.jpg "Growing Kiwi Fruit")
Kiwifruit is a major horticultural export earner in New Zealand.
New Zealand is the second largest kiwifruit producing country, next to Italy,
and holds approximately 30% of the market share. In the 2008-2009
season the value New Zealand kiwifruit exports was NZ$1.45 billion.
Kiwifruit is native to the Yangtze River valley
on the coast of Eastern China. The New Zealand Kiwifruit industry began
with Mary Isabel Fraser, a teacher and missionary, bringing kiwifruit
seeds to New Zealand from China in 1904.
A New Zealand horticulturalist, Hayward Wright, developed the
well-known green kiwifruit in Avondale, New Zealand, around 1924. The
well known green kiwifruit were later renamed “Hayward” as a tribute to
Hayward Wright.(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Origins of the Industry
The first commercial planting of Chinese gooseberries occurred in 1937 by the orchardist
Jim MacLoughlin. He found that the vines were low maintenance and
fruited well. By 1940, MacLoughlin purchased more property for Chinese
gooseberry production. MacLoughlin’s truck was commandeered for army use
during the outbreak of war and as a result, he was forced to sell his
property and enter into a shared cropping arrangement with another
farmer. In 1955, MacLoughlin bought out his partner, purchasing his land
back along with an additional 38 acres and planting it all to Chinese
gooseberries. During the war around 550 cases of the fruit were marketed
each season with the fruit proving popular with American servicemen in
New Zealand. This provided the opportunity for the previously
domestically-consumed fruit industry to expand by exporting to an
international market.
Planting:
Actinidia
plants are especially touchy about less than perfect site and soil
conditions in their youth. For this reason, some growers coddle their plants in containers
for one, even two, years. Growth can be phenomenal in carefully watered
and fertilized containers, and the plants can be protected their first
couple of winters in an unheated basement or a slightly heated garage.
When setting plants in the ground in soil that doesn't drain
perfectly, plant each vine atop a raised mound of earth. Winter cold
bites hard at plants of all species their first two or three years in
the ground, especially in conjunction with intense sunlight. A wrapping
of corn stalks, burlap, or similar materials will shade the developing
trunks and abate the fierceness of the cold. Delay protecting the trunks
until frost
has penetrated the ground an inch; the plants must be exposed to some
cold in order to properly acclimate to the cold months ahead. Where
winters are brutal, either due to very low or fluctuating temperatures,
this wrapping may be advisable even for mature plants. Remember, trunks
of wild actinidias growing in their native Asian forests never are
exposed to full sun.
How to Grow Kiwifruit
Kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis) is originally from China and is
also known as Chinese gooseberry. It is both edible and ornamental and
grows as a vine that is vigorous and strong. If you are keen on growing
it at home, be sure to have supporting space. Here are some tips for
growing it. Step 1
Erect a strong support about 2 metres
high. This will also need to have some good width, to support the spread of the
vine and its weight with fruit.
Step 2
Purchase a male and a female plant. You will need both to be able to
produce fruit. Cultivar 'Jenny' though to be self-fertile - requiring only one
plant. 'Hardy kiwi' cultivars also self-fertile - yielding smaller, grape sized
non fuzzy kiwifruits.
Step 3
Plant in full sun in rich soil that is well-drained. Kiwifruit do not
like having dry feet, so be sure to keep well watered during the warmer months.
Step 4
Protect kiwifruit plants from strong winds and frost. Provide a
sheltered area if this is a problem.
Step 5
Prune the male plant after it flowers in late
spring. Prune the female plant in winter. The fruit arises from new
growth; therefore, it is important to prune back any old wood that has already
borne fruit.
Tips
- Prune heavily to control the overall size of each plant.
- Pruning is essential during the first two years, as for
any other deciduous plant.
Growing Kiwi Fruit, Growing Kiwi Fruit to Earn Money, How to Grow Kiwifruit, Kiwi Fruit Farming, Kiwi Fruit Farming Business
ReplyDelete