red.

The female plant has both stamens and a pistil, but the former do not participate at all in pollination. Flowers receive pollen from the wind, bees and bumblebees. Unlike the male plant, the buds here are single. As for the color of the foliage, by autumn the female bushes change it to brownish.

The buds are laid in the axils of the leaves on the branches current year. The duration of flowering is 10 days, after which ovaries form in place of the buds on the female plants, from which fruits of a light orange or yellow-green hue develop.

Selecting a location

Actinidia - climbing plant, so it is often planted along the walls of the house, fences, gazebos and other buildings. In addition, this arrangement protects the plant in winter, and it rarely freezes.

IN natural environment actinidia prefer the “openwork” penumbra of sparse forests, so when growing plants in the garden, it is advisable to choose a place with identical conditions and protect them from direct sunlight.

Actinidia does not like places where water stagnates for a long time, so it is not recommended to plant it under a drain and in tree trunk circles trees.

Correct fit

Caring for actinidia in spring involves correct landing. The plant is undemanding to soil. In its natural environment, it grows in soil with a low content of phosphorus and nitrogen. Alkaline and clay soils are completely unsuitable. Sour, slightly acidic, or at worst neutral are preferred. This explains the impossibility of using lime as a fertilizer. It is preferable to plant plants in the spring, but it is also possible in the autumn 2-3 weeks before frost.

Autumn planting is carried out only for plants of the 2nd-3rd age.

For planting, dig holes 60*60 cm, putting 10-15 cm of drainage in them (pebbles, expanded clay, crushed stone). Add rich soil to each hole by mixing 2-3 tbsp. wood ash, 10 kg of humus and 0.15 kg.

As soon as the earth settles, they begin to plant the plants, having first poured a hill of soil that does not contain fertilizer into the hole, on which the seedling is placed. There should be a distance of 1.5-2.5 m between the bushes. After planting, the seedlings are watered (about 2-3 buckets per unit), the soil is lightly pressed down so that the root collar is level with the ground. The top is mulched with peat, sawdust, compost, and pine bark.

Supporting the plant vertically

After planting, it is immediately necessary to install supports for actinidia (frames, trellises) - two-meter concrete or wooden, between which wire is stretched in 3-4 rows. Orient the support frame from east to west. The plants are placed on the south side, forming them on a support in the form of a ridge or fan.

Actinidia care

Care includes watering, fertilizing, mulching and pruning. To moisten the plants, they should be sprayed well in the morning and evening. It is especially necessary to carry out the procedure in hot weather.

Growing and caring for actinidia during a long drought is as follows. To prevent the plant from losing its foliage, it is watered every week with 6-8 buckets of water per unit. Otherwise, after dropping leaves, the plant cannot grow new ones and will freeze in winter.

The procedure of tree-trunk loosening is carried out frequently, while simultaneously weeding, but not very deeply, so as not to damage the root system.

It is important for actinidia to receive fertilizers, as this increases its frost resistance, stimulates the growth of young shoots and helps increase productivity. The question of how to feed actinidia in the spring is resolved quickly.

In early spring, phosphate-, nitrogen- and potassium-containing fertilizers are applied in a ratio of 20:35:20 g per 1 m². When the fruits begin to set, a second “feeding” is performed, applying similar fertilizers, but in a ratio of 10-12/15-20/10-12 g per 1 m². The last feeding is carried out in mid-September, when the harvest is harvested, using a mixture of phosphorus and potassium, 20 g each. The fertilizer should be evenly distributed over the soil, and then dug to a depth of 10-12 cm and water each bush generously.

Trimming

To prevent thickening of the crown, pruning is carried out.

The procedure is performed only for actinidia that have reached 3-4 years of age.

Manipulations are carried out throughout the summer, after which the branches are placed on the actinidia support in the desired direction. They also do pinching, which stops the growth of branches.

To rejuvenate 8-10 year old plants, old skeletal branches are pruned, leaving only a stump of 30-40 cm from the vine.

Actinidia are not pruned in spring and autumn due to strong sap flow. Otherwise, the plant will die.

With the onset of autumn, young 2-3 year old vines are removed from their supports and covered with peat, dry leaves, spruce branches, at least 20 cm deep, after putting poison for rodents so that they do not dig nests. Adult actinidia do not need to be covered.

Reproduction

If you start growing a plant, then sooner or later you will be interested in how to propagate actinidia. The propagation process is quite simple, so a gardener can independently grow both male and female specimens. In this case, the gender and characteristics of the variety are inherited from the parent to the child (except for the use of the seed method).

Arc layering method

At the end of the spring sap flow and the blooming of young foliage, the longest and most well-developed growth shoot is selected, tilted downwards with the tip and attached to the ground, sprinkling the pinning area with a 10-15-centimeter layer of soil. The hill should be watered and mulched with sawdust or humus.

In the fall or spring of next year, the cuttings and the mother bush are separated, and the baby is transplanted to a permanent location.

Cuttings

Gardeners are often interested in how to propagate actinidia from cuttings in the spring. This is done in two ways.

Cuttings from green shoots

With the onset of June, several strong annual branches 0.5-1 m long are selected, cut in the morning and immediately placed in a jar of water to prevent wilting. Each twig is divided into fragments of 10-15 cm and planted in soil (slightly acidic or neutral), into which humus and river sand are previously added in a ratio of 1:2, as well as chlorine-free soil (100 g is enough for 1 m²).

Planting is carried out at an angle of 60º, maintaining a distance of 5 cm between cuttings and 10 cm between rows. In this case, the middle bud on the branch should be located at soil level. The soil around the cutting is compacted, watered, and a two-layer gauze is placed on top, which is removed after 2 weeks.

Before the onset of winter, the cuttings are hidden under fallen leaves, and in the spring, before the foliage blooms, they are transplanted to a permanent place of growth.

Lignified cuttings method

According to this method, actinidia propagation is carried out as follows. Lignified cuttings are cut in late autumn, tied into bunches and stored vertically until spring in a box filled with sand at a maximum temperature of 1-5 ºC. Planting is carried out in a greenhouse and watered once every two days. They are cared for like green cuttings.

Seed method

After mashing the ripest whole fruits and then washing them, the resulting seeds are dried on paper in the shade. Then, in the first ten days of December, they are soaked for 4 days, filled with 2 cm of water, stratified and sown 0.5 cm deep in containers filled with a mixture of turf soil and river sand.

Seedlings should be sprayed and protected from direct sunlight. After 3-4 leaves appear, the young plants are transplanted into a greenhouse. Flowering occurs upon reaching 3-5 years of age, after which the plant is transplanted to a permanent place in the ground.

Diseases and pests

Plants are quite resistant to diseases and are rarely attacked by pests. If the rules of care are followed when growing actinidia, the bushes become practically invulnerable.

Among the diseases, the plant can be affected by phylosticosis, fruit rot, powdery mildew, green or gray mold, fungal diseases that cause spots on the foliage. If problems arise, the diseased parts of the plant are removed. For preventive purposes, plants are treated with Bordeaux mixture (1%) immediately after the appearance of buds. The procedure is repeated again after 2 weeks. To combat powdery mildew, double treatment is carried out (with a break of 10 days) baking soda(0.5% solution).

From insects great harm They are brought to the plant by leaf beetles and their larvae, which eat buds, foliage and fruits, as well as lacewings, caterpillars of the raisin moth, and bark beetles. Spring brings relief autumn processing soil and the entire plant with Bordeaux mixture, which kills wintering or wintering pests and their larvae.

Oddly enough,…cats are also considered pests. After the snow melts, animals dig up the roots, thereby damaging them, and also eat young shoots. Therefore, as soon as the plants have been planted, they must be protected with a wire fence, buried 10 cm into the ground and making some kind of cover so that cats cannot penetrate through the top of the tree.

Proper care of actinidia will help to grow a healthy shrub, which will subsequently generously reward you with a large harvest of delicious fruits.

Video about growing actinidia

The actinidia plant is becoming increasingly popular among gardeners. Planting and caring for it are quite simple. In addition, she adapted perfectly to climatic conditions central Russia.

Description of actinidia

Actinidia is a fairly numerous genus of woody deciduous vines that grow in the subtropical climate of Asia, on the island of Java and in the Russian Far East. Actinidia have been preserved since the pre-glacial period, adapted to cooling and perfectly tolerate the climate of temperate Russia. Thanks to this quality, plants are gaining more and more fans among gardeners.

In landscape design, actinidia is used to decorate gazebos and as a hedge. Mature plant on a support it forms a high dense wall with silky foliage, creating dense shade. In autumn, the leaves turn pinkish, yellow or crimson. And in winter, the shoots captivate with their intricate weave and graphics.

Sea anemone leaves have an elongated heart-shaped shape and jagged or smooth edges. In some species, the tips of the leaves become white, which makes the actinidia plant even more decorative.

Actinidia blooms in April with white or pinkish flowers that have a pleasant aroma. It blooms very profusely for 15-20 days.

The fruits of the plant are oblong, pubescent or smooth, with juicy sweet and sour pulp and a pineapple-strawberry aroma.

Landing location

In order for actinidia to please the eye in the garden, planting and caring for the plant must be competent. The planting site is chosen taking into account the fact that actinidia is a long-liver. In nature, its shoots rise, supported by trees, 20-30 meters above the ground and form dense thickets. Actinidia loves wet soils, but does not tolerate stagnation of groundwater. Grows well in slightly acidic and neutral soils rich in humus and humus. Although all varieties of actinidia are shade-tolerant, it is best to plant the plant on the sunny side in light openwork shade. Only with sufficient lighting can you get a bountiful harvest. The soil structure should not be dense. The most suitable are fertile loams and sandy loam enriched soils.

Having decided on the planting site, dig a hole for each plant 60 cm deep and wide. Be sure to provide drainage: fill the bottom with pebbles, small pieces of brick, and stones. The next layer is fertile soil and leaf humus, add complex fertilizers, a little wood ash and mix. They make a mound in the middle of the hole and plant it in it. young plant. The root ball should first be well moistened. If the plant has bare roots, it is necessary to distribute them over the mound and immediately cover them with soil, preventing them from drying out. The soil around the seedling is slightly compacted without deepening the root collar, watered abundantly and mulched with peat, humus or leaf compost. In the future, mulching is done every year so that the roots are always moist and do not overheat. Actinidia requires a lot of nutrients, and the distance between seedlings should be at least 2 meters.

Planting is best done in early May.

Selection of seedlings

Actinidia seedlings are purchased from specialized nurseries or from well-known gardeners. Pay attention to the condition of the root system. The roots must be healthy, well developed, without damage. The shoots are without rot, not dry. The most best choice It will be an annual plant with a closed root system, since actinidia does not tolerate drying out of the root ball. For three female plants it is necessary to purchase one male plant of the same species. Interspecific pollination does not occur in actinidia.

How to grow this plant correctly

Growing actinidia is not difficult. It's grateful and useful plant. It has a number of undeniable advantages:

good frost resistance,
fast growth,
decorativeness of shoots. Actinidia blooms very beautifully, but its intertwining vines with heart-shaped leaves also decorate the landscape,
tasty and healthy fruits. They are superior in vitamin C content to blackcurrants, lemons and oranges. In addition to the fruits, the flowers, bark and leaves of the plant are used for medicinal purposes.

All of the listed properties of actinidia make this type of vines promising for cultivation in the Russian climate.

Growing actinidia is not difficult. Right choice planting material, planting location, variety and type of plant will contribute to successful growth and fruiting. Basic care includes pruning, pest and disease control, weeding, watering, loosening and fertilizing. All these methods do not differ from standard care for other fruit plants.

Actinidia propagation vegetatively

Actinidia, the planting and care of which can be mastered by any gardener, is easily propagated vegetatively (by cuttings and root layering) and by seeds.

The most preferred method is cuttings. At the end of June, mature cuttings are selected and divided into parts of 3-4 leaves. They are planted in a mixture of sand and peat 5 cm apart to a depth of about 6 cm. At the same time, for good root development, the thickness of the substrate must be at least 25 cm. Seedlings should be regularly watered and shaded, protected from direct sun rays. Rooting of cuttings occurs 20-25 days after planting.

During the growing season, a strong root system and shoots 30-40 cm long develop. Young plants are covered for the winter with covering material, leaf litter or pine branches, and protected from mice and cats. In such a shelter, seedlings tolerate frosts and thaws well.

More easy landing actinidia - reproduction by root layering. The developed shoot is bent to the ground, pressed with a weight and covered with earth. The shoot takes root quickly. The very next year, young actinidia can be separated. This is a guaranteed new healthy plant.

Propagation by seeds

The most labor-intensive method is propagation by seeds. It requires patience, accuracy and some experience from the gardener. This method is used to breed new plant varieties.

Actinidia seeds are stratified for 3 months at 4-6 degrees Celsius, after which they are sown in light soil and placed in a room with a temperature of 22-27 degrees above zero. The seedlings are protected from the sun, and at the end of May they are taken outside and placed in shady place garden Stronger plants are planted in seedling beds, where they overwinter under cover. Next spring, actinidia are placed in a permanent place. Seedlings begin to bear fruit no earlier than the 6th year of development. When propagated by seeds, it is impossible to determine the future sex of actinidia. Therefore, for successful cross-pollination, you need to plant at least 4-5 seedlings.

Plant care

Actinidia does not tolerate direct sunlight. During the first year of life, the seedling is protected from the sun. lightweight material, ensuring its stay in partial shade. In adulthood, actinidia no longer suffers from the sun. The soil around the plant is weeded to remove weeds and watered in dry weather, but not abundantly, since actinidia does not tolerate flooding well. You cannot deeply loosen the soil around the plant, since the roots are located close to the surface. For the winter, young actinidia are covered with leaf humus, leaves and spruce branches to prevent rodents.

Over the next two years, regularly loosen the soil with care and mulch with rotted compost, without exposing the root collar. It is necessary to protect young plants with a net from rodents and cats, which happily gnaw actinidia shoots.

For good development of seedlings, regular feeding is necessary, good watering and spraying. At the beginning of the growing season, actinidia is fed with nitrogen-containing fertilizers or a weak solution of cow manure at the rate of 2 kg per 1 sq. m. From the second half of summer, sprinkle with a small amount of wood ash. Actinidia responds well to the addition of superphosphate (40 g per 1 sq. m.) and potassium salt (10 g per 1 sq. m.).

Actinidia crown formation

It is possible to trim and shape the crown of actinidia only immediately after flowering or in late autumn, after the leaves have fallen, due to the strong spring sap flow in these plants.

The formation of the vine begins in the second year, if the actinidia is well developed. If the shoots have not grown enough, then pruning is postponed until the 3rd year. During the first formative pruning, three strong shoots are left, the rest are completely removed. The remaining shoots are tied to a support. In autumn, the tops of the shoots are trimmed into several buds.

Next summer, the strongest of the regrown side shoots are tied horizontally to a support, forming a fan. The rest are deleted again. They try to prevent the crown from thickening.

In the 3-4th year of the growing season, actinidia begins to form shorter fruit shoots. They are tied vertically. In the future, more powerful ones are again selected and tied horizontally. In subsequent years, pruning actinidia involves removing dead shoots and rejuvenating the plant, for which old branches are cut out.

Actinidia bears fruit in one place for about 50 years and manages to form a powerful trunk, so the supports for the vine should be made very strong. Their height should be convenient for harvesting and caring for the plant. It is approximately 3 meters.

Actinidia yield

The productivity of an adult vine depends on the variety and growing conditions. From one wild plant 5-10 kg of berries are collected. Cultivated actinidia give good harvest tasty and healthy berries- up to 50 kg per Diana with proper care. Some varieties with intensive agricultural technology produce up to 70 kg of berries per tree.

In some varieties the fruits ripen simultaneously, in others - gradually. Except different terms When ripening, the fruits of individual varieties differ in weight, shape, color, and shades of flavor. They are also different chemical composition and main direction of use.

Actinidia berries are consumed raw, jam and compotes are made from them, sprinkled with sugar and stored until spring. Homemade wine is made from fallen fruits.

Actinidia kolomikta

Actinidia kolomikta is the most famous and beloved type of actinidia; it bears fruit for up to 25-35 years. A very decorative fruit vine that grows when favorable conditions up to 7-8 meters. It occurs naturally in the Far East along the banks of rivers and streams. Uses trees for support.

It has a characteristic three-color leaf color. Young leaves are reddish, older ones are green, and before flowering the tips of the leaves turn white, especially in sunny areas. After 10 days, the white areas turn pinkish, and the vine has a bright, festive look.

When actinidia blooms, the garden is filled with a pleasant jasmine aroma. The flowers are white and quite large, on long stalks. Flowering lasts 15-25 days.

The fruits ripen in August. They are elongated, green, up to 2 cm in size, and taste like an apple with a strawberry flavor.

Actinidia kolomikta, which is planted in the same way as other types of these vines, has a large selection of varieties. Amateur and professional gardeners have plenty to choose from.

What varieties of the actinidia kolomikta plant are most popular?

Kolomikta folk - high-yielding variety. Has early fruit ripening. The berry is laterally compressed, oblong, with slight ribbing on the surface. Fruit weight - up to 5 grams, s high content ascorbic acid.
Festive - the fruits ripen in August. They have a highly elongated shape, yellowish-green color, weighing 3 grams, with an apple flavor. The variety is productive early date maturation.
Grape - early variety. The color of the fruit is green with a blush, the skin is smooth. The fruits are round in shape, weighing 2.5 grams, 2-2.5 cm long, with an apple flavor. The variety is small-fruited, early, productive.
Waffle - fast-growing, high-yielding. The fruit is cylindrical with a sharp tip, weighing up to 3 grams, dark green in color with blush. The taste is delicate, sweet and sour.
Gourmand - relatively new variety. The fruit is large with light stripes. Has a pineapple aroma. Mid-season.
Doctor Shimanovsky is a self-pollinating variety of new selection. The liana is relatively small. The leaves are dark green, bronze in autumn. The fruits are similar to gooseberries. Grows well on a sunny, sheltered side from the wind. Late ripening variety.
Slastena is an early ripening variety. The fruit is yellow-green, cylindrical in shape. It weighs up to 2.5 grams. The taste is marmalade.
Homestead - the color of the fruit is olive, the taste is pineapple-apple. The berry size is medium, weighing up to 5 grams. Early variety.

Actinidia kolomikta, whose care is the same as for other species of this plant, pleases gardeners because it is the most frost-resistant.

Actinidia arguta

Actinidia arguta is a strong vine, 18-25 meters high and very thick at the base. The bark of the stem is light gray. The leaves are green, monochromatic. The flowers are odorless, larger than those of Actinidia kolomikta, with a greenish tint. The fruits are larger, on average up to 7 grams, with delicate pulp with a sweet and sour taste. The variety is productive, but does not tolerate frost well.

Several large-fruited frost-resistant varieties have been bred based on Actinidia arguta. They have bright fruity aromas, ripen quickly and do not fall off. Argut varieties that have a pungent taste are very interesting.

Varieties of actinidia of the argut species:

Firebird - the fruits have the taste of hot pepper and a peppery smell. The size of the berries is up to 6 grams. Late ripening.
Spindle is a late-ripening variety. Fruits weighing up to 6.5 grams, sweet-pepper taste with fig aroma.
Healing - the name is given to the variety for the high content of carotene in the fruits. The fruit weighs on average 4-4.5 grams. Taste of figs and sweet pepper. Variety late maturing.

Self-fertile actinidia, or polygamy

This actinidia is self-fertile. One of the rare self-pollinating species.

A special feature is the bright orange color of ripe fruits. This is due to the high content of carotene, which makes actinidia of this species a worthy competitor to sea buckthorn.

It is worth noting that self-fertile actinidia is distinguished by unusual taste qualities fruits They combine the flavors of paprika and figs and are very sweet when fully ripe. The unripe fruit has a slightly pungent aftertaste. Some varieties have a highly developed pungent taste. The shape of the fruit is oblong, with a sharp tip. The berries are used to make sauces, and salads are prepared from young shoots. All varieties of Actinidia polygamum begin to bear fruit from the third year of life and are characterized by high productivity and long life expectancy.

Other types

Actinidia is represented by a wide variety of species. We have listed the varieties of the most popular ones. Other species that may be of interest to gardeners are:

Actinidia Giraldi is a close relative of the Argut species. Rarely found in nature. At correct formation vines are distinguished by large fruits of harmonious shape and with a delicate taste.
Actinidia purpurea is a heat-loving large vine with smooth heart-shaped leaves. The berries are up to 3 cm long, dark red in color, sweet with a faint aroma. It grows in China and does not overwinter in Russian conditions.
Actinidia deliciosa (kiwi) is a wild species native to China. A large vine with massive fruits weighing 35-40 grams. It was introduced into culture in New Zealand, where it received its name “kiwi” for its resemblance to the local bird. Modern selection offers many improved varieties of this plant with large (up to 100 grams) fruits. Kiwis have great dietary value. They contain potassium, iodine, vitamins, micro- and macroelements. Substances contained in fruits remove “bad” cholesterol and prevent the formation of blood clots. All these properties fully apply to all types of cultivated and wild actinidia.
Actinidia large-fruited - bred by Kyiv scientists by crossing Actinidia purpurea with Actinidia arguta. The result was a unique winter-hardy, productive variety with large fruits that taste like pineapple and smell like honey. The size of the berries reaches 10-22 grams. The liana is tall, up to 18-20 meters in height, with strong stems and large leaves. IN further work over the selection of the hybrid was aimed at increasing the frost resistance of the plant. Varieties suitable for central Russia were obtained.

Here are some more interesting varieties:

Actinidia hybrid Sausage - has a bouquet type of flowering, high yield, resistance to frost and large fruits weighing up to 15-18 grams. The color of the skin and pulp of the berries is pink or purple, which adds additional attractiveness to the variety. The smell and taste of the fruit is sweet caramel with fruity notes. Late ripening.
Souvenir is a late ripening variety. It has oval fruits of green color with a red tint. The weight of each berry is 7-8 grams, the taste is fig.
Candy - fruits weigh up to 8.5 grams each, green, with a fruity smell.
Kiev hybrid-10 and Kiev large-fruited are both late-ripening varieties. The berries weigh 8-10 grams and have a pleasant sweet taste and delicate aroma.

All new selections are suitable for growing in temperate climates and are becoming increasingly popular among gardeners.

Diseases and pests

Actinidia, the planting and care of which are discussed above, was brought to our zone from the Far East relatively recently. Therefore, the plant feels good in the middle zone, but several types of fungi and pests can still cause diseases.

Possible diseases of actinidia:

Philostycosis is a fungal disease. Appears as dark spots with a reddish border. The leaf blade in the center of the lesion is destroyed and the leaf becomes holey. Old and weakened plants growing in unfavorable conditions or damaged by rodents are affected. Such vines can also suffer from local diseases.
Ramularia - characterized by the appearance of spots on both sides of the leaf.
Actinidia fruits are amazing fruit rot and mold. Actinidia arguta is especially susceptible to diseases.

If signs of disease appear, the plant should be treated with antifungal drugs and damaged leaves should be burned. In early spring, preventive blue spraying with copper sulfate or Bordeaux mixture is carried out.